The Trials and Tribulations of Applying for a Work Placement
This last academic year I had the opportunity to gain valuable work experience by undertaking a short placement. Indeed, for 6 months I volunteered weekly as a peer mentor at a primary school. I worked with a year 5 cohort and was tasked with supporting their academic and personal development. However, securing this role was not easy and I faced many setbacks along the way.
Self-doubt
The first step in obtaining a placement was to prepare a CV and cover letter. This was initially a very daunting prospect as I was plagued with insecurities such as not having relevant work experience or possessing the desirable traits employers would be looking for. My self-doubt was the first major obstacle I needed to overcome; indeed, how could I ever effectively sell myself to an employer when I didn’t even believe in myself?
Getting application ready
Upon reading the first drafts of my CV and cover letter, I became aware of multiple instances where I had failed to convincingly communicate my credentials to employers. I knew this was something I was going to have to address in order to create a comprehensive and coherent application that would grab the attention of employers and secure me a placement. I decided to turn to my university’s career service for advice. There, I found many useful resources, including a CV and cover letter checker which scanned my application against top recruiter and hiring managers criteria. By utilising this tool, I discovered that a key area of concern was my word choice. I had fallen victim to using cliché terms such as ‘passionate’ and ‘team player’. Upon reflecting, I realised that these phrases were vague, unimaginative and wouldn’t make me stand out from the crowd. Removing them allowed me to use more persuasive and creative language, thus bringing my specific attributes that would make me an ideal candidate to the forefront.
Dealing with rejection: if at first you don’t succeed…
Possibly the greatest challenge of them all, however, came from the string of rejections I received. I was receiving invitations to interviews, however, couldn’t seem to get any further in the recruitment process. I viewed being turned down as a sign of failure and as a result my confidence was severely dented.
Nonetheless, I was determined to find a placement and so began asking recruiters for feedback, both positive and negative, which I took with an open mind. The feedback I received proved instrumental in helping me improve my interview technique and as a result helped me secure my placement. Through repeated rejections I have learnt the importance of receiving constructive criticism and as a result have been able to build on my core strengths. Certainly, the process of applying for placements has taught me a major lesson, that without experiencing rejection in life, it would be impossible to grow.
