Year in industry profiles

Lucia - CSR Intern at ASOS

My experience so far has been amazing, and really valuable. ASOS is a fast moving company which makes each day really different! My role involves either working on projects, for example recently I have been working on ASOS's partnership with the Paralympics to working on ASOS's sustainability.

The Intern program at ASOS is really well structured. We meet every month for 2 hours, where we focus on specific skill sets. This is where I have learnt that I am developing skills I had never really thought of! For example, I have developed great time management skills, which are key when working in a fast paced environment. My projects change every other week, and I think I have really developed great management and organisation skills. The placement year has also developed my listening and communication skills, whilst also making me more confident!

I believe it is extremely beneficial to take a placement year. A placement year not only provides you with future opportunities, but you gain valuable experience that you may not have had the chance to gain whilst just studying at University. For example, I have had an amazing insight into the working world, and I have real responsibilities that affect the business. My placement year has allowed me to gain essential new skills whilst developing my current skills for the future. A placement year also allows you to network and meet new people which is really great for the future. Which leads me to say, I believe the biggest benefit is how a placement year allows you to have great future opportunities for when you graduate!

Usama - Gas Demand Estimation Assistant

I worked in the Demand Estimation Team and was in charge of managing the AMR sample data. This involved loading and validating consumption data from over 4,000 volunteers that were mainly domestic gas consumers spread across mainland Britain before passing data to the modelling team to provide annual profiles of gas consumption. The process allowed gas transporters to accurately bill shippers for usage of their pipelines.

I definitely improved my IT skills as a lot of my work involved using Microsoft Access and Excel. I feel I am more employable now as I have a lot of experience to demonstrate in interviews. The year in industry has shown me what working in an office environment would be like and I have developed key skills such as teamwork, leadership and organisation.

In addition, the year in industry was not just about work - there were plenty of socials and sports events to get involved in so I made lots of new friends across the business.

Marianna - Operational Research Analyst, Department for Work and Pensions

I obtained the role through a competitive process and fortunately I was successful and received an offer from the Department to join their placement year. I was allocated in the Trials Unit, therefore, most of my work had to do with modelling, specifically finding different ways of delivering service to customers, and designing and analysing complex sample surveys. Part of my role was also the evaluation of pilots and projects.

Without any doubt I strongly believe that I am now a more competitive applicant. Throughout the year I gained and enhanced many skills such as problem-solving and analytical skills, as well as communication (both oral and written), and adjustability. I have also improved my team working skills through cooperating with colleagues in order to complete tasks on time.

The year in industry is an excellent opportunity to see how the theories you gained at the University apply in real life and is a key to a very promising career.