Year in Industry Placement with First Derivatives

Posted on: 11 February 2021 in Student experiences

My Industrial Placement Journey: Erin Camlin, BSc Mathematics with Finance, incoming Financial Engineer placement student with First Derivatives plc.

When applying to university in 2019 I had no intention of undertaking a year in industry. But with the current job market more competitive than ever, I knew I needed to do something more than just my degree, to make myself stand out.

Deciding to undertake an industrial placement can be a daunting idea, especially whilst keeping up with academic studies and with this year’s added complication of a global pandemic! Last September I decided to take the plunge, and 5 months later I was rewarded with my dream offer.

Next year I will be undertaking my industrial placement as a Financial Engineer with First Derivatives. Securing this role was not easy, but I learnt a lot along the way, both personally and professionally.

Through this article, I hope to offer insight into what resources were crucial to my success, and give some practical help to others to (hopefully) make their industrial placement dreams a reality.

The first step in my placement journey was the Science and Engineering YINI bootcamp, which ran for three days at the start of September. A key part of this were the Q&A sessions, where we had the chance to question past placement students, along with some employers. Engaging with these sessions allowed me to understand more about the application processes, and what to expect from a year in industry.

In fact, this is where I first heard of First Derivatives, showing the importance of such events - had I not attended, I might not be accepting the placement that I am today! The bootcamp set me on the path to begin applying to companies, and I came away feeling motivated and prepared to start my placement journey.

Just a few weeks after the bootcamp, I attended another university run event called Connexpo. It was a ten-day interactive event in Autumn 2020, which enabled students to connect virtually with employers. Here, I had the opportunity to meet one-to-one with recruiters from two of the companies I had already applied to, meaning I was able to ask specific questions. It also allowed me to begin to build a relationship with them and got my name out there as a potential candidate. Attending these sessions, made it clear to the employers that I was interested in working for them, and was taking active steps to make my application a success.

The Career Studio was another fantastic resource which I utilized when applying to my industrial placement. With it being virtual, it was super easy to just drop in when it suited me. There is no limit to the number of times you can call on them for help, so I would really encourage you to make maximum use of them. I first dropped in for help with my CV, which was absolutely transformed. They then taught me how to tailor it to each company I was applying to, making it specific to the job description. When I got further on in some applications, I was able to go back and do practice interviews with the career coaches, which was excellent preparation for the real thing.

Before starting my placement search, I had hardly heard of LinkedIn, never mind had a profile on it. However, I found it to be one of the best resources out there for company news. Employers post a number of announcements and articles on LinkedIn, more than can just be found from an internet search. Knowing a lot about the company you are applying to will help to show your enthusiasm in any interviews or assessment centres. As well as following the companies that I had applications with, I was able to connect with one of the recruiters who I had met at Connexpo. Building your network and increasing your activity on LinkedIn won’t just be beneficial this year when searching for an industrial placement, it will set you up well for future career paths.

No experience is bad experience in the recruitment process. Other interviews, assessment centres and even psychometric tests were all good practice and helped to prepare me and build my confidence. When you get handed a rejection, don’t just accept it; learn from it. Most recruiters will provide feedback at each stage of the process and reading this helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses, so I could improve for my next opportunity.

It is also important to not disregard your friends and family as a valuable resource. Yes, they might not know much about your degree, or your potential field of work, or even the company you are applying to, but they do know a lot about you; and that is what recruiters want to know about. They helped me to identify my strengths, gave me advice of what they had experienced within the job market, and were a great encouragement and support system when I was getting rejection after rejection.

You can’t apply for an industrial placement half-heartedly and just hope for the best. They require hours of hard work and preparation, so make sure you are 100% going for it. It took me 12 applications, 7 rejections and 2 final interviews, but my endeavours were worth it. There are lots of resources out there that will help you to triumph; you just have to use them!