"More Than a Placement": How One Student Built Confidence in the Workplace
Reading Time: 5 Minutes
CoCurricular Spotlight: Placement Edition
When students start a placement, it can feel like stepping into the unknown — new systems, new expectations, and a different pace from university life. What often comes as a surprise is how quickly those experiences begin to shape confidence, decisionmaking, and a sense of belonging in the workplace. This student’s placement shows how being trusted to contribute, communicate, and problemsolve in a real professional environment can help learning feel relevant, practical, and genuinely empowering.
This student’s placement experience offers a clear example of how stepping into a professional environment can transform theory into practice. Working closely with the WBL and Employer Engagement team, they had the opportunity not just to observe, but to actively contribute to real projects — from research and planning to communication and events.
Rather than feeling like a temporary visitor in the workplace, the student describes becoming part of a team, learning to manage expectations, adapt communication, and make the most of limited time. Along the way, they discovered that many of the skills developed through their psychology degree — such as analysis, organisation, and understanding different audiences — were not only relevant, but highly valued.
Martine Brekke Klingberg
Degree: Bachelor of Science with Honours Psychology
In this CoCurricular Spotlight, the student reflects on what placements really involve, the skills they didn’t expect to develop, and how the experience helped them gain clarity about life after university. Their reflections highlight how placements can act as a safe but meaningful space to test professional confidence, build resilience, and better understand where students thrive.
Below, the student responds to a series of reflective questions exploring the realities, challenges, and learning moments that came from being immersed in a fulltime professional setting.
Looking back at your placement, how did being immersed in a professional environment boost your confidence in using the knowledge and theory from your degree in real workplace situations?
In my placement I had the opportunity to actively engage with and contribute to various projects conducted by the WBL and Employer Engagement team, and it was a great opportunity to apply my knowledge to a different context than the classroom setting. The placement helped me realise how to utilise various transferrable skills from my psychology degree as I got to take part in both planning, research and communication projects. Rather than simply observing, I found myself actively participating and trusting my own judgement, which reinforced my belief in my ability to perform effectively in a professional setting.
Was there a particular project, task, or challenge during your placement that made you think, “This is a skill I’ll carry with me into any job after graduation”?
Working on the Career’s fayre event was valuable as I learned more about the processes behind making a successful event for multiple audiences. The insight I gained from the planning process and communication with both students and external employers beforehand was valuable for any future work involving event planning in larger organisations with multiple stakeholders.
Placements often demand juggling deadlines, new systems, and unfamiliar tasks. What did you learn about time management, adaptability, or personal resilience while working in a full-time professional setting?
Through my placement I also learned more about setting realistic goals when there’s limited time. As I was limited to 50 hours on my placement, there were various projects I would have liked to be a part of for longer, however I learned to make the most out of the time available to me. A large part of this was shaped by working within a team, which was something I found genuinely valuable. Working with a team that was equally invested in the projects created a shared motivation and helped me achieve the goals I had set out for each day.
Working with colleagues, clients, or external partners can be very different from university group work. How did your placement shape your understanding of communication, professionalism, or managing stakeholder expectations?
My placement was a great opportunity to both observe and improve my communication skills when working with different audiences. I also gained a greater understanding of managing expectations, learning that being transparent about what could realistically be achieved and delivered was just as important as the work itself.
"Rather than simply observing, I found myself actively participating and trusting my own judgement."
Many students don’t realise how transferable placement skills can be. What workplace behaviours or competencies did you develop—beyond technical skills—that you now see as essential for your future career path?
In my placement I had the chance to support a research project, and recruitment of students to participate in the research. Through recruiting for the focus groups, I enhanced my marketing and communication skills, which are very relevant skills to have in a variety of jobs that includes working with people. I also had the chance to learn more about adapting communication depending on the audience through developing a host employer guide, which further enhanced my adaptability and written communication skills.
Can you describe a moment during your placement when you had to problem solve, innovate, or think on your feet, and how that experience showed you what you’re capable of?
As initial recruitment to our focus groups was a bit lower than expected, I switched things around by promoting via a poster, rather than just written emails. By sending and spreading the recruitment poster in different student channels, more students seemed to sign up. I also changed my phrasing and emphasised that students would receive an Amazon voucher for taking part, which may have reeled students in to sign up despite having busy lives! By knowing the audience, it allowed me to refine my communication, and we reached an adequate number of participants in our focus groups.
If another student asked whether a placement truly helps prepare you for life after university, what would you tell them based on the skills, confidence, and clarity you gained from your own experience?
A placement is a great opportunity to apply what you have learned in your course, and to gain confidence in using your professional skills. You may pick up on organisational and social workplace norms you would not have known otherwise, and it helps you build valuable professional connections. The experiences you have on placement can help you better understand where you thrive, and what kind of tasks you enjoy the most (or not!) in your field and can further help guide your future choices. I would recommend any student to do a placement if they have the opportunity during their degree!
Student Reflection Question
As you read this student’s experience, which skills or behaviours do you recognise in yourself already — and how might a placement help you develop them further?