Experience is going to immediately set you apart from other candidates or even allow you to jump straight to a junior role

Why I decided to do a placement year

I completed a placement because I wanted to gain real world experience alongside my integrated masters, helping me to compete for graduate roles. I also wanted to get a narrower idea of what role I wanted to play in the industry. So, I'd recommend a placement year for exactly those reasons; experience is going to immediately set you apart from other candidates or even allow you to jump straight to a junior role!

My experience, the skills I learnt, and some highlights at Hewlett Packard Enterprise

The overall experience was fantastic, I got to take part in numerous projects with some being outside of my job description. There was never anything I couldn't be a part of if I asked. Example projects include writing a system test, setting up and maintaining test infrastructure, and some really fun intern-specific stuff like running a tuck shop, organising events, and local school outreach. I worked across multiple teams and projects simultaneously which earned me an award at the end of the placement.

Also, I've made some amazing friends both within and outside of the intern cohort. Sometimes they're what makes you come into the office.

Why you should consider doing a placement year

I've enhanced my knowledge of Python even further, and actually got to experience Agile development methodologies first-hand that I can employ in my group projects. I've learnt a lot of new skills that will prove useful for numerous career paths.

Although being titled as a QA engineer, I had some experience with infrastructure/platform/DevOps, which I took an immediate liking to. Going forward, I'm more likely to apply for these roles specifically rather than just a generic software engineer. Offering a more supportive role fits my personality much better than being a trailblazer.

Some final advice…

A placement year is your chance to get ahead of the graduate curve. Get started on some side projects to set yourself apart from the rest of the candidates. Be yourself, be honest, and don't give up - it can be a rough process sometimes.

P.S. Matt Watts from the Engineering Placements Team helped me significantly with my CV which helped me to land my internship role. So a very big thank you to him!