First things first you need to know what you want to do for a job or career…or at least have a general idea. A work placement is an opportunity for you to test out ideas and put what you have learnt so far into working practice

1. Utilise your university careers service! They will be an invaluable resource and can furnish you with tons of information and advice and best of all they provide this service for free! Most career services are directly linked with employers and often liaise with them around upcoming opportunities. They normally advertise the vacancies on the university careers portal so you should either pop in to see them or go online.

2. Network The old adage of “its not what you know but who you know” can ring very true when looking for a job or placement. Talk to family, friends, fellow students as they may know people who have chosen the same path as you or who are actually working with the business that you want to apply to. Learning from others experience and knowledge can prove invaluable and can often set you off to an advantage.

3. Dream Big! Collate a list of the target businesses you would ideally like to gain experience with and check out their websites. Most companies will have a careers page which will detail all current opportunities and if they are not showing any matching vacancies consider applying speculatively. This may not get you anywhere but unless you try you will never know. Consider your application and tailor it to the specific business.

Once you have successfully landed your placement you should take the time to make sure you are prepared… remember - you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Before you start - Getting there – Take the initiative and make sure you have checked the location of your new placement and have done a dummy run to measure how long it takes to get there. You should always aim to get there at least 15 mins early on your first day to avoid any last minute panic

Check the dress code – There is nothing worse than being over or under dressed on your first day as this will just add to your nerves. Check with your employer what the work place dress code is and if you are not too sure its always best to ere on the side of caution and plump for smart clothes. Don’t worry about buying a new suit or anything but try to avoid ripped jeans and washed out t-shirts.

Introductions - Your Manager will probably introduce you to everyone you will be working with but if they don’t try to introduce yourself. As we have established first impressions are really important and greeting your co-workers with a smile will start you off well.

Active Listening - You should work hard to get into the habit of active listening pretty quickly. This can involve verbal responses to show you understand or simply taking notes where possible to allow you to refresh yourself at a later date.

Be prepared - The first day could be more of an orientation day that allows you to find your feet and get used to your new surroundings. You may find that you just observe those around you to get an understanding of what it is that you are there to do. However you may also be put straight to work to see what level you are starting at so be prepared for either scenario.

Say Your Goodbyes - It may be a small thing that can seem insignificant but make sure you say goodbye at the end of your day. You can thank those who have helped you through the day and shown you the ropes and it means your line manager will know that you have finished for the day.

Always Say Yes - Take every opportunity presented to you, attend those meetings, support on that project.. These are the things that will get you noticed but more importantly will gain you the most exposure and learning opportunities.

Know Where You Fit In - You will be involved in a wide range of activities and will want to show them what you can do but be aware of your position in the team. Don’t bite off more than you can chew and don’t overstep the mark. The people around you have probably been doing this a lot longer than you so be wary not to think you know more than they do.

Be Open-Minded - Approach every challenge with an open mind… it may not be what you envisaged your task to be but it may just be a tester to get you positioned for the next big opportunity.

Be Sociable - Make the effort with your colleagues, go to lunch, grab a beer after work…You will find you are full of questions but there are just not enough hours in the working day sometimes to answer them all so this will allow you free reign to pick brains.

When It Is All Said And Done – KEEP IN TOUCH - When your time is up and you have completed your placement ensure an open line of communication. This will allow you to request support further down the line and also enables you to revisit them when you are looking to find a full time job after graduation

Unsure about something? Ask! - It might be about a new technology you’re not familiar with or a table in the database you don’t know about. There are so many experienced people around you that are always eager to share their knowledge. You only need to ask!

Don’t be afraid of failure. - Often you are asked to work on projects that use technologies/methods that you are unfamiliar with, so you aren’t expected to be an expert from the start. Try new ideas that you might have and learn from you’re mistakes.

Never stop learning. - As part of your placement you are given access to a Plural Sight subscription, make sure you utilise that alongside the massive amounts of resources we have in documentation. Or even examine code from existing applications! There really is no limit to the material available while on your placement.

Always bring a notepad! - Might seem obvious, but always have a notepad with you whenever you’re in meetings, talking to a colleague or developing an application. So then 3 weeks down the line when you are working on the project you were discussing, you won’t forget the tiny details.

Get into a routine. - Coming from University into work isn’t easy, therefore bad habits like staying up till 3 in the morning watching Netflix are no longer advisable. When you get home from work make sure you have a good meal and get to sleep early, You need to be fresh and ready to go in work the next morning!

You get out as much as you put in - The more time and effort you put in the bigger the rewards you will see.

Engage with your colleagues - Developing relations with co-workers is essential in the learning process. Not only to help you settle in but you will find this gives you the access to tap into their experiences.

Use the facility’s provided as much as you can - they’re great - Plural sight is great for sharpening your skills and is provided.

Always introduce yourself - Make yourself known, people will ask for your help.

Get to know the company - The more you know about the company and the way it functions the faster you will become a part of it.