Graduate job advice

At interviews employers are looking for distinguishing features amongst candidates – evidence of team work, analysis, presentation skills, business awareness and a broader understanding of management accounting.

A placement year means you are more able to demonstrate these skills and experiences to an employer.

Benefits of a placement year

Students

Placements and internships give you a chance to gain valuable experience of working within a real business and sampling the environment and culture of a business which is relevant to your degree. You will gain a greater understanding about the world of work and be better placed to apply your knowledge when you continue your studies. Research has shown that participation in placement schemes significantly increases students’ performance on return to their final year at university.

"My placement year introduced me to CIMA and I was able to use some examples from the year in some of my exam answers"
Colin Mannell - Marketing Accountant, Halfords

"My placement year definitely gave me a head start as I knew what to expect and how to act in a professional environment"
Rhiannon Rhymer - Strategy Analyst, Lloyds TSB

Employers

More and more employers are using placements and work experience as a way of trialing prospective candidates. If they find a student who performs well in the placement then they may offer them employment upon graduation. This not only saves the employer money and time, but also ensures that the candidate knows that they will be happy working for the employer – they have had a chance to sample the culture and the working environment.

To find a CIMA graduate scheme please click here.