Ragini Mangela
Placement Student (2019/20) at
NHS
ABOUT ME
Hello, BAL Placement search! My name is Ragini Mangela, currently studying BA(Hons) in Accounting and Finance. I have previously undertaken a placement year with the NHS.
Finding placements was easy but what wasn’t so easy was the journey from creating my placement CV to securing my placement! However, with each step I took, I received support from the BAL Placement Team.
It was just at the end of my first year when I was first introduced to placement years and the BAL Placement Team. I always knew that I was going to do a sandwich course, however I never realised the difficulties that I would have to overcome.
HOW THE BAL PLACEMENT TEAM HELPED ME
At the beginning of my second year, I made my first appointment with BAL Placement Team. This appointment was helpful and during it, I got my CV examined by the team and discussed my concern about not having enough skills or qualities to secure a placement. I had low hope in securing a placement. That is when I was shown students currently out on placement, and was told that most of the placement students had had the same feeling during their journey.
“You have the transferable skills which you need to secure a placement!” This sentence gave me the support which I needed.
When I had applied for a placement in a firm for the first time, I had to complete a psychometric test. I let the BAL Placement Team know, and not only did they show me some mock tests, they also gave me the opportunity to meet previous placement students who went through the same and could guide me. Overall, they ensured that I was well prepared for the test.
When I got invited to my first interview, I was nervous because I didn’t know how it was going to be. Although I had done some research on the company and practised answering interview-style questions, I had never done an interview before. When I let the BAL Placement Team know that I got an interview, they helped me prepare for my interview by providing me with practice questions conducting mock interviews to ensure that I was well prepared for the interview.
For every time I got invited to any interviews, the BAL Placement Team always ensured that I had done a mock interview for preparation.
‘At the end of my first year, I just had the dream of securing a placement, but it was the BAL Placement Team that made it possible!’
WORKSHOPS
Additionally, there were many workshops hosted by the BAL Placement Team to ensure that help was given to all students – from skills to application help. I remember attending an Excel workshop and learning new information as well as polishing up pre-existing skills. This workshop in particular was helpful, because Excel tests were common in interviews.
SUMMARY
I believe that for every step which I took until I secured a placement, there was support available by the BAL Placement Team. At the end of my first year, I just had the dream of securing a placement, but it was the BAL Placement Team that made it possible!
-Ragini Mangela
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