Placements 09 – 10
The following students share some of their thoughts, experiences and hopefully give advice to those of you who may well be looking to follow the same path.
MARK ARROWSMITH
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
I worked for 10 months altogether in London, I started with…
Nextbigthing Creative: 3.5 months
Honey Creative: 1.5 months
Saatchi & Saatchi Design: 1 month
Mystery: 1 month
Wonderland WPA: 2.5 months
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
Mainly confidence in presenting myself and work, but also the confidence to fail when taking ideas even further.
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
I moved in with 3 others guys from the course and I highly recommend that to anyone else going on placement. This helped a hell of a lot with the cost of living as we could all chip in together buying food and household stuff, which in London can be quite expensive. We were paying £400 each a month which was great for the size of our house, this however was a problem during the winter when trying to heat the place up.
What were you asked in the interview?
During the interview the main attention was my portfolio and most questions revolved around it. It was nice to take along some research and sketches, because some interviewers like to see how your ideas were generated and how you work to get to your outcome.
What did you ask in the interview?
I found that questions came naturally during the interviews, but the obvious ones were ‘how long have you been working here?’ and ‘What do you expect from me as a placement student?’.
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
Most placements will pay, between £150 & £250. However some will only pay expenses and this can be quite hard living with.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
I helped cut 150 blank white pencils in half and then sharpen them.
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
Working on placement really made me learn how to design a project all the way through. I used to struggle developing my ideas from research but working in the industry I was able to see some of the best designers at work and learn from them.
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further your design education?
The year I spent on placement has helped me dramatically. Not just only with my designing skills, but the people I met have all recommended I keep in touch with them during my final year. So if I have any design problems or I want anything critiquing, they are just a quick email away (if they aren’t too busy to reply).
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking on a placement?
Do it, you won’t regret it!
ALEX CREAMER
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
The Partners: 4 weeks
Honey Creative: On and off for 4 and half months
Ziggurat: 3 months
Landor: 6 weeks
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
To stay flexible with ideas and to be confident in your sketches and research. No idea seems to be a bad idea.
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
I lived with 3 other placement students in a house in Wood Green, it was £400pcm each. We looked on Findaproperty.com and checked how easy it would be to get to Kings Cross and Farringdon on the tube. Wood Green was recommended to us by a friend so we went house hunting a couple of times and came upon our house.
What were you asked in the interview?
Mostly about my folio, where the ideas came from. It varied from place to place, some were purely interested in my folio, others asked about my hobbies and interests outside of work. Those more affiliated with UCLAN asked about how the course was going, the tutors and how I liked the metropolis that is Preston.
What did you ask in the interview?
I don’t remember asking too many questions I had a list written in my book, but for whatever reason I didn’t really use them. I think I asked pretty normal things such as; where did you study? Do you still like Graphic Design? etc. I never asked about money as wasn’t sure if this was poor form or not.
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
On average £200pw, the least £150pw, the most £250pw.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
Whilst working at one company I had to make as many people as possible in the middle of London go “EYYYYYYYY” like The Fonz into a video camera. The second unusual thing was making amendments to Russian nappies that were written in Cyrillic.
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
Hopefully time management, a structured way of organising my projects… from good research to the final thing. Also to make the most of it and have a good time with my friends and make the uni studio fun!! As after uni, its full time work until I either win the lottery or retire!
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further your design education?
I would say it was invaluable. I don’ t know how well I did but just being able to see the day to day life of a studio is really inspiring and interesting. I got plenty of advice from people that I hope I can put to good use down the line.
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking on a placement?
I’d suggest, try and get as many placements lined up as possible before you move to wherever it is you want to work. As I think it’s a lot harder to get good, long term and paid placements on short notice. So the more you can get earlier on the better off you will be I think. Also don’t worry too much, just enjoy your time at work and be positive in whatever task you are set.
SARAH HARDMAN
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
True North: 1 year
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
Make sure everybody has always got a brew in their hand!
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
I was lucky enough to have a friend who knew a girl that lived in the beautiful Salford. She needed a house mate for a year and I needed a home for a year so it was perfect. Rent was £500 (250pp) a month, which was pretty reasonable for a place only 10 mins from city centre. Living that close wasn’t so ideal over the snowy Christmas months, when being on foot meant there was no excuse for not going to work.
What were you asked in the interview?
I was asked to talk through my portfolio, and the feedback was given at the end. This challenged me to be precise in explaining the brief and justifying my solution. Most of the questions then stemmed from the work in my portfolio. I would advise never to put anything in your portfolio that you don’t feel confident talking about.
I was also asked who inspired me, and embarrassingly answered with ‘The Chase and yourselves’. Of course both have produced some beautiful work, but I think by that stage I should maybe have had a few more names knocking around up there!
What did you ask in the interview?
I asked how much I got paid… joking of course. NEVER ASK THAT!
I asked what they were looking for from a placement, to know what would be expected of me if I got the job.
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
Yes I was lucky enough to get paid. I got £100 a week which was enough for rent and food. No clothes shopping that year for me!
What was the most unusual thing you did?
Probably the most unusual thing was to make a chainsaw for my Boss’s fancy dress party that evening. It was quite a fun afternoon.
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
On placement you learn how a real company functions. A cliché answer to this question would be teamwork, but that actually sums up how the company worked. Ideas were always bounced around in order to arrive at the best solution. Once this had been established the skills and expertise that were required to complete the job were delegated between the team and external professionals. For example we worked with photographers, illustrators, copywriters, printers and other professions. In my final year I am hoping to put this principle into practise by bringing together thoughts and skills of fellow students from across the design faculty.
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further your design education?
First of all I would say that a placement is an amazing opportunity and an invaluable experience. If you get the chance, definitely take it. I learnt so much in that year that Uni simply can’t teach you. It is real life, real briefs, real clients (who can sometimes be a ‘real’ pain). I think the way UCLAN offers the chance of placement midway through your degree is great, as it means you can apply all you have learnt to make your work in the final year the best that it can be. There is also the point that experience is what everyone is looking for so having a years worth will be in your favour when looking for jobs.
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking on a placement?
I learnt that time is precious, so my advise would be to do everything you can do to make the lives of those you work for easier! Be eager to learn, interested, enthusiastic and helpful. Try and do everything with a smile on your face.
CARL JEFFERS
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
The Chase (Manchester): 6 months
Wash Design: 6 months
Because Studio: 2 months/ongoing
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
Professionalism within all aspects of the industry, especially finishing.
Effective time management. Quick effective techniques.
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
£200 a month getting the train to Manchester with a rail card.
What were you asked in the interview?
Availability, my aims/plans, a lot about your portfolio of work.
What did you ask in the interview?
Start and end times, and most importantly DINNER TIME! (and if your gonna suck up to them…”Do you take sugar with that?”
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
It varied from working for free, getting travel expenses and being paid around £150 a week.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
Any heavy lifting in the office, buy a kettle, set up 8 Ikea shelves, the bins and recycling in the whole office, and wait for it… Soaking and then Peeling off 250 wine bottle labels!
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
Finishing techniques.
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further your
design education?
Brilliant! It’s a very eye opening experience to see how the industry works, and a great way of showing what you can do, making contacts, and importantly making a good impression!
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking
on a placement?
Basically be a sponge… ready to soak up everything, watch and learn, go into it with enthusiasm and an open mind but with a view to one day being in industry. Oh and don’t expect to be doing Nike football adverts straight away, you start at the bottom of the ladder and work your way up!
LUCY MONK
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
Ziggurat: 3 months
Felton: 2 weeks
Honey: 1 month
Draught: 3.5 weeks
Elmwood: 1 month
Wonderland: 5 weeks
Hat-trick: 2 weeks
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
Seeing how things are actually done in the real world. Keep pushing yourself to come up with a variety of ideas. I wasn’t very good at the technical side but I’ve picked up lots of helpful little tricks. People are happy to show you how to do things if you don’t know how to. A happy studio is one with lots of snacks in.
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
I have friends at uni in london a friend of a friend had rooms going spare costing around £90 a week.
What were you asked in the interview?
To be honest most didn’t ask anything they just looked through my portfolio as I explained it, I got 2 placements without an interview based on my pdf portfolio. If there were any questions it was general where are you studying? Where else have you had placements?
What did you ask in the interview?
What sort of stuff would I be getting involved in.
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
I worked for free for just over a month near the end but most places did pay £150/£200 a week which was nice, one place didn’t usually pay placements but because I was living there on a placement year they paid £100 a week.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
On my first day at one placement i worked on the packaging for a poo shaped memory stick. At the same place I was working on researching a redesign for a shampoo bottle working with a project manager and a designer from another office, I got to join in the pitch to the clients telling them what I thought of the packaging and brand as it was and where we could take it. This was a massive privilege and a highlight for me.
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
Seeing how much work goes into something I can tell I’m going to push myself more.
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further your design education?
I found most people got a job through doing placements after finishing uni, companies were impressed we were at placement level after 2 years and I’ll work differently as a third year now. Hopefully through doing the placement year I’ll be employable straight from uni.
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking on a placement?
When it comes to finding placements don’t worry about being persistent. I found if you gave a call once you’ve sent your pdf portfolio, they’re more likely to look out for your name and get you in.
MEGAN RABY
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
I did a 10 month placement with Creative Vein, Manchester.
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
Cliched but true… The most important thing I learnt came from the experience of actually being in the workplace on a daily basis. It was a huge benefit over 10 months being in the environment of real briefs with tight timescales for pitching to clients. It struck me as key to learn to take the time to research and establish what the client wanted rather than purely whether the design looked good. It was vital to always relay ideas back to the brief whilst making sure that the outcome was well executed and unique from a design point of view. Various designers I met throughout the year had a story or two to tell where a client had tried to do their job for them and in the end ‘butchered’ their initial work (I’m sure every designer has). So sometimes you can’t get precious about a job, but there is a point where you put your foot down… gently.
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
I was fortunate enough to know the right people in the right places when it came to accommodation! I shared a house in Chorley for £25pw. The train journey only took 30mins into Piccadilly.
What were you asked in the interview?
Firstly I was asked where I’d been on holiday and how i’d found it which immediately broke the ice… I spoke a little bit about myself, what interests I had in design, if I had had any design experience before, where I worked currently and what my plans were for the rest of the Summer. I was then asked to present my portfolio, including 5 or 6 good pieces of work from 2nd year. I tried to keep this as concise as possible and clearly explain my thinking behind the work. I was then asked about my plans for accommodation and when I would be able to start. Then came the ‘any questions’ and ‘we’ll be in touch’.
What did you ask in the interview?
I asked about what I could do to improve my portfolio in their opinion. I also commented on some of their work I had noticed and liked, and asked a little more about it.
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
I was paid £100pw which increased later on.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
The most unusual thing I did was to rush around Manchester taking many pictures of sushi.
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
The experience has shown me never to limit my boundaries, not too much anyway, or to constrain an idea straight away if there is potential. On the other hand if an idea just isn’t going to work I shouldn’t force it, and try another. I hope to continue getting more and more up to speed with software (Illustrator, Photoshop and Indesign).
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further your design education?
This placement has been a real eye opener to the importance of using and working with those around you and and given me a clearer direction to follow in terms of where my design education takes me. Placements like this follow on to more experience and are a stepping stone to realising where your potentials lie in the many fields of graphic design. A placement for this length of time meant I could really get to know and work more effectively with the other designers, as well as being given more responsibility throughout. The seniors were happy to take the time to train me on and involve me more in the ideas process as I was tuned into their way and pace of working as a studio.
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking on a placement?
My advise would be to try your very best to get a placement, no matter what agency it may be or for how long. And another true cliche, work hard and be nice to people! Also get a journal – keep a record of things you learn, contacts, new agencies and websites etc!
PEGGY SOTERIOU
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
The Partners: 1 month
Nextbigthing Creative: 3 months
Deep: 2 weeks
Saatchi & Saatchi: 2 weeks
Honey: 1 month
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
How to work fast, pay attention to detail and how to work professionally.
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
I found my accommodation through Gumtree. Luckily it was a very descent place and I got it for the reasonable price of £300 monthly – a bargain for London!
What were you asked in the interview?
My level of confidence with the software and computer skills was frequently asked, as well as which industry I would like to work in – branding, packaging, digital, etc.
What did you ask in the interview?
I asked each company about the duration of their placements and what sort of tasks I would be expected to do.
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
Yes, on average £150 per week.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
When a team member was leaving, I was asked to produce a mock up of a telescope as a leaving present because he was an astrophysics fanatic.
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
I have found that sticking up work on the wall really helps and is much more useful than simply saving it in a folder. Being able to look at them again and again makes ideas come more naturally. I’ve also learned the value of sharing ideas with others as it’s amazing how ideas can come out when creative minds are put together.
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further your
design education?
Having done a placement has helped me get a taste of what the real industry is like and it has made me love what I do even more! I now have more passion and drive to creatively tackle my final year.
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking
on a placement?
Go out and meet people! Expect to make a lot of tea but also get a lot of experience. It’s worth it!
MATT TAYLOR
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
I worked for several companies whilst in Landan. Firstly;
Purple: 3 months and a bit, which was impeccable timing due to all
the Christmas parties.
Brave: 2 weeks
Mystery (stint 1): 2 months
Felton: 2 weeks
Ziggurat: 2 months
Mystery (stint 2): 1 month
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
It sounds a bit generic but I learnt a hell of a lot whilst on placement, for example how to memorise 20 orders for different tea and coffee takes a lot of skill. Apart from that the most important thing I learnt was just to be yourself, not trying to think you know everything but to be open, to learn and to make mistakes because that way you improve for the better.
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
Well if you go to www.alexcreamer.co.uk then I am sure he will help you out. On a serious note though, I shared with a cracking set of lads on my course. We found the house on www.findaproperty.com and we were paying £400 per calendar month each. But try and find other people on you course going to London for placements and get a house together as its works out cheaper and a load of Banter with a capital B.
What were you asked in the interview?
Obviously I was asked about my portfolio and the reasoning behind my ideas and concepts, and about graphic design in general, my inspirations and aspirations. In all my interviews they were very interested in finding out about me, my hobbies and interests.
What did you ask in the interview?
I asked quite a few questions, about the company itself as in where they saw themselves in years to come, what inspires them, what clients they prefer to work with or not. Most importantly the question that everyone should ask is how social they are as a company, for the free nights out!
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
Some companies paid about £200 a week, others covered my expenses, but if you include beer, then I got paid in the masses.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
The most unusual thing I think was buying children magazines from WHSmith as part of research for Tropicana Kids, no wonder the till person looked funny when the bill came to about £60!
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
From precise and thorough researching, to developing ideas and mac skills. You don’t realise how many skills and techniques you have learnt until you finish your placements.
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further
your design education?
I think the whole experience of working in a real life design environment has been invaluable to help me develop as a designer and has been a massive learning curve.
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking
on a placement?
I would say to anyone embarking on a placement to just be yourself and to be honest. The people you work with are also learning about you as a person and whenever someone offers you a drink, duly accept and get pissed with your colleagues, as this is also a great way of networking and potentially meeting your future placement employers.
BEN TUSTIN
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
SAS Design: 6 weeks
Bluemarlin: 2 weeks
Honey Creative: 7 weeks
UHC: 2 weeks
Portfolio: 2 weeks
Felton: 2 weeks
The Partners: 4 weeks
Landor: 4 weeks
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
The most important thing I learnt from my placement is to be heard and standout from the rest, don’t keep your ideas bottled up, companies want to see confidence but also, be yourself. Just remember companies are not there to intimidate you but they are there to help develop your skills, they have all been in the same position.
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
Myself, Alex Creamer & Co. dealt with finding accommodation, this was done through an estate agent. Cost of the house was £1600 a month which was divided by four of us but bills where not included. So be wise with your money.
What were you asked in the interview?
The main things they wanted to know was how I came up with my final designs, why I used certain typefaces and images and what was the thinking behind my ideas and my general interests.
What did you ask in the interview?
A few questions I asked were; which designers influence you? What type of companies do you work for and what do they specialise in (e.g branding, packaging) What advice could you give to junior designers?
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
Not every company paid, but the ones that did paid from £100 to £200 week. However when you have rent, food to buy and bills to pay £100 didn’t seem enough. Therefore I would advise those thinking of going on placement to save up before hand so that it gives you some support.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
The most unusual thing that I had to do and that stood out the most for me, was when I had to go out to buy a spade, then dig a hole and put a nature information board up. I had to do this 3 times.
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
The experience I gained most on placement and will put into practice in my final year was time management, because you had to work at a much faster pace and deadlines had to be met.
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further
your design education?
Going on placement is very important in helping to further your design education because you get to learn how the industry works and how companies solve problems.
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking
on a placement?
If I was going to do a placement again, I would not work at so many companies. Instead maybe go to four different companies for longer periods of time, as you build a better bond with the company. Lastly you need to be careful with your money.
RUTH WESTON
Which company(s) did you do a placement with and how long for?
Just the one at The Chase (Preston) and for about 10 months in all.
What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement(s)?
I think everything I learned on placement was important, all of it shapes the way you are as a designer and I think the more you can pick up from the professionals the better!
How did you find accommodation and how much did it cost?
I already live in Preston so there was no need for finding new accommodation. Sorry not much help for you there!
What were you asked in the interview?
I was just asked to talk through my portfolio, I talked about how I got the ideas and the things that inspired me to do my projects that way. It was really relaxed and the whole team had a look through it. They also asked did I like a brew! And even if you don’t I think you should always offer to make one.
What did you ask in the interview?
I just asked what the team were up to and what sort of projects they were working on. Then I asked what I would be working on and how I would help the team out.
Did you get paid and roughly how much?
I got paid around £150 a week, this was brilliant for me as my traveling costs were very little.
What was the most unusual thing you did?
Constructing a wall made out of boxes with stencilled type on, and spending hours and hours cutting out the stencils for it and for the shutter doors for outside the store. My knife skills have improved massively because of it!
What experience from your placement(s) are you going to put into practice, now you are back at university for your final year?
Using my time well, I learnt that you can get so much done in a week and I’m going to take this into my third year! I also learnt to have fun with my projects because in industry you don’t have as much freedom.
How important do you think a placement has been to helping further
your design education?
It’s been very important in my opinion. It can only make you a better designer, just from little things you pick up on and being in the environment and watching how it all works. Also I feel like it gives you the chance to look back and evaluate what you would have done better and put that into practice for when you are given another placement or even job.
With hindsight, what advise would you give to a fellow student embarking
on a placement?
Be yourself, be enthusiastic, have fun and work hard!!
