Continue to develop your employability and skills, however the second year is a great opportunity to gain real industry specific experience through summer internships or a placement year.
Summer internships are a great way to find out about working in a particular industry or job role and can often lead to an offer or fast-track to a graduate job. Formal summer internships are advertised from September for starting from June the following year. You will need to have a good CV and cover letter targeted to the industry/role to apply. For help with your CV and cover letter please email artshumsemployability@kent.ac.uk or book a 1:1 appointment on Teams or in-person via Target Connect. Go to appointments and select online or on campus Arts and Humanities student appointment with Kate Buchan.
Virtual Internships are flexible, online opportunities, giving you the opportunity to undertake remote work experience and gain an understanding of working in a particular industry. They also look good on your CV.
Resources for looking and applying for internships and placements:
- CV (kent.ac.uk)
- CVs and cover letters | Prospects.ac.uk
- Work experience and internships | Prospects.ac.uk
- Target Connect – university vacancy database
- Rate my Placement – internships, virtual internships and placements
- Target Jobs – internships and placements
- Arts and Humanities Employability blog – internships, virtual internships and opportunities
Humanities Placement year (year in industry)
All Arts and Humanities students can apply to do the Humanities Placement year as part of their degree between the second and final year of their programme. You do not need to be registered on a degree programme with a placement year to start looking for a placement as you will be transferred on to the placement year course once your placement has been secured and agreed by the school. Information about the Humanities Placement year is available at: Placement Year Scheme – Faculty of Humanities – University of Kent
You need to start looking for a placement from the beginning of your second year. You can get help and tailored 1:1 advice from the Employability and Placements Officer or from the central Careers and Employability Service. Ultimately it is your responsibility to find and secure a placement but contact the Employability and Placements Officer as early as possible in your second year to receive help and advice by emailing artshumsemployability@kent.ac.uk or book a 1:1 appointment on Teams or in-person via Target Connect. Go to appointments and select online or on campus Arts and Humanities student appointment with Kate Buchan.
Why do a Placement Year?
The Humanities Placement year is a great way to gain some real world experience. You get the opportunity to try out a job role, industry or company and to develop and broaden your skills. The experience will help you to confirm you career choices and start to build a professional network.
Students who complete a placement year typically have better employment prospects and get a better final degree. The experience of applying for placements gives you an opportunity to practice applications, interviews and assessment centres and will be invaluable when applying for graduate jobs. Some students even secure a graduate job offer from their placement company.
Securing a placement is very competitive and takes hard work during the application process but will be well worth it for the experience and opportunities you will gain.
Further information:
For further information about the Humanities Placement year please email artshumsemployability@kent.ac.uk or book a 1:1 appointment on Teams or in-person via Target Connect. Go to appointments and select online or on campus Arts and Humanities student appointment with our Employability Officer, Roxanne Conlon.
Other ways to improve your employability
- Part-time work
- Volunteering
- Personal or industry related projects i.e. write a blog or Vlog about something you are interested in, produce a short film, write a short story, set up a podcast or YouTube Channel, learn a new skill such as a language, Excel for business, programming language such as Python or R or learn about social media marketing.
- Travelling – develops skills such as problem solving, Time Management, Organisational skills and cultural awareness.
Start preparing to apply for Graduate jobs in your final year
- Think about the attributes and skills you have developed as part of your degree and examples you can use in applications and interviews to back them up.
- Develop your Skills
- start researching careers, companies, graduate jobs and graduate schemes you may be interested in.
- Update/improve your CV
For further information on any of the above or for careers and Employability help email artshumsemployability@kent.ac.uk or Book a 1:1 appointment with the Employability and Placements Officer on Teams or in-person via Target Connect. Go to appointments and select online or on campus Arts and Humanities student appointment with Kate Buchan
You can also book a careers guidance appointment with a Careers Advisor via Target Connect.