In this blog, I will be sharing my journey with you on how I did a microplacement during a pandemic.
As a first year Business Management student I completed my 5 week microplacement programme in summer of 2021 at Emani, an international tech startup focusing on collecting and analysing human insights and data from high risk countries. Most importantly, I will be sharing tips on how YOU can secure a microplacement, upgrade your skills for good, and stand out from the crowd.
Let's start off with these topics:
1. Microplacement vs Internship
What are microplacements, and how are they different to internships you say? Well, Microplacements are a type of work experience that last about for 4-8 weeks and are generally to explore a field outside what you are studying at university. For example, if you are studying psychology, you are encouraged to get experience in marketing, finance and much more depending on your interests. Microplacements can also count as a module in your second or third year at university, which means you have to complete compulsory assessments to gain credit.
Internships on the other hand, can be done anytime during your time at university and do not count towards your degree. They tend to be 1-6 months long and can be in any field or company you like. Both internships and microplacements are competitive to get in and offer similar benefits. Microplacements might be better for those who want to explore different options and career paths. Internships might be better for those who want to advance in a particular company or role. Best advice on this would be to do your research to make sure you find which option is right for you.
2. Securing a microplacement
Okay, so you've done your research and decided you want to do a microplacement. How do you now approach applying for one? There are some tricks I gathered when I was going through the application process myself. My best advice would be to first brainstorm yourself- your personality, skillset, limitations and achievements. After you've done this think about:
Contacting your careers department for interview help or cv check
Speaking to previous students who have completed the microplacement
Prioritising your commitments (the microplacement application process can take months and you need to be up to date with relevant information and be able to meet deadlines)
Gathering relevant podcasts/books/news articles to raise your commercial awareness
Being responsive to emails from employers and university
Having a journal and taking notes on aspects important to you
After you've done some or ideally all of these steps, it's important you prepare well for interviews (video interviews especially) and use case studies online to prepare for assessment centres if you have them as part of the application process.
3. My microplacement experience
The beauty of microplacements is that all the projects are different. I will share with you my personal story, and what I learnt.
My first week at Emani was spent on getting familiar with the technology, team, and structure of the project. I would have to plan how I would execute the next 5 weeks of my research. My final output would be a 30 minute presentation of all the research I had done in those 5 weeks.
On Week 2, and 3 of my microplacement I felt challenged and upbeat. My days would look something like this:
Attending meetings on what the team has done so far on their projects in the mornings
Replying to emails and team chats
Carrying out desk research
Having lunch
Preparing agendas for one to one meetings, including any questions I had on the project
Helping out team members
Issues faced in Week 2 & 3: Because I was working in a startup, resources that were available were limited or had certain assumptions. I had to use multiple resources to overcome this:
Online, being careful on referencing them and making sure they were reliable and up to date
Using textbooks from library to refresh my knowledge on certain topics E.g. using a marketing textbook to refresh my knowledge on target audience
Online databases
Existing resources in the company E.g. customer feedback
On Week 4 and 5 I decided to change my approach and provide a more technical aspect to the project:
working with excel
carrying out mathematical calculations
providing various frameworks on competitor analysis and market sizing. As a business management student, I found myself using my accounting and marketing knowledge frequently when researching the target audience and carrying out market sizing.
I also made sure to have fun before I left - whether that was going out for lunch, playing ping pong with my colleague and making the most of my Friday socials.
Issues faced in Week 4 & 5: I was doing multiple tasks and had to prepare the final draft of my presentation which made it more difficult to manage time. I had to organise all my files on google drive as this was where my employer could view them.
Overall, my microplacement experience at Emani was brilliant, I had a lot of support from my employer and university. Working in a startup where things are constantly changing and developing, I naturally felt very inspired and excited as I was always learning.
4. Developing new skills
Be original, create your own opportunities, and tell your story
You want to learn new skills, most people do, but have you thought about what skills in particular you want to achieve and why? You see, part of making the most of the microplacement is to realise what you want, and then create and gather resources for yourself to make this happen.
For example, scheduling and taking part in meetings/social activities built my management skills, networking with people outside the organisation enhanced my professional communication skills, and desk research improved my analytical skills. Alongside this, I was helping out with website development, LinkedIn posts and completed a cybersecurity course. Had I not been open to these, I would have missed out on a crucial learning process. It can be a very exciting time, and you will feel responsible for your work.
5. Next steps to consider after your microplacement
After you complete your microplacement, it might be a wise decision to connect with team members, employer and follow the company on social media. You might also have to complete some assessments if you are taking the microplacement as a module, the sooner you complete them the better as the information is still fresh in your mind. You might also consider asking the employer for future roles in the company, and giving them an updated CV for their record.
Inspired to know more?
It's important to note that everyone has different perspectives and experiences, and this blog was my view on the microplacement programme. Want to hear more? Let's get in touch. Good luck on your journey!
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