The path to securing a job or placement can often feel like walking through a maze with one eye closed, but sometimes, gaining insights from others who navigated it can help us forge ahead. We asked several students from Link to Leeds to share how they landed the roles that helped shape their journeys. From part-time jobs to research projects, here’s a glimpse into what worked, what surprised them, and the lessons they learned along the way.

Htar – From Newsletter to Researcher

During the summer of 2023, Htar embarked on a Dean’s Vacation Research Studentship after spotting the opportunity in the Faculty of Biological Sciences’ newsletter. Her motivation? To get hands-on experience beyond her coursework.

To apply, she submitted a cover letter outlining her academic interests and a CV highlighting relevant experience. In her interview, her enthusiasm and curiosity really stood out as she spoke about how research fits into her future career, connecting herself and the research closely.

“It (Dean’s Vacation Research Studentship) showed me how research can address real-world challenges and reinforced the value of proactively seeking opportunities that stretch and inspire me beyond the classroom.”

Her project focused on how different rearing environments affect piglet gut health (yes, piglets!), and she got stuck in with everything from sample analysis to shadowing a postdoc and working at the university farm. That deep dive into microbiome research inspired her to consider postgraduate study, and she left the experience with a sharpened focus on host-microbe interactions and immunology, and a lot more confidence to pursue future research opportunities.

Joceline – Finding Her Path Through a Placement

“I knew I needed to gain some experience,” said Joceline, a familiar face in the student ambassador community.

Before her university years, she knew she wanted to do a placement. She set up alerts early in the area she was interested in on MyCareer, where she found her role in CPI. She went through group and individual interviews, thanks to her early involvement in various ambassador schemes, she was confident in her communication skills and teamwork, and successfully received the offer for the role.

Her role within the Automation and Digital team at CPI helped her grow technical skills while discovering a research area that sparked her interest. That experience led to a final year project in a similar field, and now, she’s pursuing a PhD.

Jacqueline – From Campus to Corporate

Jacqueline’s path to her placement wasn’t perfectly paved; in fact, she didn’t know what a placement year was until the start of her second year. “I wanted a change, or maybe a break, so I started looking on RateMyPlacement,” she said.

What followed was a whirlwind of applications and rejections. But when she landed a communications role at SAP, it became clear that every experience she had gathered up to that point, voluntary or paid, had quietly been preparing her for this.

Jacqueline had worked with the International Welcome Team and Link to Leeds. She also served as a school representative at the School of Media and Communication. These roles, although student-facing, were her first steps into professional environments when she began to see her value, without realising it. During interviews, she leaned into her international background and society involvement, which helped paint a picture of someone curious and passionate about media.

During her time as a placement student, Jacqueline took on a mix of internal communications work and intern-led projects. Reflecting on her journey so far, her advice to others looking to break into the workplace is simple: be proactive, ask questions, and always stay open to learning.

What We’ve Learned from These Stories:

Every story is different, but there are some golden threads that connect them all:

• Start early and stay open.Many of these students began preparing in their first year, or even before university.
• Use the resources around you.From the Careers Centre and ambassador schemes to newsletters and job portals, there are endless ways to stay plugged in.
• Practice makes prepared.Mock interviews, STAR(L) frameworks, and feedback from career advisors can seriously sharpen your edge.
• Find value in every experience.Whether it’s working retail, helping at a university event, or shadowing a researcher, there’s something to learn in every role.
• Tell your story well.Your journey doesn’t need to be “perfect.” It just needs to be yours and show what you’ve gained.