Help us give students the careers edge
“The life experience was absolutely amazing. I had the best time and didn’t want to come home!”
Rachel Evans, who studied International Hospitality Management, was lucky enough to spend her Professional Training Year in New Zealand at the Novotel Accor hotel. This experience went far beyond equipping her with practical skills – it exposed her to a new culture and made her much more independent, living so far from home.
The Professional Training Year, or PTY as it is known, is an integral part of Surrey student life and we would like even more undergraduates to have the opportunity to work abroad. Could you or your company offer a placement?
Mike Higgins, Professional Training and Employability Manager, said: “The experience, maturity and confidence our students gain on placement sets them a cut above the rest when they graduate, which shows in our consistently high employability rate after graduation.
“We are fortunate to have a number of alumni and their organisations taking Surrey students, many of whom are offered full-time roles after graduating. We would like for even more students to have the opportunity to work abroad and would love to hear from alumni who can help with this.”
But don’t just take our word on the benefits students gain…
Alexander’s story
Alexander graduated with a BEng in Aerospace Engineering in 2015 and is a systems engineer at Siemens
“For my placement year I went to Munich in Germany and worked as an R&D Intern. My role involved the destructive testing of materials, so I spent a lot of time breaking and burning stuff! I really enjoyed living in the busy Munich city centre and the freedom of its vast tram, rail and underground networks. This was influential to me - my desire to work on large-scale projects, combined with my love of city life, led me to take an interest in urban transport.”
Bea’s story
Bea graduated with a BSc in International Politics in 2015 and works in marketing and communications for a Spanish company.
“I had an amazing placement at the British Consulate in Sao Paulo Brazil. The way I see it, the little Bea that flow out to Brazil grew and developed into the professional Beatriz Marques. Working in diverse teams, in a different culture requires you to be willing to embrace other people’s views and to also learn to adapt.”
To discuss a PTY placement with one of the Employability and Careers team, please email placements@surrey.ac.uk or call +44(0)1483 689001.