TIM: Well, all in all it sounds very positive – I think I will go ahead and apply for a placement myself. How do I go about it?
LAURA: It’s easy enough to do, because there’s a government agency called STEP – S-T-E-P – that organises placements for students. You should start by getting their booklet with all the details – I expect you can download one from their website.
TIM: Actually, they’ve got copies in the psychology department – I’ve seen them there. I’ll just go to the office and pick one up.
LAURA: Right. And then if I were you, after I’d looked at it I’d go over all the options with someone …
TIM: I suppose I should ask my tutor’s advice. He knows more about me than anyone.
LAURA: One of the career officers would be better, they’ve got more knowledge about the jobs market than your personal tutor would have.
TIM: OK …
LAURA: And then when you know what you want you can register with STEP – you’ll find their address in the booklet. And once you’ve registered they assign you to a mentor who looks after your application.
TIM: And then I suppose you just sit back and wait till you hear something?
LAURA: They told me at the careers office that it’s best to be proactive, and get updates yourself by checking the website for new placement alerts. Your mentor is supposed to keep you informed, but you can’t rely on that.
TIM: I don’t suppose it’s a good idea to get in touch with companies directly, is it?
LAURA: Not really … But it is the company who notifies you if they want you to go for an interview. You get a letter of invitation or an email from personnel departments.
TIM: And do I reply directly to them?
LAURA: Yes, you do. STEP only gets involved again once you’ve been made a job offer.
TIM: Right … So, once you’ve had an interview you should let your mentor know what the outcome is? I mean whether you’re offered a job, and whether you’ve decided to accept it?
LAURA: That’s right. They’ll inform the careers office once a placement has been agreed, so you don’t have to do that.
TIM: Is that all then?
LAURA: More or less. Only once you’ve accepted an offer you’ll probably have to supply a reference, because the placement will be conditional on that. And that’s something you should ask your own tutor to provide. He knows about your academic ability and also about your qualities, like reliability.
TIM: Well, thanks very much for the information – I’m starting to look forward …
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