Enhance your employability

There are many reasons to make a work placement part of your degree course. The benefits include:

• Making your application stand out in the future when applying for jobs as a graduate.
• Applying your academic knowledge and expertise to the workplace.
• Enhancing your professional skills.
• Exploring a sector, industry, company or job role to hone your interests and discover where your career goals lie.
• Beginning to build your professional network.

Work placements come in different forms for differing lengths of time.

• Placement year – equivalent to a year of academic study, 30-52 weeks – carried out between your penultimate and final year of your undergraduate course. This will extend the duration of your course by a year.
• Termly placement – equivalent to an academic term of 12-15 weeks which could be part-time or combined with your academic studies.
• Vacation placements/internships – short term placements taken during vacation periods from your studies. These do not count towards your degree but still provide highly valuable experience.
• Projects – negotiated pieces of work usually completed in your third year of undergraduate study.

Our SU have some fabulous opportunities for you to pursue your passions through volunteering with their V Team:

• Try gardening on the University of Essex allotment with the Green Thumbs Society
• Support local charities through the Clothing Exchange
• Help our at local animal sanctuaries through the Animal Protection Society
• Lend a hand to adults with learning disabilities, through teaching basic numeracy and literacy skills

This is just a shap shot of the opportunities on offer and you can always start your own project too! Check out the V Team website for more information and to sign up. 

If you're a sports lover, you can get involved in our Essex Blades Sports Clubs, whether you're an active participant or just love to watch. 

There are opportunities to volunteer by helping out with sporting events, co-ordinating communications, and managing the administration. You can also gain experience of refereeing or coaching or working with a local community partner. 

For those studying in the areas of Law and Human Rights, you have the chance to get some experience working on real cases and projects within the local community through our clinics.

The Essex Law Clinic

Get real-world legal experience through volunteering with the Essex Law Clinic and put yourself in a great position for life after graduation. Develop practical skills and build your confidence in working on cases involving vulnerable members of the community under the supervision of experience lawyers and practitioners. Find out more about volunteering for the Essex Law Clinic.

The Human Rights Centre Clinic

Working in the HRC clinic is a fantastic chance to put your knowledge to work on current and enduring human rights issues both locally and around the world.  You will have a unique opportunity to develop professional techniques and work in partnership with NGOs such as Amnesty International and international organisations such as the United Nations. Find out more about volunteering for the Human Rights Centre Clinic.

The Business Law Clinic

New for the 2023-24 academic year, The Business Law Clinic (The BLC) provides an opportunity to gain knowledge in various specialised areas of business law observed from a new angle in a practical setting. Following in the footsteps of the Essex Law Clinic and The Human Rights Centre Clinic, The BLC champions social justice through the lens of business law. It delivers social justice with a business law focus, understanding social justice as equality and encompasses activities that aim to alleviate inequality in various settings. Find out more about volunteering for the Business Law Clinic.