Work Placement

fun4a11

As part of my course I am required to complete a minimum of six month work placement. My placement officer is finding it very hard to find jobs for a few of us. I have just before the start of April to start a placement or I have to defer for a year which is something I really don't want to do. I am a Computer Science student with below average grades, because I didn't work that hard for the 1st two years of college though my 3rd year grades should be better and I cant really program all that well.

I am unsure what to do, like there doesn't seem to too many companies in Ireland willing to take on students at the moment. I have sent off a few spec letters to companies but getting the same reply of "we will keep your cv on file if anything comes up....bla bla bla".

I am willing to go abroad but don't know where to even start.

So does anyone have any advice for me?

IsThatSo?

I didn't work that hard for the 1st two years of college though my 3rd year grades should be better and I cant really program all that well

I hope you aren't that negative in your CV:eek:

Would you consider working for the pleasure of it? (for free that is) even for a few months. Maybe you might be able to make an arrangement with a company to work for 3 months then work and get paid for another 3?? Might be better than having to defer your course, no way to know that things will be any better next year

amen

have just before the start of April to start a placement or I have to defer for a year which is something I really don't want to do.

what college and who told you this? I would find this very hard to belive
I went to DCU and did work placement in 1993 and approx 40% of the course were able to get work placement. The rest had to do some addtional college course/work/labs. No one was held back.

I can't see any college holding anyone back becuase the don;t have a work placement esp as grads can;t get jobs let along undergrads

fun4a11

IsThatSo? wrote: »

I hope you aren't that negative in your CV:eek:

Kinda, My biggest downfall is I am too honest. I dont really sell myself that well.

IsThatSo? wrote: »

Would you consider working for the pleasure of it? (for free that is) even for a few months. Maybe you might be able to make an arrangement with a company to work for 3 months then work and get paid for another 3?? Might be better than having to defer your course, no way to know that things will be any better next year

Ah yea, but I would rather work for buttons in another country where everything is cheap food, rent and low minimum wage.

amen wrote: »

what college and who told you this? I would find this very hard to belive
I went to DCU and did work placement in 1993 and approx 40% of the course were able to get work placement. The rest had to do some addtional college course/work/labs. No one was held back.

I can't see any college holding anyone back becuase the don;t have a work placement esp as grads can;t get jobs let along undergrads

Maynooth, Ah yeah there has been a few rumors going around that thats what will happen but its the last thing I want to do. There is 6 of us who don't have jobs and there is only 8 people in my course who do have jobs. There is another course in the college of about 20 students and they are all placed but I know two of them have fake placements ie they are working in a shop and they say they junior manager or something when in fact they are just floor staff.

doolox

I am a tech with an electronics background and once tried to brak into IT by doing a distance ED course in information technology and managed to get diploma. I couldn't do degree because of my inability to programme fluently or quickly enough.

In my mind programming iis like languages, you need to practice frequently to be any good. At a professional level you need to be doing it every day.
Saying " i am no good at programming " is like an athlete saying " I can't walk".

Programming is your job.

IsThatSo?

Kinda, My biggest downfall is I am too honest. I dont really sell myself that well.

This will have to change. Can you get a careers counsellor to look over your CV and give you advice? There is never a need to lie on a CV, but there are ways to phrase things in a positive way that make all the difference. In your case it could mean the difference between getting your work experience or not.

Besides, if you keep telling yourself something like "I am not good at programming" then you will not be motivated to work at it whereas saying "its only programming ffs, course I can handle it" you might notice a change in yourself and a willingness to not let it beat you

Go for it

AARRRGH

At the moment you are of little use to an employer. You are arriving with very little skills, and you'll be gone in six months.

You should strongly consider working for free. The experience will be a lot more valuable than any small salary they pay you.

fun4a11

In response to doolox and IsThatSo posts; Yeah I know I should get my act together and learn how to programming properly but for some reason I just cant do it. I have to say I did enjoy programming when I was making a game for one of my modules.

AARRRGH wrote: »

At the moment you are of little use to an employer. You are arriving with very little skills, and you'll be gone in six months.
You should strongly consider working for free. The experience will be a lot more valuable than any small salary they pay you.

True but I would still liked to be paid even minimum wage.

Like said in a post above about working for free for 3 months and then 3 months paid, how would I even go about that?