WIT News

BAFS update 19 January 2009 Posted: Mon, January 19, 2009

This is our second-last updatefor the current year.  We will issue our final report in due course. 

Log Books:  Those students who have secured a work placement position should complete the header page of the log book as soon as possible.  This gives the name and address of the employer, name of your supervisor and contact e-mail addresses and telephone numbers.  The template for the log book header page is here.  You should send the log book cover sheet, signed by your supervisor, back to Annette Toms asap - by fax to 051-302688 - or by mail to Annette Toms, School of Business, WIT, Cork Road, Waterford.  (Obviously, the mentor contact and visit dates can only be filled in after the contact and visit have occurred, so leave those blank for the moment)  See additional tips on log books and the website address below.

Interviews still to happen:  There is still a possibility of interviews in the ESB before the end of the week. 

You should let Annette Toms at atoms@wit.ie know if you have secured a work placement position yourself.  

Phase-over Plan - this week:
If you do not have a definite placement you should now be attending flexible semester lectures for New Venture Initiative or College and Community.  If your CV is with a company and you are awaiting interview, you must still report to college and attend lectures.  Details of time and place for lectures are on the School Notice Board. 

Notes for those on Work placement
1. Log Book:  The log book template is available on the website here.  Complete the header page of the log book as soon as possible, get it signed by your supervisor, and send it back to Annette.  This gives the name and address of the employer, name of your supervisor and contact e-mail addresses and telephone numbers.  Include your start date also.
 
2. Refer to the presentation made in September, which shows the learning objectives, some tips on log book etc.  Also re-visit the careers presentation “making the most of your work experience”, on the work placement website. 

3. See examples of log books from prior years on the website also and some other tips on log book entries on the website and also at the back of the log book.  

4. Don’t forget your 4 responsibilities!

1. Responsibility to Yourself

The work placement experience can provide a valuable reference for future employment if performed properly and professionally.  It’s also a great chance to learn.

2. The responsibility of representing the college out in the business world

You are still a full-time student of the college during the work placement programme; you are expected to behave responsibly at all times and not do anything that would reflect badly on the college.

3. The responsibility to your employer

You have also a responsibility to work to the best of your ability and to be honest in all your dealings

4. The responsibility to future students

All students have a responsibility for creating and maintaining a positive view of WIT students so that employers will want to continue as partners in the work placement programme.

5. “The Wall”:  Some of you have may have hit the wall already - this happens to almost everyone taking on a new position.  We have experienced this many times! 

• After a short period working in a new job you may come to a point where you start to panic, you don’t feel like going into work, you don’t think you like the job or your supervisor, you don’t like or know your workmates, you don’t like the travel etc.
• You need to be aware that this is a normal human reaction to change and uncertainty and you need to work through this and you will find that everything normally gets better in a relatively short time as you become more sure of your surroundings and more confident in what you are doing and you get to know your new workmates better.
• Remember the placement is for a relatively short period - it is not forever.  Even if you grow to dislike the job, stay with it - it will be a good experience long-term.  We will always have jobs that we don’t like from time to time - we need to learn to work our way through them. 

6. Another skill you need to learn is to “manage your manager” - make sure you and your supervisor/manager agree exactly as to what you are doing and what you are to achieve during your work placement.  If you think there is a difference of opinion or expectations sit and discuss this openly in a positive way with your supervisor. 

7. The WIT support team

• In due course your college supervisor/mentor will be appointed.  This may be one of the placement team or one of the BAFS lecturers.  Your college mentor will contact you in the next month to introduce him/herself to you and to your supervisor, and to see how things are progressing.
• He/she may also discuss arranging the mentor visit to you, which ideally must happen before the end of April.  Note that it is your responsibility to coordinate the mentor visit between your supervisor and your mentor.  The purpose of the visit, as outlined in the presentation made to you in September is: 
          i. To see that the student is being treated correctly, is learning and is working in a safe and positive environment 
         ii. To meet the student’s supervisor to discuss performance
         iii. To ensure that the log book is being kept and witnessed
• Regardless of who your mentor is, the placement team will be available to help you at any time.  Our contact telephone numbers are below and you have our e-mail addresses also.

We wish the best of luck to all the students who have started work placement.  Note that we are always available to help you if required - Annette at 051-306153, Frank at 051-845615 and Marcel at 051-306153