WIT News
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Progress Report 12 January 2007 Posted: Mon, January 15, 2007 |
Update:
- CVs were sent to AIB Capital Markets, Kerry Foods, ESB and VHI last week.
- Interviews were held in ESB, AIB and Croke Park.
- There are interviews scheduled this week for the AIB, Croke Park, HSBC, EPT, VHI and Mount Sion.
Last Opportunities:
- Edenderry Credit Union in Co. Offaly has an opening for a marketing student. Let us know if you want to apply for this position.
- EPT Dublin (Merrion Square) - Last chance: They specialize in small self-administered pension and investment schemes, are growing very quickly and need an accounting or economics work placement student.
- Dunhill Multi-Educational Centre in Co. Waterford - no applications received last week. Last chance: They are looking for a marketing student.
- BT Ireland - let us know if you have applied for one of these jobs - this was one where the student had to apply directly.
- Boston Scientific in Clonmel - let us know if you have applied for this job - this was one where the student had to apply directly.
- VHI, Kilkenny - Last chance: VHI are carrying out further interviews this week. Let us know immediately if you wish to be considered for interview.
Phaseover Plan - final week:
- College re-opens on Monday January 22 for those of you without a work placement position. There are briefing sessions on that day for new venture initiative or college and community. If you do not have a work placement position, you must attend one of these briefings. You will be notified of these under separate cover.
- Last Day for interviews: The cut-off date for the placement programme is Friday 19th January. We will continue trying to find placement jobs up to that date and some interviews may drag into the week beginning 22nd. You will need to keep checking your e-mails. We will continue to issue this update to you. You should let Annette Toms at atoms@wit.ie know if you have secured a work placement position yourself.
- New Venture Initiative: Still some places left on this programme. Contact Clare Gately at cgately@wit.ie
- College and Community: Contact is Corinne Power-O’Mahony: CPower-OMahony@wit.ie
Notes for those on Work placement:
- Log Book: An updated log book template is available on the website in the Documents sections. Complete the header page of the log book as soon as possible 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.
- Look up the presentation made on September 20th, which shows the learning objectives, some tips on log book etc. Also re-visit the careers presentation “making the most of your work experience”. See both of these under the section.
- Some other tips on log book entries:
- It is up to yourself as to how often you make entries. You can see how the log book is divided into daily, weekly, monthly and once of/ad-hoc tasks, so it might take you a while to understand which tasks go where. You might want to keep the entries at a summary level - see the examples provided with the weekly update we sent you for January 8th. It might be a while before you understand enough about the job to make entries in the log book. If you have received a job description from the employer, this might help you with coming up with the summary headings for the tasks you are doing.
- The first entry you might make could be under the ad-hoc section - you are probably receiving some initial training so you could make an entry for "initial training" in this section with a few sentences to describe the major sections of the training programme
- You might initially want to keep a short diary of what you are doing every day (at a summary level) - you would not put these in the log book but it might help you understand what entries need to be made eventually and what sub-tasks you would put under an entry in the log book.
- In due course one of us will visit you and look at the log at that point and we can help you more at that time if you need help.
- Don’t forget your 3 responsibilities!
- Responsibility to yourself: The work placement experience can provide a valuable reference for future employment if performed properly and professionally; it is also a great chance to learn many things - about working and about yourself.
- Responsibility of representing the college out in the business world: The student is still a fulltime 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. You have also a responsibility to your employer to work to the best of your ability and to be honest in all your dealings
- 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.
- “The Wall”: Some of you have may have hit the wall already - this happens to almost everyone taking on a new position. We have all experienced it at times!
- After a short period you will come to a point where 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. 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.
- Remember the placement is for six months - 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.
- 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.
- 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 BBS lecturers. Your college mentor will contact you in due course and visit you during your work placement.
- They will need you to coordinate this visit with your work supervisor. The purpose of the visit, as outlined in the presentation made to you on September 20th is:
- To see that the student is being treated correctly, is learning and is working in a safe and positive environment
- To meet the student’s supervisor to discuss performance
- 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: Annette at 051-306153, Frank at 051-845615 and Marcel at 051-306153 and you have our e-mail addresses also.
