WIT News
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Notes on Work Placement Posted: Mon, January 11, 2010 |
Log Book:
The log book template is available on the website at http://www.wit.ie/SchoolsDepartments/SchoolofBusiness/workplacement/LogBooks Complete the Cover Sheet of the log book as soon as possible and send it back to Annette. This gives the name and address of your employer, name of your supervisor and contact e-mail addresses and telephone numbers. Include your start date. If you know your finish date, include that also; if not, leave it blank. Ignore the section about Mentor Contact and Visit. Your mentor will be appointed in due course. You can return the signed log book Cover Sheet to Annette Toms by fax to 051-302688, have it scanned into an e-mail and send to bbsplacement@wit.ie or post to Annette Toms, School of Business, WIT, Cork Road, Waterford. Note the Cover Sheet must be signed by your supervisor.
Refer to the presentation made in September on work placement, 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 placement website.
See examples of log books from prior years on the website and see some other tips on log book entries on the log book section of the website.
Don’t forget your 4 responsibilities: -
To yourself, the responsibility of representing your college out in the workplace, the responsibility to your employer to do the best you can and the responsibility to future WIT students.
“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.
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.
College Mentor:
In due course your college supervisor/mentor will be appointed. This may be one of the placement team or one of the BBS/BAFS lecturers. Your college mentor will contact you in the next month to introduce him/herself to you and your supervisor, and to see how things are progressing.
He/she may also wish to discuss arranging the mentor visit with 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 September presentation 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: 051-306153, Frank: 051-845615 and Marcel: 051-306153, e-mail: atoms@wit.ie, fwalsh@wit.ie and mwagenaar@wit.ie
We wish you every success in your work placement.
