Frequently Asked Questions

Click on any of the questions below to view the answer to that question:

• Why is work placement necessary?
• How much will I be paid?
• Can I organise my own work placement?
• What happens if I have a problem in work?
• Am I entitled to holidays during work placement?
• Can I find work placement abroad?
• What should I wear during work placement?
• What sort of skills might I learn/improve on a work placement?

Why is work placement necessary?

The primary objective of the work placement is to provide the student with a broader skills-base on the completion of their degree.  It allows students to gain an insight into the work environment and to be able to integrate relevant practical work experience with academic theory;  this makes students more employable.  It also helps students choose their career path. 

How much will I be paid?

The student should be aware that it is the experience and learning that is most important and not the actual wages received.  Nevertheless, remuneration is at the discretion of the employer and is usually at least the minimum wage. The contract of work is between the student and the employer and the college can only offer guidance to the employer and the student in this area.

Can I organise my own work placement?

Students can organise their own work placement if they wish but they are advised to contact the Work Placement Office in this case so the work placement team can assess the level of work that the student would be doing and liaise with the company regarding the placement.

What happens if I have a problem in work?

If you experience difficulties while on work placement you should speak to your direct supervisor to explain the difficulties you are experiencing.  If this fails to resolve the situation, you should contact the Work Placement Office with whom you can discuss the problem.  If necessary they will contact the company on your behalf.  You are advised not to leave your work placement without firstly contacting the Work Placement Office as this could result in failing your work placement semester.

Am I entitled to holidays during work placement?

You have no automatic entitlement to holidays while on work placement.  However, given that you are a temporary employee, most companies will give you the minimum statutory entitlement for the length of time worked.  [It is highly recommended that you take any holiday entitlement - you will need to be fresh for 4th year and working non-stop for 6-8 months is tiring.]

Can I find work placement abroad?

While most students to date have completed their work placements in Ireland, an increasing number of students are travelling overseas. Students will need to organise this themselves but should liaise with the work placement team to ensure it meets the specified requirements.

What should I wear during work placement?

Each employment will have its own dress code.  Students should adhere to the relevant dress code.  If in doubt, ask your supervisor.  In business, especially if one is interacting with the public, the highest standard of grooming and personal hygiene is expected.  Chewing gum is frowned upon in most employments, particularly if one is dealing personally with members of the public. 

What sort of skills might I learn/improve on a work placement?

General Skills

• Working as a team/ working as team player
• Working to tight deadlines/under pressure
• Time management skills
• Social Skills – communication, inter-personal, negotiation, relationships, confidence etc.
• Problem solving skills – problem identification, coming up with solutions, judgment – consider consequences of different solutions, deciding on one and implementing it, evaluating outcomes etc.
• Attending meetings, contributing to meetings, running meetings
• Presentation skills – preparing, presenting etc.
• Project work experience
• IT system skills - particular packages that you learned to use (examples - Sage, SAP, oracle, Peoplesoft, banking systems, in-house developed systems , e-mail systems etc.)
• New ideas/new ways of doing things that improved processes or increased productivity
• Specific achievements or accomplishments or awards received (e.g. 3rd best salesperson in Ireland; some new marketing/PR/HR etc idea that you came up with, best newcomer, employee of the month, etc.).
• You can include non-work-related achievements also – getting involved in local community, learning to live away from home, learning to drive, managing a difficult commute etc.)

Customer-related skills

• Customer service - dealing directly with customers/clients
• Sales/marketing skills/understanding
• Cold calling potential customers
• Credit control experience - trying to get customers to pay on time

Supplier-related skills

• Dealing with suppliers and suppliers' issues/resolving disputes with suppliers
• Running payment process for suppliers

People/HR-related experience

• Dealing with employees and employee issues
• Payroll experience - understanding of various requirements/filings/tax etc.
• Working in a unionised environment either in HR or other dept.
• Involved in running or scheduling training programmes
• Keeping and updating employee records
• Working in reception area – meeting visitors, telephone skills etc.

Accounting-related skills

• Working with clients and client's accounts
• Understanding private/company/farmer accounting requirements and filing reports
• Understanding tax and filing deadlines
• Creating accounts from incomplete data
• Attention to detail/accuracy of numbers
• Learning to understand a company’s accounts, understanding when a number “looks wrong”
• Performing bank reconciliations
• VAT understanding and VAT returns
• Physical inventory experience - either performing or checking/monitoring/supervising