MSc Business and Management student, Chloe Chan, recently secured a postgraduate placement with Holland & Barrett – well done, Chloe! We asked her to share some details about the role and what the application process was like. Here’s what she had to say.
What role have you secured and with which organisation?
Health Tech Services Internship at Holland & Barrett.
How did you find this placement?
By looking at Aston Futures and having meetings with Iwan, a Careers Consultant.
How long did it take you to find your placement?
In total I made around five applications (all for roles I found through Aston Futures), and the process took around 1-2 months. I was very grateful when two roles were offered to me in the end.
How did you stay motivated throughout the search?
Earlier on in the year, I had applied to many graduate jobs, which ended in lots of rejections. This disheartened me at the time as I felt I had tried my hardest but it was not good enough. However, I was able to keep my motivation up by not giving up and eventually ended up with two different internship offers.
What about this organisation or role stood out to you?
What stood out most to me about the company was their values and my own interest in the company as a consumer myself. Upon doing research, I also found that they were the first national retailer in the UK to commit to having no plastic bags! The role was also something I was very interested in as it was similar to the content in modules I had been studying during my MSc in Business and Management.
What was it like doing a virtual assessment/interview?
My interview was with the Director of Engineering-Digital (who is now my project lead), which made the process seem more daunting. What I found that helped, was to do as much research as possible on the company beforehand. I left the interview feeling intimidated and convinced myself that I wouldn’t get the role. However, I was wrong and the company enjoyed ideas I had pitched to them.
Will you be working remotely?
Yes, I will be working remotely but when the office is open again, I am free to visit it if I wish to (although it’s not necessary).
What are you most looking forward to about your placement?
I am most looking forward to seeing my ideas come to life. Hopefully they will eventually be prototyped and piloted! I am also looking forward to my own self-progression through being mentored and guided.
Do you have any tips for other students currently looking for work experience or placements?
My main tip would be to not lose hope. If a company rejects you, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t good enough. The company may just be looking for a specific fit. The right opportunity that is meant for you will come along.