Why apply for a local Council placement role?

For me it’s not even about it being a Council role, it’s just about getting your ‘foot in the door’ and gaining experience which will set you apart from students who haven’t secured a placement. But being able to work in a Council will give you another perspective, as most students won’t have thought about doing a placement with a council.

What advice would you give to students submitting an application?

Tameside Council’s process was pretty simple as it was a **Manchester Met Exclusive Placement**. I had to submit a CV and cover letter via the Manchester Met Career Hub portal, so my advice is definitely get it checked by the Manchester Met Placements team before sending it.

If successful at that stage, you are invited to Tameside Council for an interview and an Excel task. So brush up on basic Excel knowledge. For the interview, a part of it is they ask you to prepare a presentation, but they’ll give you notice about it. The rest of the interview is asking about you and your CV, so make sure you know your CV inside and out.

I think I stood out because I was confident on the day and didn’t show nerves, so be confident. I know easier said than done but it’s nothing to be too nervous about.

What skills and experience did you gain from the role?

I have definitely improved on my soft skills such as teamworking, confidence, time management, communication and resilience, and being used to an office environment. I have been able to adapt to certain situations and have taken on additional workload during my time at the Council.

What have the longer term benefits been of doing a placement?

I have definitely developed into a more confident person. I’ve felt confident delivering presentations in lectures now, and alongside this current role, I have managed to secure my graduate role at the big PwC. During searching for jobs, I have had to use my soft skills such as leadership in the assessment centres and teamworking and confidence and resilience after getting rejected off other firms.

Applying for a Placement or Internship

Our Council Placement roles ( 2024/25) are live until 28th April 2024. You can apply for these via My Career HUB here , as well as any other placement, internship or summer work experience.

In particular, these roles are broadly linked to your degree course:

**Manchester Met Exclusive 2024/25** GMPF Accountancy – Tameside Council

**Manchester Met Exclusive 2024/25** Data Analyst Placement – Bury Council

Placement Website

Visit the newly designed placement websites for everything you need to know about how to secure a placement, where to find useful resources on CV’s, cover letters & more, or get in touch with an advisor using this link .

You have until 26th July 2024 to secure a placement opportunity for the 2024/25 academic year, so there’s still lots of time to get looking and applying.

Good luck!