At SkilTrak, student placement is much more than clocking up the required hours for academic credit; they bring together your learning with potential future career opportunities. Your success in placement is not only based on technical knowledge, however, your ability to manage time, understand and handle stress, manage budgets or resources, and work collaboratively with others represents essential attributes that employers look for within professionals.
At some stage, you may be embarking on your first work placement or even considering a role as a graduate - this is how to build on these actionable, foundational skills that employers look for!
1. How to Develop Time Management Skills While on Placement
Placement hosts appreciate students who can adhere to deadlines, balance a variety of tasks, and stay organised.
Practical Suggestions for SkilTrak students:
· Use the Eisenhower Matrix to organise tasks.
· Using the SMART goals model, understand your project deliverables for the week.
· Time blocks your calendar, which includes placement time, study time and preparation time.
· Avoid multitasking - concentrate on completing your current tasks before moving to the next task.
· Use a tool like Google Calendar or Trello to record all of your placement-scheduled activities.
Good time management does not mean you are only being recorded as completing your assigned tasks.
2. Beefing Up Your Stress Management Skills
Placements can be exhilarating, but they can also feel like an overwhelming mountain of work, especially if you are in a new workplace.
Here are some ways to manage your stress during your placement:
· Keep a brief "stress log" to notice patterns and triggers.
· Take time to be mindful or use deep breathing before any important task.
· Don't let large projects overwhelm you; treat large projects as sets of small, manageable steps.
· Stay active; you can get out and walk around to keep your focus, even if it's only for short walks on your breaks.
· Build your support network around you, develop some mentors, other students, or simply connect with your placement supervisor.
If you can develop strong stress management, it will allow you to remain calm and professional, even if it appears like things are not going according to plan.#
3. Budget & Financial Management Skills for Students
Even if you are never directly responsible for the budget of a company, placements usually require working with limited resources.
1. Examples applicable to placement settings:
2. Understanding the budget for a project that gets allocated.
3. Keeping track of costs for events or training resources.
4. Doing a simple cost-benefit analysis.
Learning how to be aware of budgets during placement lets the employer know that you can work resourcefully and responsibly.
4. Data Management Skills
A workplace often relies on the accuracy of information for the success of its work, whether that be student, industry, RTO information, project management, or research results.
Skills you can develop during placement:
· Collect, manage, and organise information in an orderly manner.
· Develop familiarity with basic analysis tools like Excel/Google Sheets.
· Be mindful of data privacy and adhere to workplace protocols when data is confidential.
· Verify accuracy of reports before submission and document data accurately.
By understanding data management as a form of discipline, you help demonstrate that you can be trusted with important data information.
5. Developing Self-Management
Many placements will require you to work independently occasionally.
Ways to develop self-management in your placement:
· Set personal objectives for your experience.
· Keep track of your own progress without waiting for someone to remind you.
· Try to be flexible in taking on your role, and if your tasks change.
· Self-management is especially important in hybrid or remote placements.
6. Interpersonal Skills in the Workplace
Regardless of whether you are in a hospital ward, an engineering office, or a marketing team, relationships with colleagues are important.
Focus on:
Ø Active listening when receiving instructions.
Ø Working together as a team and respecting different styles of working.
Ø Fostering positive communication, even when under pressure.
Ø Employers will notice placement students who fit in well with the team.
7. Project Management in Student Placements
Many placements provide opportunities for you to lead or coordinate small projects.
Ways to develop project management skills:
Ø Offer to formalise a task from start to finish.
Ø Use project tools like Asana or Trello to help keep track of your progress.
Ø Consider what worked well to help remind you for next time of what you might do differently.
Project management skills are a minor entry point to leadership opportunities further in your career.
8. Managing Anger & Conflict
It is uncommon, but it is possible that during your experience/placement, you will disagree. When this does happen, it may be a bit awkward, but you need to handle the situation professionally.
Some practical strategies might be:
Ø recognising early signs of frustration,
Ø pausing before addressing conflict,
Ø listening for understanding,
Ø proposing solutions, not accountability.
You will be perceived as someone more mature than your peers in the professional space. This provides a positive lasting impression.
Final Reflections
SkilTrak placement is more than just an obligation it is your entry into this world of work. By improving your time management, stress management, budget awareness, data management, and interpersonal skills, you establish yourself as a valuable member of the team and not just as a student. The habits you establish during your placement will stay with you far beyond the end of your experience.
