Creative role gives placement student new skills


The creative aspects of a year’s work placement are giving a History and International Relations student some hugely useful employability skills.

Hasan Ates was surprised at how much freedom he has been given since he started working at the beginning of October in the Centre for Learning and Study Support (CLaSS) in the Directorate of Library and Learning Services at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), based on campus in the Kimberlin Library.

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CLaSS offers students a range of self-selecting and embedded learning development activities which they can access during their own time, including weekly drop-in sessions for help with writing assignments, more specific one-to-one tutorials and regular workshops.

“Initially my placement was supposed to be more regarding the webpage and editing bitesize videos into the correct format to be a learning resource but that is evolving into more of a marketing role,” Hasan said.

“Each time there is a week of workshops led by CLaSS lecturers, I’m tasked with marketing them through social media, creating posters and graphics or making and editing the videos.

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“I’m now also creating learning resources such as quizzes and infographics.

“I hadn’t realised how creative it would be and I was pleasantly surprised. I’m enjoying it.”

The 20-year-old, from Enfield in North London, plans to embark on a career in corporate social responsibility (CSR), helping companies to develop sustainable projects including within their local communities.

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After his placement, he is considering signing up for DMU’s campus-based internship scheme Frontrunners, to work with the university’s sustainability task force.  

“I want to benefit society,” explained Hasan, who secured his year with ClaSS through the DMU Placements team.

“When I started this role, I initially thought it had nothing to do with CSR but I realised this is very good experience for that sort of career.

“I will gain the skills and a general sense of what it would be like having a career in that area.

“Other things I am picking up here include organisational skills and team management. Working at CLaSS has also helped me realise there is so much support for students which I will be using in the final year of my course, such as being shown how to improve my analytical writing or my referencing.

“One of the most important things I have learnt is how quickly I can pick up and use new skills, such as working with new software. It has really improved my confidence.”
Posted on Wednesday 20 December 2017

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