DMU students celebrating together after the success of their placement year
DMU’s Student Placement Celebration is a chance to salute our talented students and the incredible experience they get through a year in industry.
“I returned for my final year more focused and disciplined, and understood what I needed to do to get where I want”
“I felt a lot more confident that I was employable”
“I found out what’s really involved in my chosen career”
“A placement fast-tracks you on your career path”
Those are just a few comments from the students, still buzzing after coming back from a year’s placement as part of their degree.
Earlier this year DMU was voted the best uni in the country for work experience (Rate My Placement awards) and this annual event has become a great way of celebrating the opportunities, talent, dedication and ambition that placement years offer.
Twelve students were presented with awards at the event, held on Wednesday 29 October on campus, which also featured a panel talk from top employers.
See the full list of winners below:
Maddie Bowness (Victoria’s Secret), Pranay Valand (Henry Riley), Holly Matthews-Eve (Gymshark), Maraz Balayet (Leicester City Council), Shaun Goodwin (BAE Systems), Rhea Bhakta (DMU), Sabirin Abdi (DMU), Celina Czarnecka (DMU), Aaliyah Patel (University Hospitals of Leicester Trust), Amanpreet Kaur (DMU), Amy Leebetter (Porsche), Aisha Tahir (Druck / Baker Hughes)
Two students share their placement journey:
Faisa Abdulle is an Accounting and Finance student. Her placement was in finance at an NHS Trust and involved tasks like invoice processing and chasing suppliers. She found the placement inclusive and supportive, and learned software skills that went beyond what was covered on her university course.
I really felt transformed by my placement. When I started I wasn’t sure how much of value I’d be able to contribute, but after six months it felt so different. By the end of the placement I knew what I wanted to do after uni and what I needed to do in my final year to get there. I’ll go into my first job already knowing some key things, so I’ll feel much more confident about starting work than I would if I hadn’t done a placement.
Faisa, Accounting and Finance student
Abdullah Seedat studies Economics at DMU and did his placement at Tuck App, a small tech startup company based in Leicester. Tuck is a consumer cashback app which allows its users to save money when shopping at major grocers and high street retailers.
I feel doing my placement at a smaller company was a real advantage as I had a lot of mentoring directly from the leadership. Not every student wants to be placed with a big well-known brand, plus it was a benefit for me to be based locally.
Abdullah, Economics student
A placement year is about so much more than adding experience to a CV
It’s a chance to test ambitions in the real world, build confidence, and return to university with clarity and purpose. The Student Placement Celebration shines a light on these journeys, and the lasting value of placements in helping students realise their potential and get a head start for what comes next.