Jake Butler

Business Development
Student Placement

Applying for the student placement role

Although the characteristics of this role were different from the requirements for placement on my course, due to other commitments, it was imperative that I found a placement with a location in close proximity to Nottingham.

I applied for the role of Aftercare Business Development at ICE via the NTU inPlace service. Following the submission of my CV and a relevant cover letter, I was invited for a first interview.

The first interview was largely focused around my CV. I was questioned on the content of my CV, why I was interested in the role and my personal and professional aspirations.

Following a successful first interview, I was asked to prepare a presentation which would be relevant to the role and present this to members of the company.

Following this presentation, I was asked to return to Clearmark for a third interview to further discuss my prospects of employment with the Managing Director (Chris Simpson).

The first 2 weeks

I initially completed a two week induction period; this induction was very structured, which I was very impressed by. I was able to visit all the departments in the business, meeting and receiving brief explanations of each employee’s role within the business. I also learned about the wider market, competitors and our products. This gave me a greater appreciation for the role, as I then had contextual knowledge which supplemented my understanding of my day-to-day role.

More responsibility

As time passed, I was given increasing responsibility and higher profile projects to work on. There are two main aspects of the Aftercare Business Development role: supporting the Aftercare team via market research reports and refining processes, and working on projects that influence the whole business. A significant benefit in this role is that you are regularly involved, in some capacity, in operations in a variety of departments- not just one area of the business.

Interested in completing a placement year with a growing SME with a high level of responsibility and development opportunities? Take a look at our Careers page.