Natalie Ho (International Business BSc with a Professional Placement Year)

A Professional Placement Year is an opportunity to apply academic learning in a real-world setting. For Natalie Ho (International Business BSc), a Professional Placement Year at NHS England was a transformative experience that helped launch her career.

In this interview, Natalie shares her experiences as a Business Placement Trainee at NHS England, as well as how an earlier Career Lab UK Summer Internship helped her prepare for success, and practical advice for international students.

A Professional Placement Year at NHS England

What was your role, and what did your responsibilities involve?
I was a Business Placement Trainee at NHS England, in the Primary Care (GP) team within the Postgraduate Medical Education Programme Management Department. My main responsibility was to support the National GP Retention Scheme for doctors who might otherwise leave the profession to remain in clinical practice; and the SPEX&EDI (Support for Performance and Exams & Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) programme for Doctors in Training/ international medical graduates across Southwest England. During my placement year, I managed various projects, carried out statistical work and data analysis, handled invoicing and organised different Southwest-wide meetings and events.

What was the most valuable part of your experience?
The most valuable part of my placement year has been my significant professional growth, particularly in time management skills, as I had to juggle multiple responsibilities across two workstreams.
I was also not as confident speaking in English in my first year of uni, but having daily interactions and meetings with my colleagues during my placement has really enhanced my ability to communicate effectively in a professional environment. I have also learned different slangs and corporate languages that I wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.

Were there any standout moments, such as your involvement in the GP Retainers’ Day?
I had the opportunity to organise both online and in-person GP Retainers' Days for over 100 GPs. It was a rewarding and eye-opening experience that made me appreciate the many efforts required to ensure the smooth running of an event, such as managing booking forms, budgeting and logistics, sourcing venues and liaising with stakeholders.
Another highlight for me was being the first in my team to develop a custom workflow automation using Microsoft Power Automate. This initiative significantly increased our team’s efficiency by streamlining manual tasks.

Gaining experience with a Career Lab UK Summer Internship

What made you decide to also apply for a Summer Internship?
Securing a job as an international student can be tough, therefore I focused on gaining experience through volunteering and the Connector Programme before I applied to any Placements. I also came across an email from Career Lab with internship opportunities during my second year, and I decided to apply and better hone my skills before I start my placement.

What skills did you gain from these experiences? How did they contribute to your personal and professional growth?
My summer internship as a PR & Events Assistant (through Career Lab) at Guanxi, a PR and marketing agency in Brighton, was instrumental in my personal and professional growth. I had the opportunity to co-lead the LNER Student Influencer Campaign, coordinate travel arrangements for the China National Travel Magazine press trip and worked on various side projects. I am truly grateful for this experience, especially as it came right before my Professional Placement Year. This summer internship was my first ever full-time office job, and it taught me so much. I built valuable connections, learned essential business etiquette and have developed my project management skills.

The impact of a Professional Placement Year, and advice for international students

How has the experience influenced your career goals? Have you gained any new career insights or connections?
My placement experience has significantly influenced my career goals by helping me understand my strengths and weaknesses. I have discovered that I really enjoyed solving problems, and that I have strong analytical skills, and a keen attention to detail, all of which drive my interest in efficiency. Because of this clarity, I focused my job search for graduate roles within strategy and operations, and managed to secure a graduate scheme at the beginning of the second semester in my final year, largely thanks to the skills and experiences I gained during my placement and internship.

Any advice for other international students considering a Professional Placement Year?
My advice for international students considering a placement is to start early! Gaining any kind of experience, whether it’s volunteering, internships back home or virtual experience programmes, can make a big difference. It helps you develop both technical and soft skills, understand how businesses operate in a real-world context, and makes you stand out as a candidate when applying for placements. Also, be sure to check university emails regularly, as there are often support resources and opportunities that can help in internship/ placement search!

An inspiring success story

After completing her Professional Placement Year, Natalie was offered a part-time position at NHS England whilst completing her final year of study – and will this month be graduating with a First Class in International Business BSc (with a Professional Placement Year).

Learn more about Professional Placement Years

Professional Placement Years are when you spend time working at an organisation or company, as part of your degree.

Some degrees at Sussex include a compulsory Professional Placement Year, but most undergraduate students can opt to do a professional placement. If you are interested in doing a placement year as part of your course, you will need to apply directly to an employer.

The Careers and Entrepreneurship team are here to support you through our Placements Preparation Programme, which is a series of events and resources to help you plan for a placement year. The programme usually starts in the autumn term, and events will be bookable via CareerHub.

Learn more about Professional Placement Years on the Student Hub

Further information: http://www.student.sussex.ac.uk/careers/placements

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