Aksa Saleem

Course: Computer Networks and Security
Graduation year: 2020

What are you doing on your placement?

My placement role is IT Compliance and Desktop Support at Collins Aerospace Systems. This means I am doing a variety of tasks, involving in user AD Migration, assisting user technical issues, network patching and working on compliance activities.

As the business is international, liaising with people and joining meetings on a global scale is very rewarding as I get the insights of how the business works across the whole spectrum.

Why did you decide to do a placement?

I decided to do a placement because I wanted the experience in a field that I enjoy working in.

What are you hoping to gain from doing your placement?

I hope to gain more working experience of course, but also learn how a professional environment makes you become an ‘adult’. So far my placement has given me several skills, such as organisation, ensuring meetings are planned properly and running events by myself without my manager being present.

How did the university help you find your placement?

BCU Careers+ helped me a lot with placement searching, interview prep and checked my CV. Once I found my placement, the team also examined my placement contract - they helped me a lot.

What are your future career plans and how has your placement affected this?

Placement has given me an insight of what I want to do as a career. I now know I want to pursue IT as a career and keep it customer based too.

What advantages has your placement given you?

Placement has given me number of benefits, for example I have already started receiving messages of employers on LinkedIn, asking about my career plans. I feel that I have that edge now, as most employers want experience and to see that not only am I a technical woman in the IT Industry who likes hands-on work, but that I also go out of my way to do extra things.

What placement advice do you have for future students?

I would recommend everyone to do a placement year, especially so you can get experience in a field that you enjoy.