Over the holidays I have made the decision to apply for 3 Industrial Placements at HMRC.
- Associate Interaction Designer
- Associate User Researcher
- Associate Service Designer
For each of these applications I created separate personal statements that was tailored to the essential criteria and job description of the role. From this I was able to draw out parallels and base the personal statements on examples from my university projects in accordance to the different job descriptions.
As I was doing this during Ramadan, in the evenings, after a long day of fasting, I did find it to be quite energy consuming, making sure I was using the right examples in the right context, filling out lengthy forms, however I know that this is a good experience for applying for jobs and that knowledge gained now throughout this process with be beneficial in the future.
I really wanted to do some industrial placements as I believe there is only so far you can go with university work. Being in a closed environment with set briefs is very helpful, learning in an environment that I am comfortable in, working alongside peers. However I truly believe that industry experience is exceptionally important which is why I have applied for these job roles. Working in a company environment such as HMRC is very eye opening, with such a large target audience ensuring that accessibility and inclusivity is at the forefront, its an opportunity to act like a sponge, be inquisitive and see what I can bring, learning from different people of different skill sets. Gaining industry experience will hopefully open a door to many more opportunities after I finish my university degree – as UX, UI and the design industry is something that I am very passionate about and absolutely love.
It is a chance for me to improve my confidence and go for opportunities that I wouldn’t normally, as I believe getting out of your comfort zone is very important, especially in the design industry having to work with different people like clients, users and in cross functional teams.
Overall I am really pleased that I took this leap to apply for these industrial placements, and I know that if I don’t get one, it is a great learning experience and will only help improve my confidence and broaden my knowledge, understanding and skillset within the design industry and for my own personal growth. I am trying to stay confident in that I will get at least one interview, but understand that this is a competitive industry and it’s just important to try my best!