Department of Computer Science
Industrial Year
Teaching Industrial Year

Full details of the IY process are contained in the Student guide to the industrial year process. The remainder of this page will provide the key steps and resources you need to start your search for an IY Job.

Preparation

During Induction week all 2nd year students registered on a degree scheme that includes an IY must attend an introductory talk by the IY Coordinator.

All 2nd year students on schemes with a compulsory industrial year attend the Employability half-Weekend Event at the end of October.

The recruitment cycle for IY starts in Sept and progresses right through to the following July. Some students worry about accommodation in Aber if for some reason they do not secure an IY job and need to return to Aber for their final year. The accommodation office told me "I would advise that the students apply for accommodation when the application process opens, if they then secure their IY placement, we will release them from their Occupation Contract as it is for academic reasons." Note that the university accommodation application deadline is usually towards the end of the autumn term.

Finding a placement

The following resources are available to help you find a job. We will provide as much help as we can but ultimately it is only you who can make applications and prepare yourself properly for interviews and other recruitment activities!

  • Jobs we hear about will be placed on the Your Future web site. Check it regularly! We will also sometimes email opportunities and reminders to second years registered on an IY scheme or that have told us they are looking to find a placement.
  • The IY Administrator and IY coordinator are available as a first point of call for general advice concerning your IY. Please keep us informed as you make applications and get interviews or rejections etc. A brief email to cs-iy-admin@aber.ac.uk is all that is required. We will ask students to come and discuss their IY application process during the 2nd year - particularly if you have not kept us updated.
  • Get in touch with the careers service on weekdays with any questions you have on finding a placement, as well as for feedback and advice on CVs, Cover Letters, Applications, Interviews and more. You can also book careers guidance appointments with a Careers Consultant on ABERcareers for a more in-depth chat on any aspect of your career and IY journey. The Careers Service also provides a wide range of help sheets and resources on their helpful resources page and on the ABERcareers portal.
  • If you are thinking of a placement overseas for your Industrial Year, the Global Opportunities Office can offer you grant support to help mitigate the extra costs of going abroad. Discuss your placement plans with your IY Coordinator, and if your placement is approved, the IY Coordinator will nominate you to our office. We will then reach out to you with information on how to apply for funding. Please be aware that there are deadlines for both nominations and applications.
  • The YES website also contains a lot of useful information about finding placements provided by the careers service.

Second year students who have not secured a placement by 1st September will normally be required to change scheme, and return for their third year, instead. Please contact us at that time, to arrange this. However, note that a some placements may come up in the summer. So do keep in contact with us if you're still looking at that time!

Working Overseas

If you are thinking of working abroad for all or part of your IY year, please get in touch with the Global Opportunities office. There may be funding available to support your travel and/or supplement your wages. The Global Opportunities team can also assist with practical considerations such as insurance, travel advice, and sign posting you to information about visas for your host country. The Careers Service also has information on their working overseas pages.

An IY abroad is a fantastic opportunity and will provide a unique set of skills that will enhance your entire career. It will take some careful thought and planning however, so here are also some general things you want to think about:

  • What type of work are you looking for? Knowing your skills and having some experience will help you establish what types of jobs you would be most suited to. Do you want to make use of a second language or use the year to help learn one alongside the use of your computing skills?
  • Unpaid internships / placements are common in some countries so do check details before making applications. We do not normally recommend unpaid internships as an IY, and besides students are unlikely to have the resources to fund it. The may be rare exceptions - contact the IY coordinator to discuss.
  • Do you need a visa or to be a national or studying in that country? Visas are now required for UK students who want to undertake a placement in Europe. You will be a registered students during your IY and that usually makes it easier, but since you will also be working it is important to check the requirements for each country you apply in.
  • Which countries could you go to to use your language, or if you do not have another language, where can you work where this is not a problem? Some jobs do not need you to be fluent in the local language (for example we have students work for companies in Germany where English is used day to day in their business - however it is of course essential to find out what is expected)
  • What is the application method? Does your application need to be in the home language of the country.
  • What does a CV or resume look like for the country you are applying in? There can be local expectations and conventions that you need to find out about.
There are websites that include specific advice and information on placements abroad. Here are a couple to get started, but a search engine will uncover more.

Duration

Students and employers can negotiate when and for how long the placement takes place between the end of the summer term (June) and the beginning of the autumn term (end September) of the following year. Students may work for the extra summer months if they wish (although the current IY Coordinator encourages a vacation prior to embarking on the demanding third year of study). An assessed industrial year must be a minimum of 36 weeks.

Students occasionally ask if they can take more than one shorter duration job. In general this is possible provided all of the jobs are of an appropriate nature and the combined total of 36 weeks is undertake. Clearly there is a substantial risk unless all jobs are obtained before the IY starts. Please talk the the IY coordinator if you are thinking of anything like this.

Accepting a job

Hopefully at some point you will be offered a job. Think carefully before accepting the offer, particularly if you have other interviews scheduled. Once an offer is accepted you have committed yourself. This may not seem important in the excitement of receiving a job offer but be aware that backing out later(and so breaking your contract) not only gives a very bad impression of you personally, but may well jeopardise other future students prospects of working for that company. The company may avoid Aberystwyth students if you give them a bad experience. Most employers will understand if you need a little time to decide on a job offer, however we would advise you to contact them if the delay is more than a few days (or longer than the acceptance period specified in their offer).

Make sure that you are satisfied that the job being offered will allow you to satisfy the learning outcomes for the module. For most IT jobs being offered by reputable companies this will not be a problem, but if in doubt contact the Industrial Year Coordinator.

The employer should be aware of their employer responsibilities (pdf version) when offering an IY placement job. They are not onerous and many of the large companies and employers that regularly take (our) students will be aware of them already.

Consider where you will be moving to and check out accommodation options and prices. Your employer might be able to offer advice, especially if they regularly have IY students.

Once you accept an IY job offer please complete and return the IY Confirmation form(.docx) (pdf version). Do not delay returning this form if you do not know all the information; fill in as much as you can and send an updated form later.