Lucy Greenwood

Gaining essential experience while on placement

Hi, I’m Lucy Greenwood, a BA Interior Design student at the University of South Wales. I was thrown in at the deep end during my sandwich year placement and was almost immediately working on projects as a Sales and Design Support Administrator on the small team at Momentum Contract Furniture.

I did a bit of everything while working alongside my mentor - I wrote purchase orders and placed orders, spoke to suppliers, answered phone calls, and placed deliveries for samples.

Getting my first official piece of post sent to the office felt like a big moment - it really felt like I was part of the team.

Furniture dealers often work hand in hand with Interior Designers who come to them with schemes and are wanting to purchase the furniture. It was really eye-opening to see what furniture dealers do, and it allowed me to figure out what I liked and didn’t like about the industry and what I wanted from a career.

Working in such a small office felt like a more personal experience, and I liked how relaxed everything was, qualities I would now like in a job. I liked the company’s flexibility to let my colleagues work from home while maintaining a high standard of work.

Overcoming professional challenges

With the help of my mentor, I developed stronger maths skills, learning when to apply specific equations during purchase orders.

I found working closely with money and orders useful because it allowed me to understand small budgets and their challenges - something I think will be vital in my career. I also have a huge wealth of knowledge about furniture and fabric suppliers that I can use in my career.

Find your course

IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST WHILE WORKING IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO UNIVERSITY.

Lucy Greenwood

Interior Design student

Choosing a placement and placement support

I knew when I was picking my university course that I wanted to go on a placement.

I realised it was more of a niche subject and that I needed to go on a placement so I could see how the industry worked, and because it would make my CV stand out to employers. My placement demonstrates that I’ve applied theoretical knowledge in a practical setting and shows I can adapt to professional environments.

In the lead up to my placement, I had lots of conversations with course academics to help determine what would work for me, and I received all the information I would need from USW’s Learning Services.

My course leader was in contact regularly and would come to visit me in the office for a catch-up every few months. Learning Services also continued to contact me throughout my year out to make sure things were running smoothly.

I will always be grateful to my course leader, as they put me forward when Momentum approached USW with an opening.

What would you say to future students?

It may seem like a scary prospect, but take the placement. Be proactive, ask questions, take initiative, volunteer for tasks, and network with colleagues and supervisors.

I knew that third year was going to test what I’d learned before the placement, and that these extra skills would boost my work and push the boundaries of what I could achieve.