"Placement Year: Worth It? 100%."

I started my placement year within environmental consultancy in the summer of 2024 with RSK, not knowing what to expect. I chose to undertake a ‘Year in Industry’ between my second and third year of my BA Geography degree because I wanted a chance to gain experience within the environmental sector and improve my employability. I did not have much knowledge of what a career within the environmental industry looked like but I knew that I wanted to finish university and find a job that contributed to a more sustainable future, in some capacity.

My experience

At RSK I worked within the Environment team, who specialise in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Management. I spent the year learning about the EIA process and I was fortunate enough to help work on some major energy infrastructure projects. I gained experience in desk-based research, report writing and liaising with clients.

My experience within environmental management consisted of similar skills such as report writing but I also had the opportunity to attend site visits to a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility within the construction phase. I undertook site inspections, looking for potential threats to the environment such as oil spills or construction work in close proximity to trees and hedgerows (which can be a threat to local wildlife especially during nesting bird season.)

The team I worked with was very welcoming and encouraged me to learn as much as possible through varied opportunities. This allowed me to gain experience doing tasks for other teams, such as carbon footprinting, air quality reporting and project management. There were multiple training opportunities also, where I was able to learn more about ecology, sustainability and environmental management systems. Expressing my interests in learning more about certain topics, led to me participate in a Biodiversity Net Gain training course as well as write an Equality Impact Assessment for a major solar farm. Getting involved with these things meant that I could link the topics that I found interesting within my course at university with the work I did within the industry, giving me a better idea of what type of job I would like to do in the future.

How Has My Experience Impacted Me?

Undertaking the placement year was definitely a positive experience for me and greatly impacted me for the better. The lessons I learned were invaluable. Being within the workplace allowed me to understand far more than I ever could just being in a classroom, it gave me the opportunity to understand how what I learn at university intersects with real environmental issues. The experience has given me a wide range of technical knowledge, that I am able to use within the last year of my degree as well as on my CV when applying for graduate jobs. Additionally, I have developed my soft skills through teamwork and communication. My year at RSK pushed me to grow as a person, not just as a student or an employee. If given the opportunity I would 100% do it again and I would highly recommend a placement year to anyone who has the chance to complete one.

Uploaded: 20/02/26