Holly Psaliou

Final year BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing student, Holly Psaliou, completed a work placement at the British American Group, writing articles for their festival and travel guides. She answered a few questions for us about the practicalities and benefits of her time on placement.

Where did you complete your work placement?

I completed my placement at British American Group.

How did you secure your placement?

The internship was advertised through ADMemployability who are fantastic. They passed my details and my CV onto the company. I was told in my interview that the experiences I had already gained impressed the team at British American Group, and I was offered a placement with their editorial team.

What kind of work did you get involved with on your placement?

My time was split between writing articles for British American Group’s website ‘Uni News’ and writing content for their travel and festival guides. As well as producing my own written pieces, I was given the opportunity to edit and proofread other articles before they were sent to either the Editor or Editorial Assistant for final checks.

What skills did you learn on your placement?

The amount of time that goes into planning the publications was truly eye-opening. For the articles, I learned what goes into creating engaging content for students. This involved keeping to a consistent word count that allowed for sharp, snappy articles. More broadly, I gained the experience of working with an Editor and Editorial Assistant. I also gained a credit in their published guides for my contribution. I truly felt part of the team!

Do you now have a better idea of what you’d like to do after your degree?

Primarily, I still want to be a fiction writer but I’m more open to the non-fiction/journalism side after completing the placement. I’m the current Book Reviewer for the School of English Newspaper and several of the articles I’ve written for British American Group involve reviewing or ranking books. I’ve definitely found a love for the non-fiction side of things.

What advice do you have for students thinking about their placements?

Go for it and make the most of it! Even if the role is not directly linked to your career plans, it is still adaptable. I’ve always been focused on fiction writing. But when the opportunity came up for a role which was more aligned to journalism, I went for it, as it was still a position where I’d be able to write. 

Read about our other placements