Placement Handbook 2012-2013

PLACEMENT HANDBOOK 2012/2013
International Business and Management Studies
Rotterdam Business School
IBMS - Rotterdam Business School
2012/2013
INTRODUCTION International Business and Management Studies (IBMS) students who are doing their third year at Rotterdam Business School (RBS), will spend their fifth semester on placement, gaining practical experience in one of the many fields of business and management. This is a key and compulsory part of the degree and the placement requirements must be met in order to graduate. The placement period enables students to gain personal and professional skills which will be of great value after graduation. This handbook explains the placement aims, formal requirements and procedures for the placement. It also includes a section on CV preparation, application letters and interview preparation. It offers advice on how to decide what type of placement would be most suitable for you, includes examples of IBMS placements and some ideas on how to research opportunities for placements. Securing the right placement takes time and effort on your part; you may be in competition with students from other universities and also with each other and you should be prepared for setbacks along the way. It is very important to have a pro-active attitude. This handbook also outlines what RBS/IBMS expects of students on placement; the monitoring and assessment of the placement semester and includes copies of forms and other relevant information. You should therefore take it with you on placement. As with most things in life a great deal depends on your own enthusiasm, persistence and commitment. Similarly, once on placement the quality of your experience will, partly, depend on your own initiative, enthusiasm and persistence. Bear in mind that a positive attitude and a willingness to learn and ask questions will enable you to make most of your experience. Finally I would like to wish you a successful and pleasant learning experience. Nathalie Barendswaard Placement Coordinator IBMS
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Introduction Table of contents Timetable placement period 1. 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2. 2.1 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.3 3. 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 4. 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.9.1 4.9.2 4.10 5. 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 6. 7. 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 General Placement aims Placement Implementations Formal requirement & placement period Placement credits & minimum duration of the placement Approval of the Placement Supervision Objectives for supervision Supervision The Placement Supervisor The Company Tutor Placement Abroad Procedure Placement information meeting Registration form placement Intake interview What to do when you have found a placement How to find a placement Professional field of IBMS graduates Professional profile Criteria for an IBMS placement Possible assignments What is expected of the host company / organization Company information and addresses Finding a placement Application letters Curriculum Vitae (CV) CV structure CVs dos and donts Interviews During the placement Obligations to your placement teacher Addresses form and short report Placement assignments First company evaluation Final company evaluation Final placement report Support from RBS/IBMS What if the placement is disappointing Non attendance Correspondence Finding a topic for your thesis Assessment Formalities Placement agreement / contract Financial compensation during the placement Sofi number Work permit Visa Insurance Scholarship
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Appendices Annex A: Annex B: Annex C: Annex D: Annex E:
Registration form placement Description assignment and liability form Addresses form Placement Scan Placement assignments
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TIMETABLE PLACEMENT PERIOD PREPARATION PERIOD Hand in the Registration Form Placement (Annex A) in duplicate + CV + letter of application on 1 May 2012 to your Study & Career coach. Make an appointment with your study & career coach for an intake interview Inform your study & career coach before 1 June 2012 whether you have found a placement position yourself or not. Hand in Annex B (in duplicate) together with Placement Scan before 1 July 2012 to your Study & Career coach. The deadline for starting your placement is 1 September 2012.
BEFORE THE PLACEMENT PERIOD STARTS Fill in the Description Assignment and Liability-form (Annex B) and Placement Scan and go to your study & career coach to request approval for your placement assignment. Once Annex B and Placement Scan is signed by your SC coach you hand in the required document to the Placement Coordinator IBMS. (approval: see chapter 1.5). Within 5 working days your will receive your confirmed placement approval from the Placement Coordinator IBMS. The supervisor folder will be handed to you by the placement coordinator once all forms have been processed. Take care of your insurance. For foreign students in the Netherlands: apply for your SOFI-number. Take care of your visa and work permit. (if applicable) Take care of your contract.
DURING YOUR PLACEMENT PERIOD Within 2 weeks send in the Addresses form (Annex C) in duplicate + route description (for the visiting IBMS representative). Also within 2 weeks send in your Short Report (see paragraph 5). During your placement you will have to submit Placement Assignments (see paragraph 5.2): After 2 months, have your supervisor fill in your First Company Evaluation and send the original to your placement teacher (keep copies for yourself) (see paragraph 5.3). After 2 months you will be visited by an IBMS representative. At the end of your placement period, have your supervisor fill in the Final Company Evaluation and hand it in with your placement teacher (see paragraph 5.4) Not later than 1 April 2013 hand in your Final Placement Report (see paragraph 5.5 and Annex D for requirements). In order for your placement to be graded, this deadline cannot be extended unless permission has been given by the placement supervisor.
All reports should be written in English.
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1. GENERAL The placement period considerably supports the value of the HBO-diploma. Rotterdam Business School / IBMS constantly fine-tunes its programs in line with developments in Industry and Trade by exchanging information on the process. The goal of the placement is identical for any study program, namely an optimal training experience for both the student and the company. To follow education outside the school requires a good organization, in which your cooperation is essential. The intention is for the placement to provide the student with an effective and extensive introduction to the sector or the field relevant to the programme for which the student is enrolled and the professional groups within this sector or field. The student will learn to quickly form part of his particular professional group in his capacity as a professional. The placement constitutes a practice test of competence; a preparation for the graduation programme, during which the student will complete a test of competence in which he demonstrates that he is able to act in the manner required of a competent professional at the start of his career in a professional context. The student will engage in practical activities in order to attain the ultimate competence expected of him as a professional at the start of his career
1.1
Placement aims Apply business & management theories in practical situations; Orientation with respect to the job market, in order to acquire insight into job perspectives and future career wishes; Adding width and depth to the knowledge assimilated in school for performing future duties; Practicing application skills; Acquiring a professional attitude, including such aspects as working independently, coping with responsibility and taking initiative; Gaining experience of the national and international labor markets; Acquiring and improving social and communicative skills, such as working in a team, dealing with hierarchical structures, criticism and conflicts; Learning to deal with language and cultural differences; Learning to function in an unfamiliar international environment. Develop report writing competencies.
1.2
Placement Implementation
The objectives that underlie the placement will largely determine how the placement will actually be implemented. An overview follows below of the starting points applicable when deciding how to implement the placement: The placement will take place in a professional practice that is relevant for the professional development of the student. The company should be preferably based outside the students home country. If the company is based in the students home country, his daily working environment and tasks must be of a demonstrably international nature (working language, multi-cultural staff and international client base etc.). A student who does a placement abroad will be allocated a supervisor, who will keep in contact with him electronically and by phone. The fact that the student is doing a placement means that he will be unable to have any in-school commitments that will be important to his assessment or study progress during the placement period. The placement will last a consecutive period of at least 20 weeks (840 credit hours) and will take place in Year 3. This period will be the minimum amount of time that the student will need to make sure that he settles in properly and achieves the depth required in terms of knowledge and 6
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competency development. The student will also need this length of time to be able to complete the applied research that forms part of the in-depth assignments. The student himself will be responsible for finding a placement. However, he can also rely on support from the placement coordinator, placement supervisor and bureau external affairs. In principle, the placement will be completed at just one placement company. A break in the placement, by switching from one placement company to another, will not be permitted. A student will only really be able to experience what it is like to work as a professional within a team if he does the activities required of him in one professional environment for a more determined period of time. A proper familiarisation with every aspect of the students future profession will include both routine and project-based activities. During the placement period, the student will work independently on an in-depth assignment for the placement company, in which he will resolve a practice-related issue for the placement company by carrying out applied research and applying the knowledge that he has. During the placement, the student will prepare for the test of competence, in which applied research will play an important role. The student will also be expected to ensure that he gains a more in-depth body of knowledge during the placement and develop new knowledge. The resolution of a practicerelated issue will contribute to this. The in-depth assignment will have a minimum study load of 168 hours (20% of the total placement).
1.3
Formal requirements & placement period
The IBMS program has one placement, which should be done in semester 5 (Fall semester year 3, starting date 1 September). The following formal requirements apply to the placement: In order to start the placement students must have passed the propaedeutic exams and a total of at least 90 ECTS. For placements taking place in countries which are more difficult to get in touch with (e.g. countries in Asia, countries in Africa) it is required to give the name, telephone number and email address (if available) of a contact person in this company to your placement teacher before asking approval for your assignment in this company. The company should have at least 20 employees. Also a proof of registration with the local Chamber of Commerce should be presented to the placement teacher. It is NOT allowed to take a placement in a company owned by a close relative or under the supervision of a close relative.
1.4
Placement credits & minimum duration of the placement
You receive 30 ECTS for the placement. The minimum duration of the placement is 20 weeks (effectively working 100 days). Most companies prefer to have students doing a placement for at least five months. Therefore you should start your placement on 1 September. In principle, it is not allowed to take a holiday during your placement. If the company allows it, it is possible to take a maximum of five days off (including illness & school examinations). If the total of five days off is exceeded by circumstances beyond your control you should contact your placement teacher immediately. In that case your placement has to be extended. For claritys sake: participation in exams and/or resits do NOT belong to the above-mentioned circumstances beyond your control!
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1.5
Approval of the Placement
The placement coordinator and placement committee IBMS will approve or reject a placement on the basis of the extensive placement action plan prepared by the student. In this plan, the student will demonstrate his compliance with the entry-level requirements applicable for the placement, he will use a workplace scan to show that the placement has sufficient learning potential for him and a competency development plan to show how he will achieve the level required as well as the learning objectives that he has formulated for himself. The placement action plan will also contain an initiative paper on the in-depth assignment. The different elements of the placement action plan will be described below. a. Compliance with the Entry Level Requirements The student must have completed first year modules (60 Ects) and attained at least 30 Ects in the Year 2 before the start of his work placement and all credits for the subject Business Communications (BCN) in Years 1 and 2.
b. The Workplace Scan Three objectives underlie the workplace scan (see Addendum 1): 1) Placement selection The primary objective of the workplace scan is to establish whether a company can offer a student the learning potential necessary for him to achieve the level required by his programme. 2) In-depth familiarisation with the placement The student will carry out a workplace scan. By doing this, he will familiarise himself in detail with the placement, the placement company and the work that he would do there. 3) Qualitative information for the placement company It will not be possible to do the workplace scan without the cooperation of the placement company. By cooperating in the workplace scan, the potential placement company gains a detailed overview of what the IBMS programme can expect of a placement organisation. If an organisation is not willing to cooperate in the workplace scan it will automatically be regarded as an organisation that would not be a suitable placement organisation. A placement company will be approved if it meets the following criteria: The company should preferably be based outside the students home country The company should have a minimum of 8 10 full-time employees The company must have a fixed location The company must be registered with local authorities or the chamber of commerce The company must have a website and its own e-mail addresses The company mentor/supervisor should not be family or a relative. Practical matters such as payment, supervision, confidentiality clauses, etc. are laid down in an internship agreement. The company must provide the student with a workplace (desk and computer, etc.) The company must provide a suitable induction and training programme The area of activity applicable for the company must be linked to an IBMS subject area, such as marketing, finance, HRM, international operations or logistics, etc. The tasks and duties must be at the level required of a graduate from a university of applied sciences, i.e. varied workload, increasing responsibility and independence, room to develop initiative, the expectation that the student will take responsibility for his work.
If a student decides to do a placement abroad (outside his home country, he will not be visited by his placement supervisor). Instead of this, the student could be asked to provide his supervisor with a number of documents. These documents could include those indicated below: An extract from the chamber of commerce Photos of the students company and workplace
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A video of the students placement company, or the student could be asked to participate in a video conference (Skype).
A workplace scan must always be carried out, regardless of whether the potential placement company is established in the Netherlands or abroad. It will be up to the student to decide how he will collect the information he needs for the workplace scan. He could visit the potential placement company and interview people face-to-face, but he could also interview his envisaged company tutor and other members of staff by telephone or e-mail. He could also study annual reports and websites, etc. The location of the potential placement company will not influence the decision on whether or not a workplace scan should be carried out. The workplace scan that the student does will result in a report in which the student concisely and objectively describes the placement company envisaged, the workplace where the student will do his placement, the tasks and activities that he will be expected to do and the connection between these tasks and activities and the competency chart for the programme (the supervision that the student can expect from the placement company and the possibilities that the placement organisation offers for further development). c. Approval by the Placement Coordinator IBMS To summarise, a placement application will be approved by the placement coordinator and placement committee IBMS if the placement action plan submitted complies with the following requirements: Evidenced by 60 ects for Year 1, 30 ects in Year 2, all ects for BCN, Years 1 and 2 Placement scan
The student has complied with the placement thresholds applicable for a placement in Semester 3 of Year 3
The placement company has sufficient learning potential for the student to be able to attain competencies at educated for the profession level
d. The Placement Agreement Once the IBMS Examinations Board and the coordinator have approved the placement action plan produced by the student, a placement supervisor will be allocated and formal agreements can be made between the parties. Three parties are involved in these agreements: the student (placement student), the placement organisation and the programme for which the student is enrolled.
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2.
Supervision
The activities undertaken by the placement student will be characterised by self-responsibility and independence for a period of at least 20 weeks. During this period, the student will work continually on the in-depth assignment, on the attainment of the competencies at the educated for the profession level, on familiarising himself with working in professional practice, on establishing a link between professional practice and the knowledge, skills and attitude gained at school and on establishing the documentary evidence to be included in the digital portfolio, the last of which he will largely do himself. The student will receive supervision for all of these activities. Placement supervision will be discussed in this section: which object underlies this supervision, what form will supervision take and who plays a role in supervision activities. 2.1 Objectives for Supervision To support the selection process The student will need to make choices when preparing for the placement, during the placement and when rounding off the placement. These choices will include which placement organisation to choose, how to work on the various competencies at the placement organisation and the documentary evidence that the placement student will select to substantiate his competency development. To contribute to an awareness of placement objectives and competency development Competency development is key to the placement. As such, it will be important for the student to gain a grasp of the term competencies and how they play a role during the placement period and when working towards graduation. It will also be vital for the placement to promote an awareness in the student of the progress he is making in relation to the attainment of the placement objectives and competency development. To support the student if he encounters problems or has substantive questions. Supervision
2.2
During the placement, the student will be supervised by a company tutor (from the placement company) and a placement supervisor (lecturer/expert). 2.2.1 The Placement Supervisor
The placement supervisor is allocated to the student as a study coach during the placement and will provide the student with support, advise him on content-related issues and monitor the progress being achieved with the placement as a whole on a regular basis. Because of this, it will be essential for the student to keep his placement supervisor up-to-date. The placement supervisor will also contact the company tutor and visit the company at least once to discuss the progress being made. Where the placement company is situated outside the Netherlands, contact is established and maintained by email and/or telephone. 2.2.2 The Company Tutor
The company tutor will help the student to familiarise himself with the placement organisation, taking the student under his wing as it were. The company tutor is the first point of contact for the student (and for the programme) at the placement company and is the person with whom the student makes agreements on working hours and time off, etc. During the placement, the company tutor will have regular feedback meetings with the student, in which they will discuss the nature of the work, the working pace, the observation of company regulations and interaction with colleagues, etc. The student will also be able to approach the company tutor with content-related questions, which he will do subject to the agreements made with the company tutor. The company tutor will be the prime example of a professional for the student and, as such, the person from whom the student can learn the most directly. Added to this, the role played by the company tutor will be crucial to the success of the placement. The company tutor must be able to:
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speak, write and understand English; conduct an interview with the student on the tasks, duties, assignments and project; welcome and introduce the student to the organisation and his colleagues; provide a suitable induction and training programme; organise periodic progress meetings with the student on the placement assignment or research and on the quality of the students communication within the organisation; assess the students performance; plan meetings with the placement supervisor to discuss the progress being made by the student.
2.3
Placement Abroad
It will be important for the student to ensure that he has had the opportunity to familiarise himself with his placement supervisor properly before leaving the country to do a placement abroad. In the first four weeks of the placement in particular, his contact with the placement supervisor must take place 1 weekly, by telephone . Telephone contact makes it possible to ask for clarification straight away, the discussion partners can familiarise themselves with each others style of communication and underlying feelings become clearer. After the first four weeks, the placement supervisor and the student can agree on how often they will communicate and how. It is advisable for contact to take place at least once every four weeks via logbooks. The company tutor will participate in this communication at least once.
PLACEMENT CO-ORDINATOR IBMS HES BUILDING KRALINGSE ZOOM Mrs. e-mail N.J.P.M.Barendswaard(Nathalie) 010 7946259(direct) N.J.P.M.Loos@hr.nl 010 7946001
ROOM W1.112
Telephone contact can also be defined as contact via webcam. Direct verbal contact is important.
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3. 3.1
PROCEDURE Placement information meeting
In March/April 2012 there will be a placement information meeting for second year students. During this meeting IBMS placement teachers will be present.
3.2
Registration form placement
You are requested to complete the Registration Form Placement (see Annex A). Only typewritten forms will be accepted. Together with the Registration Form Placement, a high-quality Curriculum Vitae and letter of application should be handed in. For information on how to produce a high-quality CV (see paragraph 3.10). You are also referred to the Business Communication Classes (BCN). The deadline for handing in your Registration Form Placement (with PHOTO) in duplicate, CV and letter of application is 1 May 2012. You hand these to your SC coach. Make an appointment with your study & career coach for an intake interview
3.3 Intake interview During the intake interview your plans and wishes will be discussed. Bring all relevant documents, such as lists of company names and addresses.
3.4 What to do when you have found a placement You should inform your study & career coach immediately once you secure a placement. Ask the organization offering you a placement to confirm this placement in writing and to give a clear and complete description of your assignment to avoid uncertainties on both sides. As soon as you have received this confirmation, you must complete the so-called Description Assignment and Liability Form (see Annex B) and Placement Scan. This form also must be typewritten. Once Annex B and Placement Scan is signed by your SC coach you hand in the required document to the Placement Coordinator IBMS. Within 5 working days your will receive your placement approval from the Placement Coordinator IBMS. Your placement will not be approved if the description of your placement assignment is vague (not detailed enough). After approval you have to hand the form in duplicate to your coach. A placement is only valid when approved by Placement Coordinator before the start of your placement. If you start your placement without approval, you will not receive credits for it. Do not forget to sign the form yourself at the bottom.
All other applications and/or interviews must be cancelled immediately. Once you have made the decision to accept a placement, either verbally or in writing, it is not acceptable to reverse the decision. In the event that any student is found doing so, the placement office will not support any further application efforts from the student. The main reason for this is that the organization is not likely to consider Rotterdam Business School students on future occasions and the schools reputation may be damaged. You must act in a professional manner at all times.
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As soon as you have handed in a copy of your approved Description Assignment and Liability form (Annex B) and Placement Scan, you will receive the supervisor folder. This folder contains the following information: A. B. C. D. E. A letter with the necessary information about the procedure required from school. Information regarding Evaluation Assignment(s). The IBMS brochure. The trainee brochure.
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4.
HOW TO FIND A PLACEMENT
In this chapter a description of the professional field and professional profile of IBMS graduates will be given first. This is done to give an impression of what your future can be like and, more importantly, how you can and should use your placement to work towards the level given below. 4.1 Professional field of IBMS graduates
The professional field of an IBMS graduate is both broad and international. In practice, this means that the activities will constantly involve international contacts demanding special knowledge and skills in various fields, such as intercultural relations and international trade. Flexibility and adaptability are core elements of his/her activities. Every assignment will be different, and reliability, empathy and power of persuasion to co-operate with experts from various disciplines will have to be used. Wide knowledge of organization, management, commerce, and business administration make him/her a professional negotiator at management level, both internally and externally. The IBMS graduate has career potential. He/she will often start in one of the companys positions and will then rise to a more general, team-leading management position. In the run-up to a more general management position, the IBMS graduate will work in various departments, where the integrated knowledge of finance, marketing, logistics, organization and management will be applied. As a beginning professional, the IBMS graduate feels at home in international business environments. This requires qualities such as independence and perseverance. He/she will realize that his/her professional education provides only a basis for solving the problems encountered in practice. In the day-to-day activities, the IBMS graduate makes use of his/her wide knowledge of management issues, especially in the fields of international financial markets, marketing and sales, management, social and trade policy, and organization. 4.2 Professional profile
The IBMS graduate has an excellent command of English and is able to build up and maintain an extensive international network. In his/her function, he/she is able to grow to management level. He/she has the right professional attitude and sufficient cognitive, socio-communicative and strategic knowledge and skills to perform at a high-quality service level. Reliability, empathy, adaptive skills and correct manners characterize IBMS graduates. They are also stress-resistant, have analytical and problem-solving skills and know when to call in outside experts. The characteristic responsibilities and expertise of experienced IBMS graduates are: the international strategic policy of their firm: its preparation, implementation and assessment; corporate planning: its evaluation concerning international regulations, legal aspects, and case law; definition and management of international purchasing and sales processes; international marketing and sales: development of proposals and the preparation, design and execution of international market surveys; international finance: financial analysis and problem solving; specification of the organizations ICT requirements. An IBMS graduate is aware of the most recent social and political developments of the principal trade partners of the Netherlands. He/she makes use of all the relevant national and international media, including Internet. Moreover, the basic toolkit of the IBMS graduate will contain the key features of international legislation and regulations, and of management and organization. In addition, he/she has good understanding of international relations. Whatever the specialization (finance, commerce, logistics or organization) he/she can hold his own at an international level. There will be the ability to make balanced decisions within the specialization on the basis of knowledge, skills, discussions and a certain amount of diplomacy. He/she has ample knowledge of and experience with cultural differences between countries in general and intercultural management in particular, which will enable him/her to be a good negotiator at an international level. His/her knowledge and experience are reflected in his/her customer-oriented thinking and actions. His/her management skills are based on being a team player with leadership capacities who motivates and stimulates people to achieve company goals.
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Marketing Management students are being educated to prepare for positions in import, export, sales, publicity, market research. The IBMS graduate in Marketing is able to: Plan and execute international surveys, interpret and explain research data to optimize management decisions. Keep up with international developments, select information and give a clear summary. Prepare the international marketing and sales strategy of the company. Develop and defend a marketing and sales plan. Define and implement sales activities and acquisition and retention processes. Define and implement activities to optimize purchasing and logistic operations. Maintain and extend the international network of the company and play the ambassadors role for the company. Recognize future market opportunities. The placement can serve to prepare for the following positions: account manager: responsible for the marketing management and sales towards big distributors; sales manager: responsible for planning and execution of sales; marketing manager: responsible for planning and control of all marketing activities; product manager: co-ordinates the marketing activities for one specific product; market researcher: advises clients of marketing research offices and carries out research towards the needs of consumers. Finance and Accounting students may be employed in many different sectors, not only financial institutions, but also organizations in the public and private sectors. Potential working areas include administrative services, financial/economic management, budgeting, planning, internal organization, credit provision and investments. The IBMS graduate in Finance & Accounting is able to: To prepare consolidated financial statements for external reporting. To prepare information for decision management and decision control. To assist in the development and implementation of accounting systems. To assist in the planning and monitoring of business performance. To identify and analyze costs. To control expenditures and monitor budgets. To promote growth in the organizations assets. To monitor and maintain the organizations working capital requirements. To contribute to controlling credits and monitoring debt. To evaluate potential investment opportunities. To identify and investigate fraud. To determine the financial status of an organization To advise and co-ordinate the issuance of stocks and bonds. Finance and Accounting students are being educated to become: financial manager: advises the company management on finance and accounting, calculates the consequences of management decisions; controller; investment consultant. The Logistics Management specialization focuses on process management and goods flow management in an international environment. Students who have chosen this specialization, acquire a knowledge of specifically transport-related issues, the creation and development of national and international goods flows, commercial agreements in the transport sector, logistics management and modes of transport. The IBMS graduate in Logistics Management has experience with the following topics: Purchasing logistics and supply chain management. Production logistics and forecasting. Physical distribution, international trade and transportation. Customer relationship management.
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Logistic infrastructures and enterprise resource planning. Strategic management of resources.
Logistics Management students are being educated to become: material manager; manager warehouse; traffic manager, manager transport; stock controller; production planner; logistics consultant.
4.3
Criteria for an IBMS placement
An IBMS student can do his/her placement in multinational, middle-sized or small companies. Students in general have a strong preference for well-known multinationals, so there is a very strong competition for these placements. The fact that a company is well known does not guarantee a good placement experience. Within a small local company a student is often given more responsibility and is given the possibility to get insight into various aspects/departments of the company. A company can offer products or services. It is also possible to do your placement at a government agency or an embassy. The organization can be a profit or non-profit one. It is important to see where your own personal interests and ambition lie and to tune your placement to that. For example, it is possible to do a marketing placement in sports or music, or a financial placement in a hospital. Placements can be divided into three categories: carry out a project yourself; work in a department and in this way gain insight into the activities; a combination of both possibilities. It would be a misapprehension to think that you have a better placement if you are carrying out a project rather than working either wholly or partly in a department. In all the ways mentioned above, you are building up as much experience; it is only the method of doing it that differs. In general, students work in a department and carry out a project for the company by themselves.
4.4
Possible assignments
Marketing Management drawing up a marketing plan; market research (competitors, new product, etc.); assisting in import/export activities; advertising and public relations; organizing conferences, workshops and seminars; assisting account managers; activities in purchasing and sales departments; product development research; analyzing foreign markets; establishing and maintaining international contacts; assisting on (foreign) stock markets. Finance and Accounting research aimed at ensuring a balanced composition of the share portfolio; cost structure research; bookkeeping in small businesses; studying budgeting as a management tool; charting information and goods flows; assisting in the drawing up of a business plan; research into ISO quality standards.
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Logistics Management improving production planning; optimizing the logistical system; analyzing stock control systems; logging all incoming/outgoing loads; introduce the use of logistical indicators; improving logistical performance of suppliers.
4.5
What is expected of the host company / organization
Rotterdam Business School/IBMS expects the following of organizations offering placements: The assignment should be in accordance with the level of education and should be discussed and agreed with the student before the placement starts. Practical matters such as payment, working hours, supervision, confidentiality clauses, etc., are laid down in an internship agreement (a standard internship agreement is available from the placement coordinator on request). Someone in-house has to be appointed as the students placement supervisor. He/she has to give the necessary feedback and act as the primary contact person for the student and for the placement teacher. The student is still in a learning process which means timely guidance and correction are essential. The company mentor/supervisor should not be family or a relative. The student is introduced to the organization at the start of the placement. The company supervisor has to evaluate the students performance on at least two occasions (after two months and at the end of the placement period). The company has to provide a workplace for the student including the necessary facilities such as table, chair, telephone, computer, etc. The student should be involved in various activities; teamwork is important. There should be sufficient possibilities to attend formal and informal talks, for example with colleagues, clients, manager, presence at team meetings. The student should be allowed to work one day a week on his/her placement assignments.
4.6
Company information and addresses
You are expected to try and find a placement for yourself. It is important to look for a placement that matches your interests as closely as possible. Nowadays most companies expect students themselves to take the initiative when obtaining a placement. First of all, but this is probably the most difficult part, you should decide what you want. What kind of company/organization, what kind of assignment, etc. During this orientation you can use the following sources: INTERNET More and more companies present themselves on the Internet. Often you can find the website of a company by typing: www.companyname.nl or www.companyname.com . It is also possible to use a search machine. The Dutch word for placement is stage. A useful search engine is Ask Jeeves (www.aj.com), which will search for you in all major search engines. Just fill in the company name and you will be given a number of matches in various search engines. For information on career orientation and placement opportunities in the following European countries; Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, log on to http://eco.ittralee.ie. VACANCIES IN DUTCH AND FOREIGN NEWSPAPERS By looking at vacancies for HEAOers in (foreign) newspapers you will gain more insight in your future working environment. MEMORY MAGAZINE
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This (Dutch) magazine, which is published six times a year and available near the reception desk in the HES Kralingse Zoom-building, gives useful information and articles for HEAO-students and graduates. SENIOR STUDENTS It speaks for itself that senior students, who already have done a placement, are a source of information. INTERNATIONAL OFFICE The International Office of Rotterdam University (room Z2.005) at the Kralingse Zoom has contact details of companies outside the Netherlands. These companies have had students from RBS or another economic department of Rotterdam University in the past Bureau External Affairs Offers for placements that come in are published on HINT and in the window of their office: W0.110. Students interested in a placement can contact them at BEB-RBS@hro.nl LIBRARY In the company archives of the HES-library at the Kralingse Zoom you can find annual reports of a lot of companies in the Netherlands. You can also find the Intermediair Jaarboek and Nobiles Economengids with more information about career opportunities - and so also placement opportunities - for HEAO-students. The HES-library has different directories for addresses of companies in the Netherlands and abroad, e.g. Europages, Yellow Pages, Kompass and CD-ROM REACH with an extensive company file. For information which is not available at HES the staff of the library will refer you to other authorities. CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE RELATIVES AND ACQUAINTANCES Past experiences have shown that talking to relatives, friends or friends of your parents is the most effective way to secure a placement.
4.7
Finding a placement
Nowadays most companies expect students to take the initiative when obtaining a placement. Therefore, the procedure for obtaining a placement is comparable to that of the job application procedure, so that you are building up useful experience in this area. By adopting responsibility for your application activities you will be in a strong position for getting a placement well suited to your requirements. To obtain a placement which satisfies your preferences in terms of location and career path you must be pro-active in your search. Students are expected to be flexible when choosing which placements to apply for, particularly with regards to geographical location. Students who have specific preferences and are inflexible can find it difficult to secure a placement. In being too selective, you can miss the opportunity of applying for very rewarding jobs. It is also possible to be selected for a placement offered through Rotterdam Business School, but you should not depend on that too much. Frequent contact with your study & career coach is essential and can lead to you securing a placement early in the year. The study & career coach will assist you in your placement search and serves the purpose of securing high-quality placements. You can expect support in the application process, in choosing between companies and assignments. In return you are expected to give regular feedback to your study & career coach. The better your study & career coach knows you and gets feedback from you (in person, through email or by phone), the easier it is for him/her to coach you in finding a high-quality placement. Should you want a foreign placement, think carefully beforehand about the consequences, such as: getting a visa for certain countries can be a long and often difficult process; financial consequences; language problems have a negative effect on the level of the assignment;
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You are expected to develop activities to find a placement yourself, such as: 1. choose companies which match your interests; 2. inquire by telephone for placement possibilities; 3. writing application letters; 4. inquire for placement possibilities through private contacts, which is a very effective way. Frequent contact with your Study & Career Coach (in person, through email or by phone) is essential. Your Study & Career Coach can support and advise you in the application process, in choosing between companies and assignments. Sometimes companies want to talk to somebody of the school to have some more information. In that case you can encourage them to contact the placement coordinator, Nathalie Barendswaard, by giving them the telephone number and email address of the placement coordinator. Please note: it is NOT allowed to take a placement in a company owned by a close relative or under the supervision of a close relative, who may influence the assessment. It is not easy to find a placement, so you should take into consideration that you will receive rejections to your applications. Even invitations to interviews do not mean automatically the company will offer you a placement. It is important to persevere after these rejections and keep in mind that you are not the only one who receives rejections. Contact your Study & Career Coach in time to see if you should change your method of application. The placement office has a limited number of placements at its disposal. Companies that offer placements through the placement office expect the placement office to be responsible for either the selection for these positions or at least a first selection (which means that companies then invite three students for an interview). In this case, it should be obvious that those suitable candidates who have themselves expended more effort will be given precedence over those who have done nothing or hardly anything. The student must inform the placement coordinator immediately of how the interview went and whether he/she got a placement or not. The placement coordinator cannot guarantee a place.
4.8
Application letters
A letter of application is an accompaniment to a CV. The purpose of the letter is to introduce you to the reader and stimulate interest in your application. Keep your letter of application to one side. One side of A4 is not a lot of space to give the information employers need to select applicants, so effective use of positive wording is vital. The following guidelines are to help you structure your letter: Paragraph 1: Paragraph 2: Identify the position you are applying for and how you came to be aware of the vacancy. Also state your course and year of study. Draw attention to relevant aspects of your education, work experience, skills and qualities contained with your CV and state how these qualify you for the position. Highlight any other relevant information and identify why you are attracted to working for that particular organization. This paragraph is particularly useful for demonstrating your research and knowledge of the company. Briefly mention availability for interviews and specify dates when interviews are not practical, for example exam dates.
Paragraph 3:
Paragraph 4:
Before you write to a particular company, try to find out to whom you should send your letter. A letter addressed to a person may be read more carefully than a general letter addressed to Dear Sir/Madam. Also make sure that your letter is immaculate, both in appearance and language. Ask your BCN lecturer to have a critical look at it. If you do not have a reaction to your letter of application within two weeks, you should contact the company to see whether they received your letter and that you would like to have an answer. This follow-up call is very important, companies might be interested in you but they wait until you take the initiative because this shows you are really interested in their company.
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4.9
The Curriculum Vitae
A CV is a personal history of your academic success, personal achievements and employment experience. It is also a personal advertisement, which should be clear, concise and positive. It is no longer sufficient for your CV to simply be a list of exam grades and other information, which says nothing in particular about you as a person. CVs are now regarded as a personal advertisement and must be highly individual and attention-grabbing. It is also advisable to target your CV to each vacancy. This can be applied to the layout, emphasis on particular skills and the vocabulary used. A standard CV designed for all applications has less potential for stimulating interest, and initial interest in your application is what you want to achieve. The screening of applications can be boring and CVs are only looked at for an average of thirty seconds. It is possible to avoid producing a boring CV by taking note of the following points: Demonstrate your communication skills throughout your CV by captivating the readers attention. The CV does not have to include every detail of your life to date. It should provide the reader with enough information to create a desire to find out more about you by projecting images of achievement and potential. In using your CV as a means of persuading the selector to invite you for an interview, it is essential to avoid negative vocabulary.
CVs are quite often the first point of contact with any organization that may offer placements. It is the one chance you have to convince them that you possess the education and experience, skills and qualities to be of benefit to them. Placements are very difficult to find, therefore it is vital that you take time to compose a good CV. If your CV is not of a high standard, you may find that you are not offered the opportunity to discuss your placement requirements further in an interview. 4.9.1 CV structure
All CVs should start with personal details. This includes name, address, telephone-number, email address, date of birth, place of birth (and country), marital status. You may also decide to include a personal statement at the beginning, giving information about your personality and/or career aspirations. Educational achievement should begin with the most recent study first and should outline the qualifications gained and the institution at which you studied. Your current degree studies should be included, outlining modules studied. Employment history should include paid or unpaid work, both full-time and part-time, national service and any other relevant work experience. Again, you should start with the most recent working experience and state the job title, the name of the organization and the town/city (and country) in which they are based. You should outline the skills that you developed whilst working, as organizations are interested in skills which are transferable, e.g. communication, teamwork, time management etc. Additional information is the final category within a CV. You can start with language skills and computer skills and you can include any other information that you feel relevant and that is an opportunity to show other details about yourself (remember, organizations want placement students to be more than economic units and this is the opportunity to personalize your CV). You should include your hobbies and interests, membership of clubs, societies, professional organizations, sporting achievements or anything that you feel will help the employer to get an overall picture of you. You can end this section with the inclusion of two referees. You must ask the referees permission prior to using their name, as they may not appreciate you using them without their consent. 4.9.2 CVs Dos and donts
This list of dos and donts may be obvious to some and enlightening to others. You can check your completed CV against the following: Is it neat, tidy and presentable? Word processed on two sheets max of A4 paper is best.
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Does it include all relevant information, as mentioned previously? Make sure your CV is complete, with all relevant information given. Have you highlighted transferable skills that would be useful to an employer? Is your CV current, with all recent information included? Make sure you keep a copy for yourself for reference. Have you checked your CV for spelling, grammar, punctuation etc? Ask other people to look over it as they might spot something that you missed. Have you sold yourself adequately, i.e. does your CV represent your achievements and not your shortcomings? Is your CV concise and easy to read? This will create a favorable impression. Is your CV an honest reflection of yourself? You may need to discuss its contents at the interview and expand on the information given. Interviews
4.10
It is becoming increasingly common for the selection process to invite students for an interview before a placement is offered. The purpose of an interview is to allow the interviewee to demonstrate his/her skills and personality. It is vital to prepare for an interview: research the company and their market through sources such as the Internet, brochures provided by the company (you can phone them to ask to send you information about the company), the placement office (if there has been a student before, you can read the placement report); be clear about why you are interested generally in undertaking a placement, what appeals to you about their particular organization and why you have applied for the position you are being interviewed for; consider the skills required for the job and whether these match the skills you can offer the organization; familiarize yourself with your own CV, or with a copy of the application form you submitted, as you will probably be asked about your application; prepare your own questions, as you will probably be invited to ask some at the end of the interview. First impressions count. Ensure you look professional and arrive in good time. When meeting people be polite, confident and do not forget to shake their hand. Try to relax, sit back in an upright posture as this looks professional and helps you to breathe properly, thus reducing tension. You can come to the placement office to get a list of typical interview questions and thus be better prepared for the interview because you have been thinking about a lot of things before the interview. After the interview you should consider how the interview went. If there is the possibility of being invited to attend a second interview, you should make notes of key points raised and any issues you would like more information about. If, at the end of the interview, you have no desire to work for the organization, it is best to take some time to consider your next move. If your decision is a definite no, you should contact the organization to cancel your application, whilst thanking them for the opportunity. In such situations, it is best to seek advice from the placement office before acting. At the end of the interview you should always make agreements with the company when they will let you know if they are going to offer you a placement.
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5. DURING THE PLACEMENT 5.1 Obligations to the school during the placement We would like to be kept informed about your work and whereabouts. Therefore, you are required to report back regularly. Please inform your placement teacher about any changes during your placement period (address, duration of the placement, assignment, illness etc.). Students will be held responsible for submitting all the required reports and evaluations in time. Noncompliance with the deadlines mentioned below will have effect on your final placement grade. 5.2 Addresses Form and Short Report Within two weeks you have to send in the Addresses form (see Annex C) in duplicate + a route description for the visiting IBMS representative. If you carry out your work at an address different from the one mentioned on the Addresses form, please mention this as well. At the same time you have to send the short report. The short report should consist of two A4-pages describing the following: concise description of the organization (history, objective, product, culture) your place in the organization (description & organization chart) nature of the assignment and how you are going to tackle it Do not forget to mention your name, student ID-number, your IBMS class, your placement period, the name of your placement teacher and the name of the company on the first page. The report has to be signed for approval by your company supervisor. 5.3 Placement Assignments (see Annex D) During your placement you will have to complete different placement assignments, see Annex D. Assignment 1: You have to choose 1 assignment out of the 5 mentioned below (Management & Organisation, Entrepreneurship, Communication, Social and Communicative skills or Marketing) Assignment 2: Self reflection, is for every student at the end of their placement. The assignments can be done by analyzing written material and / or by means of in-company observation. Interviews with those who work in the departments concerned can also be an effective way to gather information. Assignment 3: Placement report. After your placement you also have to write a placement report regarding your position, tasks, activities, etc. (min. 1500 words, max. 2500 words) The assignments can be seen as an internal analysis of the placement company/organization. By completing the assignments you should get an in depth insight into the company/organization. You should start with the assignments right from the start because it will help you understand the way of working in the company/organization. These assignments have to be written in the English language and have to be signed by your company mentor/supervisor. The assignments are also meant to achieve a closer contact between the student and the RBS/IBMS and to evaluate the developments during the placement period more intensively. Dates of submission: Within two weeks: After two months: End of placement
Short report st 1 Assignment nd rd 2 Assignment and 3 assignment Self reflection, Placement report & a final version of your assignment.
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5.4 First Company Evaluation After the first two months of your placement ask your supervisor to fill in the first company evaluation and to discuss it with you. You should send the original to your placement teacher (keep copies for yourself!). In the forms the following aspects will be evaluated: knowledge and practical skills, e.g. your insight into the assignment and organization, theoretical knowledge, written and oral expression, command of foreign languages, computer skills; professional attitude, social and communicative skills, e.g. your initiative, independence, feedback, involvement, responsibility, adaptation, handling of conflicts with colleagues/supervisors, your attitude and personality; other points, e.g. which are your strong points, what needs to be improved.
Do not forget to complete the form by filling out your name, student ID-number, placement teacher and IBMS class in the right hand corner. 5.5 Final Company Evaluation At the end of your placement period ask your supervisor to fill in the final company evaluation. Have him discuss it with you and bring the original to your placement teacher together with the placement report. 5.6 Final Placement Report At the end of your placement period you have to hand in a final placement report. The deadline for submission is 1 April 2013. The placement report is for internal purposes of the Placement Office only. The final placement report includes the placement assignments (see Annex D). Other reports, written for the placement company/organization may be added as appendices. The placement report has to be signed for approval by your company supervisor. 5.7 Support from Rotterdam Business School / IBMS The general co-ordination of IBMS placements rests with Mrs. Nathalie Barendswaard, team coordinator IBMS placements. If you have questions and you cannot find the answers in this placement handbook or if there are problems you can always contact her by phone or by email. For subject-related questions you should turn to the IBMS teachers. During the placement there will be different moments of contact with your placement teacher: Once your placement teacher has received your short report he/she will contact you to discuss your placement; On receipt of the first company evaluation your placement teacher will contact the student and the supervisor; Students doing their placement in the Netherlands will be visited by their placement teacher or an IBMS representative halfway through the placement period. The purpose of this visit is to get an impression of your placement and to get acquainted with the company. Students doing their placement outside the Netherlands will be visited if possible; If you or your supervisor have any questions during the placement, you both may always call or e-mail the placement coordinator or the placement teacher. 5.8 What if the placement is disappointing In the first place it should be emphasized that a placement period is a personal experience. The placement teacher acts as an intermediary, gives information, follows developments and gives a final evaluation, but making a success of your placement period will be your job. You may find that: you do not get enough opportunity to apply the theory; you have to do work that is too difficult for you;
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you have to do very simple work for too long a time; the atmosphere is not what you had expected.
First of all you should realize that also in a working situation less pleasant things may happen and that it is not always possible to use all your knowledge in practice. In these cases you have to initiate action to try whether and to what extent you can change the situation by e.g.: acquiring more theoretical knowledge (books, professional literature, asking your IBMS teacher); talking to your supervisor in the company so that you may be able to solve the problem together; If your problem cannot be solved this way, contact your placement teacher or the placement coordinator at school. If you have problems with your placement, your supervisor usually has them too. Discuss your problems, as you are still in a learning process. In all cases, do not wait but take action yourself and contact your placement teacher or the placement coordinator in time.
5.9 Non-attendance The minimum duration of your placement is 20 weeks. The following rules apply to non-attendance: Illness: If you get ill you must inform your company in accordance with their internal rules. If you should be ill for more than five days, or if you are frequently absent for shorter periods because of illness, your placement coordinator should be informed. This may lead to prolongation of your placement period. Leave: Taking days off is restricted to the following: regardless of the number of days-off granted by the placement company, not more than five days may be taken in a four months placement period. Moreover, this should always be in consultation with your supervisor. If the total of five days off is exceeded by circumstances beyond your control you should contact your placement teacher immediately. In that case your placement has to be extended. N.B. Taking examinations is to be included in the five days. It goes without saying that normal school holidays do not apply.
5.10
Correspondence
If you change your address temporarily during your placement period, please inform Studielink. Students will get their correspondence at the address recorded in the student administration at the school (not the placement office). You can change your address on www.studielink.nl. See to it that relevant information gets to you in time. You can log in to your school e-mail (web mail) anywhere in the world. Go to www.RotterdamBusinessSchool.nl, , web mail. Log in with username: (studentnumber) and your regular Hogeschool password. Do not forget to inform STUDIELINK about address changes once you have finished your placement. 5.11 Finding a topic for your thesis
IBMS students have to write a thesis in the final semester (semester eight). A good thesis should aim to provide a workable and practical solution to a business problem. Ideally, it will combine both the practical with the theoretical, backed by empirical evidence. Researching and writing a thesis is an important element of the IBMS programs. It is the way in which you will show your ability to present your ideas coherently, in a well-organized manner, through clear
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analysis and concise discussion. It is advisable for third year students to start thinking about a thesis topic during the placement and already start gathering information. More information about writing your thesis will be given at the start of semester eight. For subjectrelated questions regarding your topic you can contact one of the IBMS teachers (e.g. for marketingrelated topics contact one of the marketing teachers, for finance-related questions contact one of the finance teachers etc.).
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6.
ASSESSMENT
The final assessment of the placement is done by IBMS. The following aspects will be taken into consideration: quality of the placement assignments first and final company evaluation achievement of learning objectives argumentation presentation of the reports dealing with deadlines
For information about the company evaluation you are referred to 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6. For more information about the placement report, see 5.6. The placement period will be evaluated with an insufficient, sufficient, good or excellent grade. You will be informed by your placement teacher if your final placement grade is insufficient. In this case you have to do a new placement or an additional placement assignment. The educational manager of IBMS, Mr L.R. Klienbannink will decide what has to be done. It is necessary to have a sufficient grade for your placement to graduate from Rotterdam Business School/IBMS (see Examination Regulations).
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7.
FORMALITIES
7.1 Placement agreement / contract In a placement agreement, the rights and duties during the placement period are laid down between the student and the company (and sometimes Rotterdam Business School/IBMS). The company granting the placement often submits this for signature. Never sign this without consideration. Always read it properly. Should it contain anything, to which you do not agree, or if it is not completely clear what is meant, ask the company or your placement coordinator for more clarification. A standard placement agreement / contract is available in Dutch and English in the Netwerkmappen of Rotterdam Business School/IBMS. Remember that a placement agreement signed by you also creates obligations. Always keep a copy of the agreement for yourself. The placement agreement contains among other things: the description of the assignment the placement period (start & end) the remuneration (also see 6.2) confidentiality termination of the placement agreement
7.2 Financial compensation during the placement Financial compensation is arranged individually between the student and the company. In the Netherlands, a frequently occurring average placement payment is 300.00 gross per month. Considering the scarceness of good placement possibilities in the Netherlands for non-Dutch speaking students, you are advised to accept lower wages. Should an OV-jaarkaart (public transport card for students) not be available to you, mention this to the company. Perhaps the company will pay your travel costs.
7.3 Citizen Service Number - Burger Service Nummer / BSN (old Social-fiscal number) A BSN (short for BurgerServiceNummer) is a general unique registrationnumber for every citizen and is to be used in contact with any government service. You receive your BSN when you are registered with your local municipality (GBA). When you receive the confirmation from your local municipality that you have been succesfully registered in the GBA you will also find your BSN number in this letter. The BSN replaces the old sofi-number, a unique personal number which the Dutch tax and customs administration (Belastingdienst) used to identify registered taxpayers. Other people may also ask you for your BSN-number. For example, your employer, benefit provider, bank or insurance company may also need to know your BSN-number. This is because they are required by law to provide the tax and customs administration with any information that may be relevant to your tax situation.
7.4 Work permit Since 1 November 2006 students with a non-EU nationality do not need a work permit anymore for their placement in a company in the Netherlands. However, It is compulsory to use the standard placement contract which can be found in Netwerkmappen in the folder Placement.
7.5 Visa Students doing their placement outside the Netherlands should check with their placement coordinator if they need a visa and/or work permit. Start early in the semester because the application procedure for a visa for certain countries can be a long and often difficult process. The expenses are for your own account.
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7.6 Insurance You are responsible for your own insurance. Check your insurance package, especially if you go abroad, and see to it that the following risks are covered adequately: illness, accident, legal aid and liability. Students are advised to take out their own third-party insurance. If you are going abroad, you should also bear in mind extraordinary expenses such as transport and presence of relatives in the case of illness, and, of course, your luggage.
7.7 Scholarship To see if you are eligible for a scholarship please turn to the International Office (room Z2.005). Note: Closing dates: 1 May for the Fall semester 15 November for the Spring semester
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APPENDICES
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ANNEX A
This form must be typewritten!
PHOTO
REGISTRATION FORM PLACEMENT 2

nd
year group: RBS11IBMS.
student number:...................
Surname and initials: First names: Date and place of birth: Nationality: For NON-EU nationalities; residence permit valid: Yes / No (strike out where not applicable) Would you like to do your placement in the Netherlands ? Yes / No (strike out where not applicable) Preference foreign country : 1) Students current address: Town and Postal Code: Telephone number: Mobile number: E-mail address: Parents address: Town and Postal Code: Country: Telephone number (include country code): E-mail address (if any): Language skills Oral Dutch English What would you like to do during your placement (e.g. assignment, department, company, country) ? Why ? Written Modules completed/grades 2) from till
How are you going to arrange your placement ? / What have you done so far?
Signature: Hand in this form (2x) to your SC coach
Rotterdam, (date)...
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ANNEX B
2
nd
year group: RBS11IBMS.
student number:...................
Surname and initials:

SC COACH :
DESCRIPTION ASSIGNMENT and LIABILITY

This form must be typewritten, signed by your Study & Career Coach and then handed to Mrs Nathalie Barendswaard, placement co-ordinator, in duplicate. Company address Name (complete) : Business/ product : Address Postal code/city Country Tel. number : : : : P.O. Box : Postal code (P.O. Box)/city : Country : :
Fax number
Name of company's contact person for placements (full name, Ms, Mrs or Mr, any titles) : Position : Name of company's placement supervisor (full name, Ms, Mrs or Mr, any titles) : Position : Detailed description of work/assignment during placement : Telephone (business) : e-mail: Telephone (business) : e-mail:
(see placement scan)

Only hand in your annex B together with placement scan
Placement period (exact dates) from:
till:
(minimum 20 weeks)
The Study & Career Coach hereby declares that the above mentioned assignment is suitable for a placement. Study & Career Coach IBMS: (Signature) Date:
The undersigned (I) hereby declare(s) that 1. Within the company where I will carry out my placement period there are no relatives or acquaintances of any kind who may in any way influence my assessment. 2. I am acquainted with the fact that I will be responsible myself for all requirements demanded by the authorities or the placement company or firm for the fulfilment of this placement period. Among these requirements are: acquiring visa, travelling documents and work permit. I recognize that Hogeschool Rotterdam shall not be liable in this respect. 3. I am acquainted with the fact that I have been informed of the necessity to take out insurance for the risks connected with or deriving from doing placement work, in particular risks like medical expenses, liability, (prolonged) incapacity for work and disability. 4. I accept that Hogeschool Rotterdam shall not be liable for any risks deriving from the placement period.
Student (Signature) :
Date :
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ANNEX C
3 year group: RBS11IBMS. Surname and initials:
Placement supervisor:
rd
student number:...................
ADDRESSES
This form must be typewritten and in duplicate handed in to the placement coordinator not later than two weeks after the beginning of the placement period. Students abroad may also fax this form to prevent late arrival. Students address Home address Postal code/city Telephone : : : Country e-mail : :
Address during placement : Postal code/city Telephone : : Country e-mail : :
Company address (for visit) Name of company/organisation *: Address (not P.O. Box): Postal code / city : Telephone : (including dialling code) Country :
Fax number : (including dialling code)
Name of company's placement supervisor(full name, Ms, Mrs or Mr, any titles) :
Position : Telephone (business) : e-mail : Name of companys contact person for placements (full name, Ms, Mrs or Mr, any titles):
Position: Telephone (business): e-mail:
Actual period of placement (exact dates) // till ././
Date:
Signature student:
*) if you carry out your work at another address, you should inform your placement teacher
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ANNEX D Workplace Scan for the Placement (must be handed in together with Annex B) 1. Data on the Placement Company - Name - Address (visiting and postal) - Telephone - Website 2. Information about the Organisation a) External characteristics - Sector (sector characteristics, developments in the sector) - Core business (what kind of product or service does the organisation produce? How and for whom does it produce its product or service? Unique selling point) - Mission statement and vision - Area of activity (regional, national, international) - Image b) Internal characteristics - Size (number of employees (local, regional, national, international), number of branches (regional, national, international)) - Structure (organogram for the organisation as a whole (departments and business units) 3. Information about the Workplace a) The department - Activities and tasks (what does the department do?) - Place of the department in the overall organisation - Organisation of the department (organogram showing positions) - Working hours b) Supervision - How much time for supervision - The frequency of supervision - Company coach: o Name o Position o Field o Level of education o Involvement in the learning process of the student o Experience of (placement) supervision c) Relevance of the workplace for the programme for which the student is enrolled.
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4. Information about the Position a) Daily (routine) activities and tasks - Implementation, preparation, support, policy-decision related activities and tasks? - Extent of independence - Responsibilities - Powers - Connection with programme competencies at the educated for the profession level b) Project-based activities and tasks - Implementation, preparation, support, policy-decision related activities and tasks? - Role in project - Extent of independence - Responsibilities - Project team c) Extent to which the educated for the profession level applies d) Results expected of the student (professional products) - General criteria to be met by the results (for example: what must the client be able to do with the result? Which objective must it be possible to achieve on the basis of the results?) e) Functional meetings - Organised or informal - Frequency - Participants - Type of content (operational, tactical, strategic, brainstorming, etc.) 5. Development Possibilities for the Student a) Possibility to develop the competencies further and/or broaden them b) Possibility to take a look outside the department c) Possibility to do an in-depth assignment (with research) within the organisation d) Possibility to have his first experience of the level required of a professional at the start of his career 6. Special Details 7. Conclusion Arrived at by the Student on the Suitability of the Placement
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ANNEX E
PLACEMENT ASSIGNMENTS
During your placement you will have to work out the following placement assignments: Assignment 1: You have to choose 1 assignment out of the 5 mentioned below (Management & Organisation, Entrepreneurship, Communication, Social and Communicative skills or Marketing) Assignment 2: Self reflection, is for every student at the end of their placement. The assignments can be done by analyzing written material and / or by means of in-company observation. Interviews with those who work in the departments concerned can also be an effective way to gather information. Assignment 3: Placement report. After your placement you also have to write a placement report regarding your position, tasks, activities, etc. (min. 1500 words, max. 2500 words)
Assignment 1 You have to have to choose one assignment out of five 1. Management & organization Learning objective: to obtain and apply understanding of management- and organization processes of the company/organization by means of a written analysis of a couple of business processes and the students/interns position in that. 1. 2. 3. 4. Structure (nature of the allocation of tasks/duties in the organization) Culture (nature of the corporate culture and cultural differences) Strategy (Internal organization & strategic processes) Human Resources Management (HRM)
1.1.
Structure
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the allocation of tasks/duties in organizations and the underlying considerations. Draw the organization chart of your placement company/organization and comment on this by means of the following questions: How can the structure be characterized (line organization, line-staff organization, etc.)? Which differentiation principle (Functional-, Product-, Geographical-, Market division) is used, and what are the advantages and disadvantages in this specific case? How is the coordination of tasks and responsibilities realized; which coordination mechanisms are used? Do informal groups exist within the organization? Are you part of such groups?
1.2.
Culture
Learning objective: To recognize corporate cultures and develop an understanding for the effect of that. Describe the culture of the company/organization or the department where you work and answer the following questions: Which influence does the corporate culture have on the execution of the work and the motivation of the staff? With which country/countries does the company/organization have business relations? Does this have consequences for the corporate culture and in which way is this noticeable? 35
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Which national culture is most noticeable in the corporate culture (the culture of the country where the company is based or another culture)? Which standards and shared values exist within the company/organization and which of those do appeal you personally the most? Strategy
1.3.
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the internal organization and the strategic processes of the placement company/organization. Describe and analyze the strategy of the company/organization by means of the following questions: What are the mission statement and objectives of the company/organization? Which strategic processes take place, in terms of planning, implementation, control and evaluation? What is the internal organization of the company/organization? (Give a description by using McKinseys 7S-model: strategy, structure, system, staff, skills, style, shared values.)
1.4.
Human Resources Management
Learning objective: To look for jobs that meet your own ambition and to become acquainted with a number of HRM-aspects. Collect at least four tangible job descriptions and answer the following questions: Which one of the jobs meets your own ambitions and possibilities after graduation at IBMS most? What salary goes with this job? How is this determined (collective labor agreement, job ranking, performance pay)? Which selection criteria apply to this job and to what extent do you meet these criteria? Formulate a personal objective for the rest of your studies, which focuses on meeting these criteria. Will you be faced with appraisal interviews as a management tool in this job? How does that work? (If not, find out why there is no use of appraisal interviews.)
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2. Entrepreneurship Learning objective: To gain understanding of the business administrative aspects of the placement company/organization. 1. 2. 3. Company and environment Costs and cost price Financial analysis
2.1.
Company and environment
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the opportunities and threats offered by the environment of the company/organization. To which branch of industry does the company/organization belong and give a short characterization of this? Which other companies are in the same production chain and which developments occur in this production chain (integration, differentiation, parallelism and specialization)? Which consequences does this have? Which legal type of business organization does the company/organization have? Which consequences does this have, among other things, on financing, liability, fiscal and gaining capital. In what way do the consequences of the legal type of business organization manifest themselves in daily operations? Do you expect the branch of industry to which the placement company/organization belongs to be different in about three to five years? If yes, give at least four factors that figure in future adjustments. If no, motivate why not.
2.2.
Costs and cost price
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the extent of cost oriented decision making. Does the company/organization have a clear view of the volume and structure (constant, variable, direct, indirect) of the costs? If the company/organization works with profit centers or product groups is it clear which costs belong to it? Are systems of cost budgeting and cost control being used? If yes, in what way? How often are investment decisions taken, what is the nature of these and on the basis of which criteria are they made?
2.3.
Financial analysis
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the financial aspects of the company/organization. Does the company/organization produce financial reviews on a regular basis? If yes, how often and in what way? Does the company/organization make financial forecasts? If yes, based on what and how detailed are these forecasts? Does the company/organization make use of index numbers, financial ratios (comparison of numbers of the enterprise with the averages of the branch of industry)? If so, for which divisions or departments? What is the objective of these financial ratios (e.g. liquidity analysis ratios, profitability analysis ratios, customer satisfaction, quality of products, etc.) and who are they calculated for? Discuss and calculate, depending on the type of business, the objective and the use of at least three financial ratios. Are the financial reports computerized? How is the bookkeeping done and is there any usage of software applications?
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3. Communication Learning objective: To gain understanding of the specific issues with regard to internal and external communication in the placement company/organization. 1. 2. Internal communication External communication
3.1.
Internal communication
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the different types of communication within organizations and to analyze these. Give an accurate description of the information flows. (Please note: In an organization with up to 25 employees the assignment applies to the whole organization; if the total number of employees exceeds 25, it is sufficient to describe one department). Include the following: meetings (type, frequency, target group, effectiveness), plenary meetings, dialogs, (mobile) telephone, E-mail, facsimile, letters (internal), newsletters, staff magazine (frequency, effectiveness). Where do you expect bottlenecks. Why? Give arguments. Choose two key figures for a verification interview (to check your assumptions). External communication
3.2.
Learning objective: To understand how public relations (PR) is used in the company/organization and to gain understanding of the importance of a consistent applied business logo and the monitoring of that (= visual display of the corporate identity of the organization). Is the PR of the placement company/organization defined? If yes, how? Is PR seen as an important management tool or is it only meant as a promotion tool? Give an illustration of the different elements of the definition on the basis of what is being done in the placement company (and what is not being done). Does the company have a business logo? If yes, give a critical evaluation of the different business logo elements and the supporters of this business logo. Does this match the corporate identity of the placement company/organization? Which philosophy is behind it?
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4. Social and communicative skills Learning objective: Participation, observation and analysis of the social and communicative processes in the organization. 1. Meetings 2. Sales talks Besides the specialized assignments, the progress reports and the improvement of competencies, it is also important to develop your social and communicative skills. In your work you will be confronted with specific situations which require your ability to react both in a social as well as a communicative way. These are the so-called professional interaction skills. In this assignment you will have to single out two aspects, which refer to participation, observation and analysis of a meeting and to sales skills. 4.1. Meetings
Learning objective: To gain understanding of meeting techniques and decision-making in meetings. Attend a meeting and analyze the following aspects: chairmanship, structure, decision-making and cooperation. Write an essay and give some recommendations and suggestions to the company/organization.
4.2.
Sales talks
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the techniques of a sales talk and the required skills. To gain understanding of the influence of branch specific aspects of the sales talk. Ask an account manager or a sales representative (or a purchaser) if you can attend a purchasing or sales talk. Describe and analyze the sales techniques. Discuss your analysis with the account manager (or salesman or purchaser). Ask his/her opinion on sales (or purchasing) and ask which specific skills he/she needs in his/her job. Also ask for specific requirements relative to the branch of industry and new trends. Write an essay and give a couple of learning objectives for yourself.
If you are not able to attend a talk, ask the account manager, sales representative or purchaser if you may discuss his/her experiences.
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5. Marketing Learning objective: To gain understanding of the marketing technical aspects of the organization and to gain understanding of the processes and choices that are the basis of strategic decisions. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5.1 Mission Product-market combination SWOT analysis Marketing policy & strategy Operational aspects Mission
Learning objective: To find out if the objectives of the organization are explicitly formulated and in what way this happens. 5.2 What is the market perception of the company? What is the mission statement of the company? What is the market domain and what does the company consider to be its field of work? What are the objectives and ambitions of the company? Product-market combination
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the market position of the placement company/organization with respect to the competitors and consumers. With which product-market combinations does the company try to reach its clients? Which marketing mix is being used? What is the market position of the company/organization? Who are the competitors and which clients do they try to reach? What is the consumer behavior and what trends have been established in the industry?
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5.3
SWOT analysis
Learning objective: To examine if the company objectives are explicitly formulated and in what way this is done. 5.4 How is the marketing technical organization of the company/organization? What does the company consider to be its strengths? Which are the weaknesses of the company/organization in your opinion? Which are the opportunities and threats of the company/organization in the current society? What is the quality assurance policy of the company/organization? Make a SWOT analysis and a SWOT matrix. Marketing policy & strategy
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the choices that form the foundation of thestrategic marketing policy. 5.5 What options does the company/organization have, once the SWOT analysis and the SWOT matrix have been carried out? To what marketing strategy would you give preference? Does your placement company/organization have the same preference? Please motivate. Operational marketing
Learning objective: To gain understanding of the realization of a marketing plan. What does the operational organization of the company look like? What should it look like in your opinion? Give your motivation.
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Assignment 2: Self reflection Learning objective: To gain understanding of your own personal growth during the placement. It is important to show a critical/reflective attitude towards the placement period. You will have to write a report about your personal experiences, activities, etc. The reflection report should be written following the rules given in your BCN classes. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Supervision/Guidance Responsibilities Corporate culture Theory versus practice Aims/objectives Learning outcomes Abroad
Supervision - Coaching/assistance of company mentor/supervisor, with explicit examples - Coaching by the IBMS placement teacher - Coaching by others (direct colleagues) Responsibilities - Own responsibilities, progress - Level of tasks - Insight into tasks/assignments Corporate culture - Personal experience with the corporate culture Theory versus practice - Relations between study and placement - Which links are identified Aims/objectives - Personal / Professional - Expectations prior to commencement - Post-check: were the objectives realized Learning outcomes - Insight into job perspectives - Orientation for future employment (not whether you were offered a job or not) Abroad For those who have not done the placement in their home country. - Added value - Language, culture, level - Preparation
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Assignment 3: Placement report. You will have to write a final placement report about your tasks, activities, etc. (min. 1500 words, max. 2500 words). The report should be written following the rules given in your BCN classes.
The company and department - Activities and tasks (what does the department do?) - Place of the department in the overall organisation - Organisation of the department (organogram showing positions) - Leadership style within the department - Interaction with each other (culture) within the department - Key figures (number of staff, average age, level of education, specific knowledge and skills, sickness absenteeism and turnover) Your daily (routine) activities and tasks - Implementation, preparation, support, policy-decision related activities and tasks? - Extent of independence - Responsibilities - Powers Project-based activities and tasks (if applicable) - Implementation, preparation, support, policy-decision related activities and tasks? - Role in project - Extent of independence - Responsibilities - Project team Functional meetings - Organised or informal - Frequency - Participants - Type of content (operational, tactical, strategic, brainstorming, etc.)
Please note: All assignments and reports have to be signed for approval by your company mentor/supervisor. All assignments and reports have to be written in English and must be typed. If you quote any sources, you must indicate this in the text or in a footnote. (See BCN reader semester 2)
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Placement Handbook 2012-2013

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Placement Handbook 2012-2013

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PLACEMENT HANDBOOK 2012/2013

International Business and Management Studies

Rotterdam Business School

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

Appendices Annex A: Annex B: Annex C: Annex D: Annex E:

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

All reports should be written in English.

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

Formal requirements & placement period

Placement credits & minimum duration of the placement

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

Approval of the Placement

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

IBMS - Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

PROCEDURE Placement information meeting

Registration form placement

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

HOW TO FIND A PLACEMENT

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Logistic infrastructures and enterprise resource planning. Strategic management of resources.

Criteria for an IBMS placement

Rotterdam Business School

What is expected of the host company / organization

Company information and addresses

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

The Curriculum Vitae

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

REGISTRATION FORM PLACEMENT 2

year group: RBS11IBMS.

Signature: Hand in this form (2x) to your SC coach

Rotterdam Business School

year group: RBS11IBMS.

Surname and initials:

DESCRIPTION ASSIGNMENT and LIABILITY

(see placement scan)

Placement period (exact dates) from:

Rotterdam Business School

Address during placement : Postal code/city Telephone : : Country e-mail : :

Fax number : (including dialling code)

Position: Telephone (business): e-mail:

Actual period of placement (exact dates) // till ././

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School

Rotterdam Business School