Networking at the Year in Business Speed Recruitment event - October 2025

Despite the darker nights setting in, it was good to see so many business students attending Royal Holloway’s Year in Business Speed Recruitment event in the Business School this week. 2^nd year students seeking placements in 2026/27 networked at full speed, making career-defining connections with a number of well known companies as well as gaining advice from YIBs who have already been out on placement. There was a real sense of energy in the room.

 

From the bustle of the companies setting up their stands at the beginning of the evening, to the happy buzz of conversations taking place, this event demonstrated the key career connections that can be formed while studying in the School of Business

Every year the School of Business’ Year in Business team invite a range of companies offering placement roles to attend their ‘Speed Recruitment Evening’, held on campus. The event is an opportunity for all Year in Business second year students, currently trying to secure a placement, to interact and network with potential employers and find out more about what the companies have on offer. This has always been run in January, but this year we are looking at running it twice a year with a second event in October.

 After an initial briefing the students were able to move about the event, stopping to chat to the representatives at the company stands they chose, but moving on when the bell was rung to give everyone a chance to discuss the placement roles on offer and find out if they might be a suitable match. From accounting/finance, sales and HR, to marketing and management, students explored a diverse range of placement opportunities, gaining firsthand insights into potential roles and career paths.

 

Students had the unique chance to connect with leading companies such as 3M, Canon, De Vere, Enterprise Mobility, Honda, Menzies LLP, RSM, many of whom brought current/ previous placement students who could offer invaluable advice based on their own experience of being on the other side of the table.

 

Many of our final-year Year in Business students and mentors were also on hand to talk about their experience securing and completing a placement year. These students shared experiences at companies including Arithma LLP, Bayer, BMW, EBay, Elida Beauty, Intel, SEO London, Siemens, Unilever.

 

The enthusiasm demonstrated by our second-year students during the event is a testament to their desire to secure a placement and drive to succeed. All the companies who attended gave positive feedback about the students’ engagement levels and the quality of the questions asked.

The evening finished with a more relaxed atmosphere as slices of pizza were offered and the networking continued over more informal conversations. Similar events in previous years have seen many of the students who attend going on to secure placement roles because of the connections they make on the night, so we are eager to see how our current second-year students get on this year.

 The Year in Business option is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain invaluable real-world experience before they graduate, improving their employability and presenting them with career options they may not have considered previously. The connections they form during this year help to establish their network before they graduate and take the first steps on their career journey. Many students return to university for their final year with a deeper understanding of their knowledge of business gained from the hands-on learning they experienced during the placement.

 The Year in Business option is offered alongside all our undergraduate degree courses, with students from across the school opting to take part. The Year in Business is taken during the third year of their four-year degree course, allowing for two years of learning at university, a paid placement of between nine to twelve months in their third year, and a return to study at university for their fourth year, in order to complete their degree. Students can start their placement any time between June -September at the end of their second year.

 Discover how the Year in Business can fast-track your future at royalholloway.ac.uk/year-in-business. If you represent a company interested in advertising placements to our business students please contact MN-YIB@rhul.ac.uk

Celebrating the success of the Year in Business Graduates - class of 2025

It was a real pleasure to support the Graduation Ceremonies for Royal Holloway’s Business School students on Tuesday 22nd July. I particularly enjoyed speaking with our Year in Business (YIB) students about their university journey, placement experiences, and plans for the future, and in many cases, meeting their proud families too. 

 It was a very special ceremony in the University's Windsor Building: a long line of Year in Business students processed in front of the Provost and Pro Vice Chancellor, the Dean of the School of Business, academic staff, friends and family to receive their certificates. The event also featured several heartfelt speeches, including an inspiring address by the Student Orator. 

Special congratulations goes to Dillon McEvilly, who was awarded the Year in Business Prize for achieving the highest overall academic record amongst YIB students. Dillon completed a successful placement with the NHS and has already returned there to begin his graduate career. It was lovely to catch up with him and hear how much he gained from the experience. 

 

We are immensely proud of all our Year in Business graduates. Securing a placement can be a demanding process requiring true resilience, and for many, the placement year itself brings new challenges. We’re glad to have supported them along the way and are always inspired by their growth and achievements. 

Many of our final-year YIBs give back by volunteering as YIB Mentors, sharing their insights and supporting students preparing for their own placement journeys. Their contributions to workshops and events are incredibly valuable and appreciated. 

 Looking ahead, some of our graduates are continuing their studies, while others are returning to the companies where they completed their placements, including Cooper Parry, Cooper Vision, Enterprise Mobility, NHS, Samsung and Simmons & Simmons. Many more have used their placement experience to secure roles with prestigious employers such as Emirates, Ferrero, Finbourne Technology, Ivy Rock Partners and PwC. Congratulations to all our graduates! 

If I didn’t get a chance to catch up with you after the ceremony, please do stay in touch. The Year in Business team would love to hear where your placements have taken you — your stories are a source of inspiration for the next generation of students and we hope to welcome you back to the Business School at future events.

My Placement Year at Deloitte: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Audit and Assurance

This is a guest post from Royal Holloway student Amal Aitbenmoussa who is studying BSc Management with Accounting and has just completed a placement year with Deloitte. Amal writes:

Spending a year on placement at Deloitte in the Audit and Assurance department has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic and professional journey so far. Not only did I gain hands-on experience in one of the world’s leading professional services firms, but I also developed a wide range of skills that will stay with me throughout my career.

What Does an Auditor Actually Do?

Before starting my placement, I had a basic idea of what audit involved — checking company accounts and making sure everything adds up. But once I got started, I quickly realised there’s much more to it.

My role as an audit placement student involved working as part of a team to review and test the financial statements of a wide range of clients — from small startups to global corporations. A big part of my job was speaking directly with clients to request documentation, understand how their business works, and clarify any unusual transactions. Communication was key, whether I was emailing finance teams or joining meetings to discuss audit findings.

I also spent a lot of time using Deloitte’s digital tools and software to analyse financial data, check for inconsistencies, and document our findings. Every audit is different, so each project brought something new: whether that was learning about a different industry or navigating new financial systems.

 
What I Learned

Over the year, I picked up an incredible mix of skills that I know will stick with me for life. I became a lot more confident communicating with clients and teammates: something that now feels like second nature. I also mastered the art of balancing multiple tasks under pressure learned to spot tiny errors with laser focus, and got really comfortable solving problems when things didn’t go quite as expected. Let’s not forget the teamwork: working with such supportive and fun people made even the busiest days enjoyable, and showed me just how important collaboration is in a professional setting.

Final Thoughts

If you're considering a placement year and want to challenge yourself in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, I’d highly recommend Audit and Assurance at Deloitte. It’s more than just number-crunching: it’s about understanding businesses, building relationships, and making a real impact.

If you have any questions, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amal-aitbenmoussa-459662252

Read Amal's previous blog article with details of her top tips for applying: https://yearinbusiness.blogspot.com/2024/11/my-audit-and-assurance-placement-at.html

Best of luck to those of you hoping to secure an industrial placement. Remember to be yourself!!

Amal Aitbenmoussa (Industrial Placement at Deloitte)