Living in Oxford:

For me, a huge bonus of a placement is having the chance to live in and explore a completely new place for the year. At first I was quite nervous about living in a new city, knowing no one and worried about who I’d live with. But, because ProspectSoft held a familiarisation day a few months before commencing our roles, we had the chance to get to know each other prior to starting. We were lucky enough to all get on really well, and some of us decided to rent a house together. The office is situated slightly out of the centre of Oxford (in Headington), so we decided that we’d live closer to the centre and then commute to work by car. 

The road we ended up living on is one of the most lively roads in Oxford and has a great student dynamic. Because there’s so much to explore, we’ve loved trying out all the different cuisines and bars in the Cowley area of Oxford (in which restaurants are plentiful!). Moving to a new city comes with so many exciting opportunities, like exploring all these brand new places! So each week the other placements and I try to explore somewhere new, whether that’s a new bar or place to eat, so we can make the most out of the year.

I’ve found living with people who do the same placement really fun as we all have the same routine. The only time we really spend apart is when we sleep — we eat breakfast together, drive in to work together, work together, go to the gym together, and we even cook and eat together each night! There’s never a dull moment and everyone’s really supportive of each other. It’s also nice to have people to relate with as we’re all new to the corporate world, so we can all understand the challenges of working a full-time job for the first time.

Oxford has been an incredible place to live for a year. Its architecture and buildings are amazing, especially the university buildings, and there’s lots of beautiful parks and rivers to walk around. There’s also lots of lovely food markets which are fun to explore and taste food from different cultures. Another bonus is the huge shopping centre with a very smart rooftop area with restaurants, which has been a great social spot for brunches with the placements! 

Work Socials:

ProspectSoft arranged a few socials for the placements to get together at the beginning of the job. This was really useful for getting to know each other better, both in an out of the work environment. The company really encourages placements to have a social life alongside work, so we’ve had multiple occasions where all the placements have met up outside of work for drinks. 

The company has a really young and fun feel to it as most people who work there were once placements themselves! This really shows how well their placement scheme works and how they adapt the roles to make sure the placements get as much out of their year as possible, making it really enjoyable and rewarding. There’s a social committee too that I joined, where we plan fun social events for everyone in the company to get together. I’ve loved helping to plan these events, especially the Christmas party which is happening in the next couple of weeks — very exciting!

Working in a small company means that everyone has a chance to get to know each other well, not just in their own department. This is a huge bonus as it gives the company a family feel, and everyone is very supportive of each other. 

If you’re worried about living in a new place while on placement, I’d definitely say to be optimistic as it will be a whole year of new experiences and exploring, which is such an exciting thing! You'll make so many new friends which will make your year, both at work and outside of it.