Placement Ranger at Hengistbury Head Review

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of my placement. I was given so many opportunities to explore the job role in as many different ways as possible, and learned a whole range of new skills as well as building my own confidence within the role and with the general public. The staff were supportive and friendly and made me feel a real asset and part of the team

I was always made to feel a part of the team and that my input was valued. They were always keen to teach me as many skills as they could, and allowed me to really get involved wherever I wanted. I was also given many responsibilities during my placement helping me further develop skills and confidence

My manager and supervisors were brilliant, they were always available if I needed help and I wasn’t afraid to ask them to repeat instructions or show me how to do something again. I have also received lots of career guidance from them, and shown the many roles available to me in this sector

There is always something to do at Hengistbury. From wildlife surveys, public interaction, habitat management and livestock interaction. Days flew by as we were always up to something. I was also allowed to explore any interests I may have had outside of the regular working day as extra learning and interest. But were also given sufficient breaks and allowed to explore my own interests

I was given projects to plan and carry out as well as surveys, report writing and daily tasks. As soon as they felt confident with my skills I was often allowed to test my skills, and take on solo/ team working. The more you give to this placement through hard work and enthusiasm, the more you get out of it

The skills I have learned benefited me greatly during my MSc, giving me real life experience for some assignments and background relevancy to lectures. The skills and confidence I have acquired during my time here have allowed for me to complete a successful interview and be offered a job in the sector

Great, everyone at Hengistbury are friendly and welcoming, there is always something going on inside and outside of the office, and there are many opportunities to get involved in engagement, habitat management and surveying with the teams at Hengistbury. Everybody there enjoys their job and it shows, with a very friendly atmosphere

The placement was very structured, combining teaching with getting reserve work done. As a placement I felt a part of team, and that I was making a difference to the site day by day. They combine teachings with theory and scientific research, and are always striving to make your placement worthwhile to you and your interests

During my placement, I have been put through first aid courses (mental first aid and catastrophic bleeding) to go alongside the machinery skills I learned and a chainsaw license in return for the hard work I put into running a trail and earning money for the reserve. As a small part of the council with limited funds, they really invested many resources in me and my learning experience

From my placement, I have seen the many inner workings of the organisation, and have been lucky enough to have funded a role which I then managed to get. Therefore I am very much looking forward to creating and developing my role further and beginning my career with the hengistbury team

The working environment was very friendly and fun, and we were often invited on nights out for birthdays, and as thank you for our hard work by the staff. During my time I was able to work alongside a whole range of people from different schools, countries and backgrounds, and always enjoyed the social side of the role

During my placement I was lucky enough to live back at home, the area can be a little pricey, but this is to no fault of the organisation, and should be affordable if you are attending a local university or college.

Very busy, fun nightlife from cafes, bars, restaurants and pubs in Southbourne where the placement is located to the city centre of Bournemouth

There were many opportunities to get involved in a range of activities such as the trails which helped the reserve generate extra income, public events such as the great wildlife exploration and walks and talks, and extra wildlife surveying such as Natterjacks surveys in the spring/summer evenings