Virtual Conservation Placement Hengistbury Head Review

I really enjoyed this virtual placement - especially under the current circumstances. It was very insightful with a variety of guest speaker who would each put forward a presentation in the subject they specialised in. I would definitely recommend this placement to anyone interested in the conservation sector. I study Geography and it included many familiar topics that my course already covers. The team at Hengistbury Head did a brilliant job at organising the placement for everyone!

With COVID-19 there are obvious drawbacks of completing a virtual placement but the team at Hengistbury Head did a brilliant job of making everyone feel inclusive. Throughout the week there were multiple break out rooms where the participants could interact with each-other. The hengistbury head team made sure the the participants in break out rooms were from different Universities and colleges as well as a range of courses so we could all mix with a variety of people.

There was a lot of guidance throughout the week. Prior to the placement we were provided with a virtual timetable and a summary for all the guest lecturers and what they specialised and what they specialised in. Kelly Hunt was in regularly contact with me before the placement and throughout and was amazing at answering any queries that I was interested in finding out. All the team were very supportive and provide lots of guidance.

The placement at Hengistbury Head equipped me with many skills necessary for potential future job. Guest speakers explained the key points which should be included in a CV and the layout / format. One speaker also spoke about “soft-skills” which are extremely important in the interview process. These are skills such as communication, problem solving and adaptability which are not necessarily rlily skills that can be taught but picked up over time. I will make sure to include these skills in the future

The virtual placement was structured excellently. There was a lot of thought that was put into the timetable that was created. At the end of each guest speaker the Hengistbury Head team made time for any questions that the participants had (this was sometimes particularly lengthy as there was 40 participants!). They also considered time for lunch and tea breaks which is important for someone like me! A lot of time and effort were put into creating the timetable

The atmosphere was surprisingly good. At the lectures that take place at my University, a lot of the students have their camera switched off. Contrastingly at the placement many people had there cameras switched on which created a good atmosphere so we could get a sense of who we were working with. Also a lot of the students happily participated and would unmute themselves to propose any questions and eagerly get involved, creating a great atmosphere!

There is a limit to the extent in which a virtual placement can help train you on a personal level. However, in terms of self development I think the company were very informative and i learnt a lot about ways to improve/ adapt myself to what a potential employer may be looking for. This is particularly important for someone like myself who will be graduating from university soon and looking for graduate jobs in the near future

The placement at Hengistbury Head was very informative and gave me a clear understanding of multiple job roles in the conservation sector. Many of the guest speakers came from different career backgrounds so I was lucky enough to get an insight of the variety of different career path I could potentially partake in. Many of the guest speakers also carried out placements of their own which they spoke about, which was interesting. There are many placement across the country that i didn’t previously know about

After partaking in the Hengistbury Head placement it is clear that they focus a lot of their efforts towards sustainability. This is clear in the term “conservation” which the placement specialises in. We found about about the role of a park ranger and what their day to day life entails. There is a lot of involvement with livestock and conservation grazing and with this it is important for Hengistbury Head to always make ethical decisions

The course that i am currently Studying is Geography which is quite a broad topic with elements of human a physical Geography. The placement at Hengistbury Head was very environmentally based so I definitely got an insight to some of the potential career paths i could pursue in the physical side of Geography. Although the placement was insightful, i am still unsure of what career path i am going to pursue in future. However it definitely helped me understand my possibilities

This placement was carried out virtually and a week long. Therefore, I don’t believe it was necessary for any payment. There were no travel or food expenses as I was stationed in the comfort of my own home which worked out well for me. In the future once COVID-19 passes, it may be necessary for travel expenses to be paid to students participating in the Hengistbury Head placement if they are on site as the location is quite far out.