Next stop: industry! Holly's work experience with West Midlands Trains

From promoting a pop-up activation in the Bullring, gaining hands-on experience at stations and attending a Commercial Directorate Day, my Professional Skills Module placement with West Midlands Trains was exciting, eye-opening, and sparked my interest in the wider railway industry.

When choosing my final‑year modules for my BA English Literature degree, I immediately knew that I wanted to take the Professional Skills Module offered by the College of Arts and Law. In today’s competitive job market, I recognised the value of gaining practical, hands-on experience that would complement my academic studies. I wanted to demonstrate that the communicative and analytical skills that I had developed throughout my degree could be effectively transferred to a professional environment, which would strengthen my CV and prepare me well for graduate employment.

As part of the Professional Skills Module, I was provided with a dedicated bank of placements that I could apply to, which are exclusively offered to students taking the module. Given that my study of English Literature had nurtured my critical and creative skills, I felt that a placement in marketing and communications would allow me to explore if this would be an industry that I would like to work in after university. I decided to apply to the Sales and Marketing placement at West Midlands Trains knowing that it would offer a wide range of valuable experiences, from drafting press releases and writing website copy to supporting events within a reputable and well‑regarded organisation. Having always lived in the West Midlands, I am a frequent traveller on their services and therefore felt that I would find it rewarding to contribute to projects and initiatives that impact passengers like me, as well as gaining a better understanding of the railway more broadly.

The application process was two-stage: I submitted a CV and cover letter explaining my suitability for the position and was then invited for an individual interview, where I was asked about my interest in the role and company, as well as a range of competency and situational questions. I was incredibly pleased when I received an email later that day stating that I had secured the placement!

One of my favourite parts about my placement was that no two days were the same. One day I was attending their quarterly Commercial Directorate Day, learning about upcoming goals and targets; the next, I was writing location descriptions for stations operated by London Northwestern Railway, which are now published on their website. My personal highlight was supporting the pop-up activation in the Bullring, where we spoke to the public about Student Season Cards and encouraged students to spin the wheel to win prizes. This experience built on my public-facing communicative skills, and it was also good fun!

Following my placement, I realised how much I had learned in such a short space of time and knew that I wanted to continue developing both personally and professionally at West Midlands Trains after graduation. Therefore, I decided to apply to their rotational graduate scheme, where I would gain exposure to many of their departments over a two-year period. I am happy to say that I have been accepted onto their graduate scheme and look forward to starting in September.

My advice to anyone contemplating the Professional Skills Module is to go for it: you never know where it could take you!