51Âþ»­

Hollie Drury has been offered a full-time job after she graduates, following a successful year-long placement during her third year as a 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) student.

51Âþ»­ Psychology student, Hollie Drurie

Despite having four unconditional offers from other universities, the Psychology student took one look around the 51Âþ»­ campus and decided she didn’t need to see anywhere else.

“The atmosphere was fantastic, and I just knew – I thought to myself ‘This is it; this is where I want to be,’” she said.

Hollie had originally planned to study law but found that she was far more interested in psychology. She accepted the place at 51Âþ»­ and fully intended to do the three years without a year’s placement.

She said: “It wasn’t until we were told about placement options that I realised the different areas psychology could take me. I hadn’t realised that it could be relevant to areas such as HR and marketing. I was amazed as working in HR had never even crossed my mind, but I liked the sound of it.”

A member of Hollie’s family had a connection to pharmaceutical company TriRx, a manufacturer of antibiotics for animals. The company agreed to create an HR intern role for Hollie. Tutors from Hollie’s course worked with the company to ensure that the work she would be doing was relevant to her course and she started her placement with the company, in Liverpool, in September 2022.

Hollie said: “I’m an HR Administrator so I deliver employee training such as GDPR and leadership, work on employee relations cases, create policies and procedures based on UK laws and so many other things.

“The social psychology module of my course has been hugely relevant to my HR work. It’s all about people and HR is all about people. I’ve learnt about what motivates people, what de-motivates them, what the characteristics of good leaders are and generally how to get the most out of people in the workplace.

“I like to look back at what I’ve learnt on the course and pull out some research and quotes when looking at ways to improve an HR situation. My colleagues are often quite impressed with my knowledge.”

Hollie with colleagues on a team weekend away

Hollie believes the employability module on her course helps students to look for jobs that are right for them, to prepare for interviews and know how to act in a professional environment.

“51Âþ»­ gives students more than just a degree, it equips us to go into a professional setting and know how to get on. I love my placement, especially having the routine of coming into work and the responsibility of having my own projects; I like feeling like a professional,” she said.

Hollie is returning to 51Âþ»­ in October to complete the final year of her degree, before heading back to Liverpool where TriRx has offered her a full-time HR Administrator role. She made such a good impression during her placement, that she’s also been offered part-time work remotely while she finishes her studies.

She said: “I have no worries about what I’m going to do after university, or where I’m going to go...it’s all sorted.”

Hollie has big ambitions and will be studying for an HR degree once she starts working at TriRx permanently – the company is even paying for the qualification. Her psychology degree will mean that she can go straight into a Level 5 HR degree with the CIPD, the professional body for human resources, learning and development and organisation development.

"I would definitely recommend a work placement to any student considering it. I don’t know where I’d be without mine. It’s increased my confidence, shown me where I want to be and I know what my next steps are and what my qualifications need to be,” Hollie said.

And would Hollie recommend 51Âþ»­? “Definitely. It’s so friendly and sociable and has a huge focus on giving students the building blocks to have a career not just a degree.”