Tom

Tom carried out a placement taking photographs for Cambridge Immerse, a provider of educational programmes for 11-18 year olds from across the globe, and discovered not only the importance of his client’s needs, but also those of his client’s customers.

"I really enjoyed the experience of working as a photographer for Cambridge Immerse, meeting and getting to know so many new people from all over the world. I enjoyed the chance to photograph such a wide range of activities and subject matter, from the sports activities and formal dinners to the architectural photographs of the Cambridge University colleges used for Cambridge Immerse’s marketing.

"The placement developed my time management skills, working on a quick turnaround and busy schedule, and also helped me build relationships with people – not only the staff at Cambridge Immerse but also the students I was taking photos of. It was important for me to get to know them and make them feel comfortable.

"It also helped me develop my communication and teamwork skills by working with the team at Cambridge Immerse, and the other photographer I was working with, to co-ordinate tasks and work to a masterplan.

"I enjoyed working to a brief but still being creative and artistic with my work when photographing, and the fast-paced nature of the workflow - always having something new to work on, plan, coordinate, photograph and edit each day. It was very rewarding seeing the students so happy when looking at my photographs as they reflected on their time on the programme.

"The placement helped me to develop my professional skills, and gave me a great deal of knowledge and more confidence on how to apply for a role. For example, it gave me the opportunity to reflect on what skills and experiences I have and put these into my CV, in addition to presenting my online portfolio and taking part in the interview to apply for the internship.

"Furthermore, it gave me experience photographing various subjects and activities including sports, social events, architecture and lectures. I had to adapt to the lighting in these different environments.

"I believe doing a placement at Cambridge Immerse has helped me in my final year by building my skills and confidence to contact and work with a number of organisations in my final major project. I also believe that my experience will really help when it comes to getting a job after university, because it allowed me to enter a professional environment whereby I produced and delivered photographic work successfully to a client’s needs, in addition to working effectively as part of a team, adapting to and overcoming challenges to reach the desired outcomes of the role.

"I would highly recommend any students that are thinking about doing a work placement to go for it. It is a great opportunity to push yourself and potentially go outside of your comfort zone. It is also a chance to apply your skills and knowledge to work in a commercial environment. As a result, you can gain valuable experiences and take them forward into your future career."

The photos on this page are a small selection of Tom's work, cropped and resized. To see more visit Tom's website.