Maisha Zaman

Fashion Promotion student Miasha Zaman completed a placement year at Sony PlayStation as an Internal Communications Intern during her third year of study, here she tells us more about it.

Preparing for a Placement Year 

My placement tutor was extremely helpful, she suggested I would be good for the role, and then I applied for the position using a cover letter, and later had a video interview followed by a task interview before being appointed in my role.

Journey to Becoming a Successful Applicant 

I think what kept me going was seeing other students getting placements and thinking to myself ‘If they can do it, why can’t I?’ I think another useful tip is to get help from University staff when writing your cover letter. I cannot thank them enough for making my cover letter amazing compared to what it was when I wrote it myself. Asking for another person’s opinion or even several people will only benefit you!

Day-to-day Duties as an Intern

Running the company’s internal website (intranet), i would write articles and email newsletters about what’s new in the company and also run employee competitions with chances to win merchandise, etc. I was also responsible for writing articles for the employee resource groups including LGBTQ, BAME and Mental health.

The Most Enjoyable Thing about the Experience

Being part of one of the most popular console launches in history – The PlayStation 5. I’ve enjoyed seeing the process of launching it and meeting some very cool people in the company. An added bonus was receiving a free console and merchandise.

Challenges Faced due to Working Remotely for a Large Company

Both working remotely and working for a large company were completely new to me. I also faced struggles with the global pandemic and my home life. To overcome these challenges, I sought help from the company’s private medical care and got counselling. I also spoke up about my problems with my manager who in turn was very helpful and accommodating.

Gaining Insight

Working within Human Resources, I got to meet people from different departments. It’s also made me realise that big corporations really value their employees, which has made me more inclined to work for a similar company to PlayStation in the future.

Advice for Future Fashion Students Applying for Placements

Apply for as many placements as possible and don’t give up. I think the one thing I realised was, I didn’t make as much effort for the other roles I applied for, because my heart wasn’t in it as much as it was for PlayStation (I’m a huge gamer). I think when you find one you have set your heart on, the effort will come naturally when you apply.

Another tip I would give is – be confident in yourself. If you manifest and believe you can do it, it will help, rather than thinking negatively and thinking ‘why would they pick me?’

Lastly – always do something to stand out. For example, in my cover letter, I mentioned some little taglines from PlayStation’s campaigns, which I learned from researching and reading about the company. Always do research before you apply, they will notice!