Having a year’s worth of experience in a relevant field sets you apart from lots of other graduates competing for those crucial entry level roles.
If your placement employer liked you, they may offer you part time employment in your third year at university and/or a graduate role.
Working in industry also lets you begin to develop contacts with more senior engineers. There’s always a chance this will net you a job sometime in the future.
Academic Benefits
A year working with experts will likely improve your technical capacity and therefore final overall degree grades.
You’ve also had to manage your time in a much more rigourous fashion than other students which makes keeping assignment deadlines and attending the dreaded 9am lecture much easier.
Tips for Applying
Be persistent - you will probably get a lot of rejections and it can be a little demoralizing, but if you keep at it you will most likely find something.
Don’t just apply for big companies - they often have much more rigiorous application processes which get a lot more applicants you’ll be competing against. Plus, at smaller companies you often get a wider variety of duties and more freedom within the role.
Don’t lie on your CV - if you get an interview it isn’t a good look if you can’t answer a question about something in which you’ve claimed to be an expert.
Be yourself - companies want to see the real you in an interview scenario, they’ll likely notice if you’re holding back. They’ll like someone who’s easy to talk to.
Don’t worry too much - interviewers expect you to be a bit nervous, especially if this is your first big job.
Use an app like Trello to keep track of your applications.
Be sure to have your CV reviewed by your department and any industry contacts you may already have.