Market for success: a field placement experience

Photo of Mohawk Student Emmett Steele

By Emmett Steele | 3rd year Journalism student

When I first learned I would have to do a placement experience for my program, I was full of anxiety and doubt. I was sure I was going to fail in a multitude of ways – I would have no idea what I was doing, I would say the wrong things, do the wrong things, write the wrong things. I was worried that I would take too long to finish work, that once I did finish my work it would be sub-par, and that I would be judged. I was afraid to actually put the skills I had learned in my program to the test. 

Despite all of the fear and the anxiety and the doubt gnawing at the back of my mind, there was something else, too. Excitement. Hope. A chance to prove to myself that maybe, just maybe, I have what it takes to make a successful career. 

When the time came to start my placement working with the marketing department at Mohawk, I didn’t know what to expect except for hard work. My anxious mind had conjured up all sorts of things to be afraid of – mean colleagues, embarrassing myself, and of course, the ever-looming scythe of failure. 

In reality, the experience was the exact opposite. On my first day, I was greeted with a warm welcome by a team of kind and caring colleagues. As I started to settle in and get to work, I realized quickly that, thanks to my program, I was well prepared to handle the work that was coming across my desk. The number of projects I had completed started to grow, and with it, my confidence did, too. 

As my doubts faded away, new and unexpected opportunities continued to present themselves throughout my placement. I had the opportunity to write and record an ad that was played on Spotify, and I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful interview with one of the directors of a popular Canadian television show, Dragon’s Den. 

In the seven weeks I’ve been working in my placement position, I’ve learned more than I could have thought possible. I’ve met wonderful people that have helped me to strengthen my professional network, and I’ve worked on interesting projects that will make valuable additions to my professional portfolio moving forward. 

With only three weeks left in my placement as I write this, the version of me from seven weeks ago would be surprised to learn that, now, I’m sad my time is almost done. The weeks have flown by faster than I can count, and I’ll miss this job when the time comes for me to move on and prepare for my last year at Mohawk. 

My field placement experience has been far better than I ever could have expected, and I’m eternally thankful to have had such an exceptional learning opportunity. Between the amazing people I got to work with, the interesting and ever-challenging projects I got to work on, and all of the laughs and happy moments I got to be a part of, my time working with the marketing team is a time I will never forget.