Before the placement starts
Confirm the organisation, supervisor, dates, format and expected hours. Ask what tasks are likely, what systems you may use and what evidence can be retained. Read confidentiality and data-handling instructions before accessing information. Create an evidence log with fields for context, responsibility, action, outcome, feedback and verification. Record emergency and absence procedures. Keep the service agreement or placement confirmation in a private folder.
During the first week
Write down the accurate placement title and how the host describes the arrangement. Record induction, training and access restrictions. For each initial task, note what was demonstrated and what you completed independently. Ask how feedback will be provided. Confirm whether screenshots, redacted samples or reconstructed examples are permitted. If the answer is unclear, retain only your own written learning notes and never transfer source material.
For every meaningful task
Record the date, purpose, your contribution, tool, output, review and learning. Separate work you completed from work observed. Note which decisions required approval. Keep measurable details only when they are supported, such as the number of records reviewed, and never invent commercial impact. Capture feedback and the revision you made. This detail will later support concise CV bullets and interview answers.
Protect people and organisations
Do not retain names, addresses, account details, health information, credentials, customer records, private messages or commercially sensitive documents. Follow the host's rules even if a sample seems harmless. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes guidance about employment information and data protection. For any uncertainty, ask the responsible supervisor or privacy contact rather than making your own assumption about disclosure.
Before the placement ends
Review dates and task descriptions with your supervisor. Ask what form of confirmation is available and what future verification may include. Request permission before using an organisation name, supervisor name, logo or work sample publicly. Confirm the correct contact route and whether the contact has agreed to be listed. Export only authorised personal notes and evidence. Return equipment, remove access and delete local material when instructed.
After completion
Turn the log into three strong CV bullets and two detailed competency examples. Label the experience accurately as a placement. Store the full evidence privately and keep public material minimal. Check that your CV, LinkedIn profile and application forms use consistent dates. Revisit the record after six months and confirm verifier details before applying. A completed checklist does not guarantee a job, but it gives you a credible, organised account of the practical work you performed. Tailor which examples appear for each role, while keeping dates and facts consistent. If you discover an error in a public profile, correct it before applying and update your master record. Keep a note of any time limit attached to access, references or portfolio permission. Evidence should remain useful without becoming a permanent store of unnecessary organisational or personal information.
Use a final quality review
Read each proposed CV bullet aloud and test five points. Is the experience type obvious? Is the action yours? Is the tool or process specific? Is the outcome proportionate? Could the context be verified without exposing protected information? Mark any uncertain answer and revise it before sharing. Then compare the final entry with your master timeline and public profile. This final review is deliberately simple. It catches the most common credibility problems while preserving the useful detail that makes a placement relevant to an employer. Ask a trusted reader to identify what they think happened from the words alone. If their interpretation differs from the real arrangement, improve the label and context. Do not solve ambiguity by adding impressive adjectives. Solve it with accurate nouns, dates and actions. Keep the revised version with the evidence record used to create it.
Further reading: ICO guidance on employment information. Accessed 9 August 2026.
Evidence principle
Use a claim only when you can explain it clearly, label its context accurately and support it without exposing confidential information.