“I’d recommend it 100%”: Eva on her T-Level work placement at Hiyield

Meet Eva. She’s in her second year at Truro College, studying a T-Level in Digital Software Development, and she’s spending part of it with us.

Her course includes 315 hours of work placement, split into three blocks of three weeks across two years. Eva joined us for her first block in June, she’s with us now for her second and she’ll be back in May once her exams are done.

We asked her what it’s really like: first tasks, Friday standups, who she asks for help and what she’d change if Hiyield were hers.

Tell us a bit about yourself, and one thing that has nothing to do with tech

I’m Eva, I’m in my second year at Truro College, and I’m doing a T-Level in Digital Software Development. The course includes a 315-hour work placement, which is how I ended up at Hiyield.

Outside of work, I volunteer with the NHS, about three times a week in the holidays. I started in August 2025 after finishing my GCSEs, to give myself a sense of purpose.

What’s your go-to when you need a break from a screen?

I tidy my office or my room. It clears my head of everything I’ve got going on, so when I go back to work I feel refreshed and ready to do my best.

What did you picture a digital agency being like, and what was the first thing that didn’t match?

Mostly, it matched what I expected. The surprise was the weekly standup on a Friday.

As a software development student, I’d learned about standups and assumed they’d be about deadlines and keeping projects on track. Instead, it’s the whole team on one call, sharing highlights of the week and celebrating them together. Then we find out who’s won Hiyielder of the Week. The team votes anonymously beforehand, and last week’s winner announces it. It’s a great way to show appreciation, and I really enjoy it.

What was the first thing you were asked to do?

I built a profile card in HTML and CSS, with a title, a circular photo, some text and linked buttons underneath. Then I built it again using Tailwind CSS, which I’d never used before.

It was a good start because I could use what I’d learned at college, then build on it with tools real developers use every day.

Have you had a chance to share an idea or opinion?

Yes, on AI. During my first block in June, I did a research project on how AI can be used for good, focusing on its environmental impact and what we can do to reduce it. Then I presented my findings to the team.

I’m climate conscious, so I found it really interesting. I learned there are small things we can all do to reduce our own impact.

Walk us through a good day

On office days, I get the bus into Truro and walk from the bus station. I say hello to everyone, grab a desk, and post “Morning!” in the general Slack channel so the team knows I’ve started. I like seeing who else is online.

I usually have more than one project on the go, so I choose what to focus on each day. If I’ve got a meeting, I take my laptop into the meeting room so I don’t disturb anyone, then head back to the main room to catch up with everyone and carry on.

On Fridays, we all join the video call for standup to share our highlights and find out who’s Hiyielder of the Week. It’s a nice way to see what everyone’s been working on.

What I love about working flexibly is that there’s no set lunch break. I can finish what I’m doing before I stop, and decide how long my break is. I usually bring lunch from home.

At 5pm, I finish my current task or get it to a good stopping point, post on Slack that I’m heading off, say bye to anyone still in, and catch the bus home after a great day.

Who do you go to when you’re stuck?

It depends on the problem. For coding, I go to a developer. I’ve worked with Alfie and Joshua so far, and they’ve all been super helpful. I’ll usually ask whoever’s in the office that day, ideally the person who set the task. If no one’s in, or I’m working from home, I message them on Slack.

For anything else, I ask Laura, who was my first contact when I arranged the placement. She always finds the answer.

Have you sat in on any meetings that gave you a feel for how the team works?

I sat in on a pod meeting with Alfie, Gemma and Xan. It’s their weekly Monday morning catch-up, where they plan the week, agree who’s working on what, and ask any questions they need answering to keep the project moving. What stood out was how they arranged to work together to get it done.

What’s a word, tool or idea you now use without thinking?

SEO. I knew the idea already (getting your website to the top of search results so more people see it), but I didn’t know it had a name: search engine optimisation. Now it comes up in conversations with the team all the time.

Is there anything you’d do differently if this was your company?

I’d look at making the internal tools we’ve built available to other companies, not just our clients, so more people can measure and reduce their carbon footprint.

Would you recommend this to someone your age?

Yes, 100%. During my placement, I’ve seen every part of the business: sales, user experience, marketing, WordPress and web app development. I’ve seen how the teams work together to build digital tools for clients.

It’s a great way to find out which area you like most and start thinking about where you might want to go next. I’d tell them to expect to see the whole process of a project and how it all comes together.

Finish this: “Hiyield is the kind of place where…”

…there’s a shared passion and excitement about creating the best product and user experience possible for clients.

Thanks, Eva

It’s been brilliant having Eva with us, and we’re already looking forward to her final block in May.