Finding a work placement is not the easiest task. Getting in contact with various companys is the easy bit. Most company's are too busy and don't have time to reply so I have now leaned not to expect replies. If I do get a reply then JACKPOT!
This is going to sound slightly mad but if you are in need of a placement opportunity the best thing is to keep nagging at them until they reply. This will show that your keen and that you are willing to go that extra bit further. At first when I got no replies from various company's it made me think my work wasn't good enough and I began to question is this industry right for me.
When I got a reply from Graham and Brown, a hugely successful wallpaper manufacturer I was over the moon. Graham and Brown has been a great inspiration throughout my design work. It's regarded as a huge international company that is very popular in Elle Decoration magazines.