Hear from 4th year MSc Chemistry student, Zahria, who achieved her Bristol PLUS Award in the 2023-24 Academic Year, whilst also securing a summer internship with telecommunications company BT!
How has PLUS prepared you for your future once you leave university?
The Bristol PLUS Award has played a great role in preparing me for life beyond university by giving me a clearer understanding of navigating my career journey. It also opened my eyes to many career resources available at the university, that I would otherwise not have known about!
The activities required to achieve the PLUS Award helped me build and showcase key transferable skills that employers value such as teamwork, communication and time management.
How did completing PLUS add to your experience at the University of Bristol?
As part of the PLUS award, one of the Careers and Employability workshops I attended was a 10,000 Black Interns and 10,000 Able Interns workshop, where I was introduced to various roles I could apply to with my degree. There was a variety of support available through the program such as CV writing, mock assessment centres, and mock interviews. This led me to secure a 10-week summer internship at BT, where I was part of the acquisition team.
My role involved complex data analysis of various and clients and presenting the findings to my team and various stakeholders. It was a great opportunity to gain insight into the tech industry and the corporate world, which help me understand whether I would like to work in this sector once I’ve graduated. Personally I found that I would prefer to be in a job where the work is more varied and hands-on!
How has your experience of the Bristol PLUS Award supported you in your endeavours on your Chemistry course?
During my internship in BT’s acquisition team, I analysed complex datasets and provided actionable insights. This experience strengthened my critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, which I have applied when interpreting experimental data, troubleshooting errors, and designing effective solutions in my Chemistry lab work.
I also chose to do the Sustainable Futures Bristol Futures Course as part of the PLUS award, which was a nice way to link aspects of my degree, for example, environmental chemistry, with real-world applications!
What is your lasting memory of the Bristol PLUS Award?
The standout moment for me was completing the 10-week internship, during which I was able to travel around the country to various offices to meet clients and other colleagues, which was very exciting!
At the end of the 10 weeks, I presented my findings to the team at BT. This was a culmination of weeks of hard work, where I not only showcased my analytical and problem-solving skills but also proved to myself that I could confidently communicate and present in a professional setting.
What have you learnt, and how do you feel you have developed?
Completing the Bristol PLUS award has allowed me to reflect on the experiences I’ve had at university that have helped me grow both as a person and in my future career, as well as recognise that over the years I have become a more well-rounded individual. When I reflect on this, it has had a big impact in making me feel better prepared for post-graduate life!
It has boosted my confidence in articulating my skills and experiences in interviews or networking experiences and I have also gained a clearer understanding of the type of work environments and roles that suit my interests and personality.
What next?
- Use the Bristol PLUS Award guide to find out more
- Registration deadline: Friday 21 February – register now on the registration pathway
- Book onto an Introductory talk
- Make a start on your Bristol Futures Course