Developing your graduate capital doesn’t have to stop when you leave uni

As you begin life after university, it’s important to recognise that your development doesn’t stop when you get your degree.

The concept of graduate capital emphasizes the key resources that empower you to successfully navigate the job market. These capitals go beyond academic development to include human, social, cultural, identity, and psychological aspects.

Graduates who can draw on these capitals feel more confident and can better present their value to employers. This blog post will explain each capital and explore practical ways to develop them as a graduate.


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Top tips from the world of AI and tech

In October, we ran our “How to get in AI and tech panel” event, which was for anyone with a non-technical degree, looking to enter the tech industry.

From Experience Design Leads to Senior Account Technology Leads, our panel provided anecdotal tips on applying for and flourishing within tech companies. All without an extensive understanding of technical practices. Below are a few of the keynotes that were particularly emphasised:

Pictures of all the speakers and their job titles: 

Caitlin Bloom 
Project Manager, Kinneir Dufort 

Cherry Lin 
Experience Design Lead, Accenture Song

Ian Gardner 
Senior Account Technology Leader 
IBM

Jessica Roussou 
Senior Specialist - Security Governance, Risk & Compliance, Wise 

Sarah Matesun 
Business Analyst, ClearBank

1. Don’t worry about your lack of technical knowledge

Lacking a tech background when working in the industry is no barrier. Most non-technical roles will involve some jargon that may mean nothing to you – and that’s okay!

Our speakers recommend getting comfortable with not knowing and asking questions.

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City Challenges – Building Communities with Bristol Hub

Earlier in November, Bristol Student Hub teamed up with the Careers Service to run our latest City Challenge.

27 student volunteers attended in order to work together and generate ideas which would help Bristol Student Hub reflect on their current methods of community engagement and recommend new ways to build sustainable communities within their network of alumni and volunteers.

Bristol Hub is part of a national network that includes student hubs in Southampton, Bristol, and Cambridge as well as individual projects that run at other institutions.​

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How to make the most of Gradcracker: Advice for STEM students

“There are plenty of opportunities available for students looking for STEM placements and jobs! This is a great chance to discover where your degree can take you.”

In October, Gradcracker’s Jessica Luck presented to Bristol students. Gradcracker is the UK’s career website for science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) students. The online event outlined how to use the Gradcracker website to search for placements and graduate jobs within the STEM industry.

A graphic of a brain lit up in lights like a circuit board

Key features of the Gradcracker website:

The event highlighted some of the many features available on the Gradcracker website, here are some of the best ones:

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My SME Internship: James – The Strange Thoughts Group

A photo of James, smiling to the camera, outside.

Hi, I’m James. 

I entered into the internship process in a bit of an unusual state; I’d withdrawn from my PGCE (History) course earlier the same year and was just coming out of that self-reflective headspace we all go through when we’ve made our latest “big choice”. 

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Top tips: How to get into Government and the Civil Service 

On 7 November 2023, we held a ‘How to get into Government and the Civil Service’ careers panel event for Social Science and Law students.

Three alumni currently working in governmental roles joined us: 

The panelists were Sarbani Banerjee, Lead - Skills and Capability, Jessie Leung, Assistant Estates Surveyor, and Megan Kidd, National Graduate Development Programme.

Here are some of their top tips and insights about the sector. 

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Embracing Neurodiversity: Navigating university life and beyond

At the University of Bristol, we are proud to celebrate neurodiversity. We recognise the unique strengths and perspectives that neurodiverse students bring to our campus.   

In this blog post, we explore the resources and events available to neurodiverse students. Find out how these have been put into practice, to empower you on your journey through university and help you plan your next steps.

Join us in celebrating neurodiversity and uncovering the opportunities that await! 

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How an SME Internship can kick start your entrepreneurial career

“The decisions you make at University are often life-shaping. They set the tone for your future and compound over decades”

Adam Chambers is a Bristol History (BA) alum, and President of Nurse Recruitment Experts. In his third year at the University of Bristol he participated in our SME Internship Scheme.

Here are his thoughts on how this has shaped his career:

“Why am I writing to encourage you to apply for an SME Internship? 

I started Nurse Recruitment Experts (NRX) in 2019, nine months after graduating from studying History at Bristol.  

Since then, we’ve sourced and hired 10,000 plus Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Certified Nursing Assistants for health systems across the US and Canada.

A photo of Adam smiling, outdoors in a suit.
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Finding a graduate job at a careers fair – Blue Frontier 

At our spring careers fair, Get Hired, student Jamie approached Blue Frontier. As a result, he secured a full-time position with them. 

We spoke to Michael Raisbeck, Cyber Security Consultant at Blue Frontier, and Jamie to hear about how a conversation at a careers fair turned into a stepping stone to an opportunity.

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