We’re not going to pretend that times aren’t challenging. We all know that COVID has hit the economy and jobs market hard.
Labour Market Information (LMI) is a useful tool to help understand current recruitment trends across different sectors and we think it’s about time you heard some positive news…
2021 has undoubtedly been a weird year for job-seeking. It might even feel like looking for work is an almost impossible task. But is this really true?
Contrary to popular belief, there are still plenty of brilliant opportunities out there, and the number is growing rapidly. According to the latest labour market information, UK businesses are currently reporting the fastest growth in activity for more than 20 years!
Vacancies are being added almost every day to the Careers Service website.
Myth 2: Employers won’t take me seriously without in-person work experience
Opportunities to get in-person work experience or internships have been limited this year.
But remember everyone will be in the same position, and that employers will recognize that gaining this type of experience has been largely impossible. Instead, focus on making the most of any experiences you have managed to fit in.
This might mean highlighting any volunteering you’ve done in your community, participation in online careers events, or online work experience you’ve managed to arrange. Opportunities like the Bright Network virtual internship, which is free and open to anyone over the age of 18, could be a great addition to your CV.
Myth 3: Employers won’t value my degree if it’s not closely aligned with their work
You may be worried that employers will only want to hire those who studied specific degree subjects. However, most graduate employers recruit graduates of any subject, and are more interested in what you can bring to the role than exactly what you studied.
Our Career Options page lets you see you the variety of different roles which students studying your degree subject have ended up in.
Myth 4: I won’t get a job in the sector I’m most interested in, because I can’t see any relevant vacancies advertised
If you’re not seeing many jobs or internships advertised that you are interested in, there are two things you should consider:
Firstly, graduate employers may be recruiting directly on their own websites, instead of through more generic job sites. You can bookmark the jobs websites of specific companies you are interested in and follow them on social media to have the best chance of seeing advertised jobs.
Secondly, be proactive. Reach out directly to employers who are not actively advertising. It’s not easy to create your own opportunity, but the Careers Service has useful guides on both speculative applications and sourcing your own internship which can help you with this.
Myth 5: There’s not much I can do over the summer to help make myself more employable
You’ve worked hard this year, and it’s really important to take a break. However, this summer offers a great opportunity to catch up on anything you’ve missed out on over the last year, and help to build your CV ready for any job applications you have planned for the autumn. The Careers Service will continue to organise employer-led events, and offer information, advice, and guidance through appointments and the live chat service throughout the summer.
Although your plans may have changed this year, this means that new types of opportunity are available to you. Keep an open mind and remember that that your next job does not need to be your ‘perfect’ or ‘forever’ job – it’s just the next step in gaining valuable experience in the workplace, and gradually realising your career goals.
I am Sammi and I am the Student Marketing and Comms Assistant at the Careers Service alongside doing my master’s in International Security. Working at Careers has opened my eyes to the amazing support on offer to students, so I thought I would share with you the five Careers resources, that I wish I had known about sooner, to help you get ahead of the game.
Congratulations to the 22 students who achieved an Outstanding Award this year, with a special shout out to the 7 who achieved with distinction!
Achieving the Outstanding Award is a great success. It requires students demonstrate they have made a significant contribution to an extracurricular activity though a rigorous application and interview process – no small feat.
The selection process technique and breadth of activities showcased from students this year was trulyOutstanding! Here are just a few of the highlights:
Brandon Man, Economics and Accounting (BSc) Year 2
“I founded Aspiring Interns, a national student-led social initiative which aims to bridge the gap between incoming university students and first-year internship opportunities in the highly competitive mainstream city professions through student-to-student mentoring.”
Freya Mutimer, Anthropology (BA), Year 3
“I co-founded the Sanctuary Scholarship Legal Fund. This is a fund in the University of Bristol’s Student Union which provides financial aid to students from refugee and asylumseeking backgrounds when they do not qualify for legal aid. These students are known as Sanctuary Scholars and are vulnerable to study bans, as well as other legal fees relating to their asylum claim. Due to their scholarship they are disqualified from legal aid, this puts them in a situation of immense financial and emotional turmoil. I supported the set-up of this fund to support them and raise awareness about the issue.”
Lucy Mcgowan, Dynamic Molecular Cell Biology (PhD), Year 4
“I was City Coordinator for Pint of Science (PoS) in Bristol, a global non-profit organisation which brings local scientists into pubs to deliver engaging talks on their research to the public. I lead the PoS Festival in May 2019, whereby multiple events were delivered simultaneously to increase local engagement with a broad variety of STEM topics. I also organised and hosted unique collaborative events between PoS and other charitable organisations, such as Bristol Pride, We The Curious and the International Space School Educational Trust, to widen participation and accessibility to our events.”
Obafemi Alabi, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (BEng), Year 3
“I co-founded and was the Chief Operating Officer for a football league company called MOB Football, for university societies and teams to tackle the problem of racism and representation within football. I organised events in collaboration with the Bristol SU and BME Network for black history month to create more awareness of the problem of racism in footballand engaged over ten university societies within the last two years to participate in the league.”
Sadie Karia, Dental Surgery (BDS), Year 5
“As The Welfare Representative for University of Bristol Dental School Society (UBDSS), my main goal was to raise awareness about Mental Health & Wellbeing for both students and staff within Bristol Dental School.
My biggest success and Outstanding Award activity was pioneering the first “It’s Ok to Fail” Wellbeing Week, and in particular organising the first “Welfare Fair” within this. This week helped signpost people to available support, gave students and staff a chance to openly discuss Mental Health & Wellbeing and made students feel better understood and supported by the School.”
To fully understand the Award process, please visit the Outstanding Award webpage. For more inspiration on the types of projects used towards the Award you can read about last year’s achievers here.
We are excited to announce that this year, six University of Bristol students have been chosen as finalists for the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards!
The TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards is an annual competitionto celebrate the best undergraduates in the UK. Each award is partnered with a graduate recruiter who offers an amazing prize for the winner, including a paid internship, trips abroad, and other exclusive opportunities.
To become finalists, students first had to complete an application, including essay-style questions and online tests. Once passing that stage, students were either invited to a telephone interview or to take part in an assessment centre.
We caught up with our six nominees to hear more about their journeys to becoming finalists.
Catherine Davies for The Management Undergraduate of the Year Award 2021
Management (BSc) Year 2 – PLUS Award achiever and SME Internship Scheme intern
Catherine Davies
“My time in the University has aided my success in the award as throughout my degree I have been able to gain multiple skills and experiences. I have been able to develop my leadership and communication skills, through group work projects, wider learning through completing a sustainable future course as part of the Bristol PLUS Award,and also my employability skills by completing an internship last summer as part of the SME Internship Scheme.”
Jessica Slater for The Undergraduate of the Year Award for Sustainable Thinking 2021
“I’m currently working with Sustainabubbles CIC on a paid internship which I found through the Careers Service. I have some invaluable experience working here and learnt so much about sustainability and how a Community Interest Company operates, and this has definitely helped me receive this nomination.”
Jude D’Alesio for The First Generation Undergraduate of the Year 2021
Honours Law (LLB) Year 2 and PLUS Award achiever
Jude D’Alesio
“The PLUS Award, and the wider Careers Service, have been enormously helpful in allowing me to reach the finals of the award. It has never been in doubt that Bristol University breeds employable graduates, and with the myriad of opportunities on offer ranging from webinars to mock interviews, I now know why.”
Megan Jenkins for The First Generation Undergraduate of the Year 2021
Geography (BSc) Year 2 and PLUS Award achiever
Megan Jenkins
“I applied to the First Generation Award as it is something myself and my family are very proud of and the application process seemed most interesting to me. The skills I’ve gained through partaking in the Careers Service talks and workshops helped me immensely throughout the application process. In particular, I did a workshop on online interview skills that was very useful.”
Simran Bassi, for The Management Undergraduate of the Year Award 2021
International Business Management and German (BA) Year 2
Simran Bassi
“As a management student, I felt that this award would help me take the first steps into my career, whilst also having the chance to network and meet other students. Overall, the whole experience has given me great insight into the management field and I can’t wait to use my new skills throughout my degree and further develop them in the industry after graduating.”
Zachary Levenson for The First Generation Undergraduate of the Year 2021
“I saw the award as a great opportunity to be able to share my experience as a first-generation university student. Coming from a family where my parents didn’t have the same opportunities as I did, I aim to encourage prospective students from a similar background to reap the benefits of higher education.”
The final is usually held in person in London, with only the student finalists and employer partners invited to attend. This year, the final will be held virtually with Rachel Riley as the host. So, if you want to watch our students in action, you can register here and join in the ceremony on Friday 30th April at 1 pm.
We want to congratulate these amazing students for their great achievement of becoming a finalist and wish them immense luck at the finals on Friday 30 April.
Having explored whether postgraduate study is an option for you, and weighed up the pros and cons, you’re now ready to submit your application… but where do you start?!
We often meet students and graduates that find making a start to this process overwhelming. This blog gives you a checklist to inspire you to make a start and provide you with resources that can help you to complete your application.(more…)
Student Volunteering Week is a national event, with Higher and Further Education Institutions across the country using the week to celebrate existing student volunteers and to encourage more students to start volunteering. Your Careers Service is using the week (8-14 February 2021) to celebrate your achievements in volunteering over the past year. However, we are also keen to remind you of the employability benefits to be gained!
Will volunteering really make me stand out to employers?
Absolutely! But don’t take our word for it – in this blog some of our Bristol PLUS Award endorsing employers explain exactly how they perceive volunteer work from their applicants, and just why volunteering is so beneficial for both you and the organisation you go on to work for.
Hello! I’m Dan and I’m in my third year of studying History.
I recently undertook an SME Internship with St Werburghs City Farm(SWCF), a charity providing vital community services for people from all ages and backgrounds facing disadvantages by connecting them to their food in various ways.
My role as Communications and Engagement Intern involvedconsidering how the farm engages with its visitors/audience in an impactful way and conducting research – and petting the farm animals!(more…)
Getting to know a new labour market and how to navigate it can be difficult! That’s why we’ve put together this handy timeline for international students looking to find a job in the UK.
On the Careers Service website, between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday – you can speak to a friendly and expert member of the Careers Service team who are there to help with any careers questions you might have. Here are seven things you should know about our live chat.
Some of the Careers Service team working from home
Freya Mutimer, Anthropology (BA), Year 3 
Obafemi Alabi, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (BEng), Year 3 
Getting to know a new labour market and how to navigate it can be difficult! That’s why we’ve put together this handy timeline for international students looking to find a job in the UK.
