Graduate stories: from Bristol graduate to External Communications and Relationships Manager at STEM Women.

Pam McGee is a 2005 Bristol University graduate who studied English Literature BA.

Pam is now the External Communications and Relationships Manager at STEM Women. She has kindly written this blog to tell us about her experiences at University and working for STEM Women.

A picture of Pam smiling

“I can’t tell you a motivational story about how I always wanted to work in PR and communications, because I never knew I wanted to – it just happened. But I can give you one key piece of advice which is to engage with your university Careers Service – something which, I’m sorry to say, I didn’t do during my time at Bristol.

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Graduate stories: from a Bristol graduate to Pupil Barrister with the Crown Prosecution Service

Hi, I’m Ellen. I studied LLB Law from 2015 to 2018 at Bristol, where I developed a real interest in criminal justice.

A picture of Ellen, the author, smiling,

Modules such as Rich Law, Poor Law and Jurisprudence encouraged me to think about the practical implications of law and the (in)justice these perpetuate for everyday people

As a student leader in the Human Rights Law Clinic, I gained experience working alongside lawyers on a project to encourage compliance with the UN OPCAT (Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture) on behalf of the African Commission. This developed my interest in using law to achieve positive societal change.

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Want to get into marketing? Here is what the professionals had to say…

I recently had the opportunity to attend ‘How to get into Marketing, Advertising and PR’, an event organised by the Careers Service for Social Science and Law students. We heard from many exciting people working at pioneering companies (see more below), who shared exciting insights and top tips.

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Laura Izquierdo: from Bristol graduate to Watson Farley & Williams Trainee Solicitor.

A picture of Laura Izquierdo

Laura Izquierdo is a 2014 Bristol graduate who studied Law at Bristol, she is now a trainee solicitor at Watson Farley & Williams.

We caught up with her to hear about her career journey so far and top tips she has for students considering a career in law.

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How to get into Government and Politics

Considering a career in Government and Politics?

In October 2022 the Faculty of Social Science and Law employability team hosted a ‘How to get into Government and Politics’ panel event. Professional speakers, all University of Bristol Social Science and Law alumni, joined to talk about their careers in this area and give advice on how you can get there.

Speakers we heard from:

  • Tabitha Tossel, Senior COVID-19 Inquiry Governance Officer at the Department for Health and Social Care.
  • Kim Slim, Policy Team Leader at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
  • Anwen Jones, Area Lead for Gloucestershire and Dorset in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
  • James Allan, Economics and Strategy at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
  • Vasiliki Sogia, Social Research Officer at the Office for National Statistics.

Check out their profiles on LinkedIn by clicking their names! (more…)

My SME Internship: Nathan – Purplefish

Nathan is a Politics and International Relations graduate who worked as a Social Media intern at Purplefish as part of the SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) Internship Scheme.

A photo of Nathan, smiling.

Hi, I’m Nathan and I was recently given the opportunity to spend a month as a PR and Social Media Intern at Purplefish, an award-winning, Bristol-based PR and communications firm. Admittedly, I held preconceived notions that an internship would be a relatively uninspired experience that would be undertaken solely for the CV boosting prospects. However, in reality, I couldn’t be further from the truth. 

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Is a graduate scheme right for me? Pros, cons, and FAQs.

To grad scheme, or not to grad scheme; a question many of us have asked. Differing from graduate jobs, graduate schemes are training programmes run by large companies, offering a body of graduates a firm foothold in an industry. Keep reading to see if a grad scheme is suited to you and get application tips.

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Madeleine Pengelly: from Bristol graduate to Delaware

The  Employer Showcase, is just under two weeks away!

A busy bristol beacon at leats years careers fair. up front, purple and orange balloons

Taking place on Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October, it is a great opportunity to build connections with employers from a variety of sectors, and see what opportunities are available from graduate roles and internships to work experience.

Our employers range from international organisations to small and medium enterprises and there will be different employers attending each day. Check out mycareer to book your place and start planning who you want to meet.

Our sponsors this year are OC&C Strategy Consultants, Frazer Nash, AlphaSights, Datamine, Delaware and Baker Hughes.

Madeleine Pengelly from Delaware (one of this year’s fair sponsors) tells us about her time at university and life in her current role.

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Teach First case study

Tim, graduated in 2020

I applied to Teach First in my second year at Bristol. I applied because I am passionate about creating an education system which works for everyone. This encouraged me to teach science, because science teachers are in such short supply.

Graduating during a lockdown was a strange experience. Training to teach during that lockdown was even more surreal.

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