Graduate Stories: Working as a graduate hardware engineer at Ocado Technology

Posted on November 25, 2024November 26, 2024 by Careers Service

Hi, I’m Louise, I graduated from the University of Bristol in 2022 and I now work at Ocado Technology as a Graduate Hardware Engineer.

My university experience

In 2018 I began studying for an integrated master’s degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. The first three years of my degree were transformative in building my confidence and passion for engineering.

One of the best extra-curricular activities I did during my time at university was being a Course Representative as this helped me to get to know both my cohort and my lecturers. During my second year I also completed the Bristol PLUS Award, a programme organised by the Careers Service. The best thing I gained from this programme was learning how to articulate the value I had gained from my extra curricular experiences in my CV and in job interviews.

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From Wills Memorial to the Palace of Westminster – my Civil Service Fast Stream journey

Posted on November 11, 2024November 7, 2024 by Careers Service

Hi, I’m Annie, a Bristol graduate (BA English, MSc Public Policy) currently working in the Ministry of Justice as part of the Civil Service Fast Stream graduate programme.

Back in 2018, when I decided to study English at Bristol, careers were the furthest thing from my mind. I was passionate about reading and literary history, especially the political contexts of my favourite novels, plays and poems, and knew that Bristol would be the perfect place to develop.

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Graduate Stories: My journey into the space industry

Posted on September 23, 2024October 22, 2024 by Careers Service

University of Bristol alumnus Will Booth, graduated in an MEng in Aerospace Engineering in 2022 and is now working for Airbus Defence and Space. We recently caught up with Will, to hear about his journey from graduating to working in the space industry.

Hi I’m Will,

As I reflect on my journey from the University of Bristol to my current role at Airbus Defence and Space, I appreciate how important my time at university was in shaping my career in the space industry. The exposure I gained during my studies, particularly through my fourth-year group design project (AVDASI4) and my third-year independent research project, simulating reusable launch vehicle landings, solidified my passion for working in the space sector. Through these projects, I discovered my love for complex spacecraft design and developed key contacts at Airbus, which would prove invaluable later on.

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Mentoring matters – your chance to open doors and create opportunities

Posted on April 19, 2024April 29, 2024 by Careers Service

With just one week to go, Bristol Mentors is still open for applications for home UK students returning for study in 2024/25.

Bristol Mentors provides successful student applicants with an alumni mentor working in the sector/industry they are aiming to break into.

Mentorship can be an enriching experience and our student mentees are always happy to tell us more about the range of benefits they have gained whilst on the programme.

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Looking beyond the arts and sciences divide with interdisciplinary work

Posted on March 22, 2024March 21, 2024 by Careers Service

Elena graduated from Bristol in 2022 with a degree in English Literature and is now a Communications Consultant at Bright Carbon.

We caught up with Elena about looking beyond the arts and sciences divide with interdisciplinary work.

“It can feel as though there‘s a massive gap between an arts career and a science career, and once you pick a side, you’re stranded there.

The popularity of Sylvia Plath’s fig tree analogy shows just how many people feel like the choices they make close off all other potential futures. I definitely felt this when I was choosing my degree.

There was a sense of finality – that this was my specialism and other routes were now closed. After a lot of back and forth and deliberation, I chose ‘arts’ and studied Art Foundation and then English Literature at University – and I thought that was the end of that for other subjects.

“But, once I started my job search, I realised pretty quickly that the door to other disciplines never really closes.”

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Faculty of Arts Careers Series 2024: top 5 takeaways

Posted on March 4, 2024March 7, 2024 by Careers Service

Hello! I’m Ella, a final year English Literature student and Career Peer Support Assistant. Here’s a round up of some of the takeaways from the Faculty of Arts Careers Series, which invited 41 University of Bristol alumni and industry experts to share their experiences and tips, and ran through February 2024.

Regardless of which industry you end up in, these 5 insights are transferable across sectors came up again and again…

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How to get into green jobs: the takeaways

Posted on December 11, 2023January 16, 2024 by Careers Service

In November, the Careers Service hosted speakers from a variety of environmental career paths who are each tackling the biggest sustainability issues we currently face using their own unique skills and experiences.

Meet the panellists:

Ann Cousins, Associate, Resilience and Climate Change Advisory, ARUP

Ann is the lead in the resilience, energy and climate change advisory team at Arup which is a sustainability consultancy firm. The team is multidisciplinary including engineers, psychologists, and lawyers. Ann started as a receptionist with Arup after graduating with a French and Italian degree at the University of Bristol and worked her way up to their leading consultancy role.

Recently, Ann also assisted in setting up the Bristol One City environmental plan.

Pierce Griffith, Principal Economist (Chemical), the Environment Agency

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

Posted on November 17, 2023November 13, 2023 by Careers 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:

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

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Graduate stories: Working in software development at Ghyston as a Bristol graduate

Posted on October 4, 2023October 4, 2023 by Careers Service

Meet Bristol graduate Izzie who now works at Bristol-based, independent software company Ghyston, as a Software Developer.

We caught up with Izzie to hear all about her journey from Chemistry student at the University of Bristol to where she is now:

Izzie, (centre) at a Ghyston training day.

“It’s a pretty well-worn path. Primary school, secondary school, A-levels, university, but what next?

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My IKEEP project helping to protect children online

Posted on June 2, 2023June 27, 2023 by Careers Service

The IKEEP programme offers students free business training and industry experience through a paid team placement with a small enterprise.

Marketing undergraduate Nina tells us about her IKEEP project placement with non-profit Better Together and how it’s inspired her future career plans.

Nina, can you tell us about your IKEEP project with Better Together?

Better Together offers workshops and resources on online safety, specifically targeting parents, guardians, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals working with children and young people. They also provide workshops tailored to adult internet use.

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