Category: Careers in specific sectors

Careers in Medicine

Posted on by Careers Service

Welcome to the fascinating world of medicine. Where science and compassion interact to save lives and transform the human experience.

Panellist, Amber, speaks to students at the Careers Service about the Mature Medic Platform.

In March we welcomed a panel of 4 speakers for a panel event, who shared their experiences, as well as their top tips, to students interested in a career in medicine.  

Meet the panellists

Amber, a fourth-year MB ChB student at the University of Bristol, believes age should never be a barrier.

  • studying medicine as a mature student.
  • completed her PhD in Biochemistry at University of Bristol.
  • Her experiences motivated her to set up The Mature Medic Platform for students aged 21 and over.  The Mature Medic Platform offers guidance and mentorship for applying to medicine. Their ‘spotlight’ student videos also highlight the diversity of career journeys into medicine.

Ebube, a second-year MB ChB student at the University of Bristol, shared her experiences of struggling to secure a place to study medicine.

  • She was initially unfamiliar with the application process and overcame many hurdles.
  • She started her degree after a delay of two years.

Her passion for medicine and her perseverance led her to success. Ebube proves that passion can help you achieve your goals.

Jade, is a second-year graduate Professional Entry Medicine student at King’s College. She initially completed a Cellular and Molecular Medicine undergraduate degree.

  • During her degree, she embraced volunteering activities and part-time work.
  • She volunteered in residential care and coordinated a project for isolated older people.
  • She also tutored GCSE and A level students.
  • Jade also worked as a Widening Participation Ambassador and Open Day Host for the university. 

She believes engaging in opportunities to interact with different people during your degree is beneficial as patient interaction is such a vital part of medicine. Every experience counts!

Jodie is a University of Bristol medicine graduate, a Clinical Teaching Fellow on the MB ChB at the university, and is due to start Obstetrics and Gynaecology speciality training in 2023. She believes in the importance of continuous learning.

“Never stop being open to learning. You’ll continue to learn throughout your career in medicine.“

  • Jodie advises reflecting on why you want to pursue this career. What does medicine mean to you, and why is it important? Have you challenged these thoughts?
  • Medicine is a very rewarding career but can be very difficult at times. So it’s worth spending time understanding your motivations and reasons for pursuing medicine. This can help identify if medicine is the right choice for you.

Of course, the Careers Service can help too! We offer appointments to help reflect on your options. Talk to us on Live Chat or drop-in to see us at 5 Tyndall Avenue.

Top tips for students interested in applying for medicine:

Are you studying a non-science undergraduate degree?

Check each school’s eligibility as some offer places for non-science graduates, though criteria vary. Your current academic qualifications may be enough. Or schools may offer the opportunity to apply for a preliminary year. This is an alternative pathway into studying Medicine for students who don’t have the required ‘A’ level or equivalent subjects.

Useful links for further information. Happy exploring!

  • Careers Service Health Sector Guide – Medicine.  Includes advice on finding work experience. University of Bristol medicine students also share their varied routes into medicine and their advice for starting this journey
  • British Medical Association Studying medicine (bma.org.uk).  Information on how to become a doctor and what to expect at medical school
  • NHS Doctors | Health Careers. An introduction to medicine as a career and options to explore other NHS careers 
  • The Mature Medic Platform.  Advice on applying to medical school. Includes video ‘spotlights’ where mature medics share their varied career journeys into medicine 
  • Careers Service Online medicine panel recording. Medicine students and doctors share their experiences of studying and working in medicine.

This blog is written by Priyam Suri, MSc Bioinformatics

Science meets the arts in an IKEEP work placement

Posted on by Careers Service

Electrical and Electronic Engineering student Tirenioluwa Omigbodun recently took on the challenge of an IKEEP placement with independent arts venue The Bristol Improv Theatre (BIT).

She was part of a student team looking at external factors impacting the theatre so they can adapt and attract new audiences. 

Tirenioluwa Omigbodun posing for a selfie in front of the window overlooking Wills Memorial Building on a sunny day in Bristol.

Tirenioluwa, can you tell us about your team placement with Bristol Improv Theatre?

The placement with the Bristol Improv Theatre was on looking at their external environment. The theatre was preparing their 2023/25 business plan and needed a glimpse of the socio-economic environment. We researched their audience profiles, trends within the industry and how the BIT impacts its environment.  

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Get Hired sponsor spotlight – meet Elizabeth from Davitt Jones Bould (DJB)

Posted on by Careers Service

Hi, I’m Elizabeth Collin and I am the Business Manager at Davitt Jones Bould (DJB), real estate law specialists, and we are one of the sponsors of Get Hired this year.

After graduating from the University of Warwick in 2018 with first-class honours in English Literature, I embarked on the graduate job hunt. When looking for positions, I was very open-minded, seeking a position that would allow me to learn and grow in a commercial setting.

This is always my first tip to graduates now: with this mindset, you will invariably stumble upon opportunities that you weren’t even aware of at the time. This is exactly what I experienced when I secured my graduate position at Davitt Jones Bould (DJB).

DJB is a national law firm founded in 1999 which has become established as the largest specialist real estate firm in the UK. Unlike traditional law firms, at DJB we operate a twin-track model, separating commercial dealings from the legal practice.

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Top tips for getting into the arts sector

Posted on by Careers Service

The arts sector offers an incredible range of exciting and diverse career options. However, navigating it and figuring out how to get onto your chosen career path can be unclear.

The creative industries don’t tend to mass recruit so you might have to think a bit differently about how you find and approach opportunities.  

A paintbrush covered in red paint surrounding by a circular splatter pattern on a white background.

Understanding what kinds of experience and qualifications you need in order to pursue your desired career is an important first step.

Many industries expect to see a portfolio or are looking for specialist skills. Our sector guides are a great place to start when looking to kick-start a career in the arts.

These helpful guides have tailored information and advice about industries such as the performing arts, digital media, and heritage.

Finding work opportunities

Finding opportunities in the arts can be more difficult than in STEM. Less opportunities are widely advertised in the arts industries, particularly in very competitive sectors such as film and television.

Making speculative applications is therefore a great way to target your energies towards the companies and the roles that you would like. Even if your application is not successful, speculative applications can be a great way to get on a company’s radar and make connections which may help you in the future.  

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Aman: My IKEEP experience with a tech start-up

Posted on by Careers Service

The IKEEP (Intrapreneurial Knowledge Exchange Enterprise Pathway) programme, run by world-leading business incubator SETsquared, offers free online training in entrepreneurship and business skills.

Some students then take on a project with an innovative SME. We caught up with epidemiology postgrad Aman Jat after he finished his IKEEP placement with medical tech start-up Microsol.

Aman Jat at the beach in Cornwall

Aman, can you tell us more about the project you were working on? 

Microsol is a science start-up focused on delivering AI-enabled software products for predicting aerosol properties in respiratory drug delivery. Microsol directly contribute to the advancement of respiratory therapeutics, which is beneficial to society and the economy.

The aim of our project was to plan Microsol’s public launch. A key objective was to develop a marketing campaign, find prospective investors from data and expand their network, as well as enhance their web presence.

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How to get into: business intelligence, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.

Posted on by Careers Service

It’s no surprise that career opportunities within the business intelligence, data, and AI sectors have grown massively in recent years.

Data is everywhere, so data analytics is critical in helping businesses improve all types of decision outcomes.

Technology is constantly unearthing new ways to be innovative and efficient, making it an equally exciting and challenging area to work within.

On 14 March 2023, we were joined by three speakers who shared their experiences of internship, leadership, and entrepreneurship within these evolving areas of the technological industry, and how students from a range of academic backgrounds can go into them.

Our speakers were:

Teik Keat Tee
Finance Business Intelligence Intern  

Sam Haynes
Head of Risk Analytics  

Helen Tanner
Director at Data Cubed 

Here are our top 7 takeaways from the event:

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How to get into: Media – film, TV, and radio

Posted on by Careers Service

Hi! My name is Ella and I am a second-year English student and Career Peer Support Assistant at the Careers Service.

In February I attended the “Careers in media: film, TV and radio” panel event, as part of the Faculty of Arts Careers Series.

The Alumni panel included:

  • Ceci Golding: Producer at the BBC
  • Kaia Rose: Multimedia Content Lead at Connect4Climate
  • Owain Astles: Freelance Film Director
  • Rosalind Arnell: Senior Music Producer at Classic FM

Film, TV, and radio are thriving sectors renowned for their popularity and competitiveness. The media industry has seen a shift post-pandemic, with the increase in streaming services creating a huge quantity of new and flexible opportunities.

Someone holding a clapperboard, used in film making

The media sector contributed 111 billion pounds to the UK economy pre-pandemic. The South West, in particular Bristol, is a thriving media hub which employs around 50,000 people in a wide variety of roles.

Here are my top 6 takeaways from the Q&A panel:

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How to get into Social Policy

Posted on by Careers Service

Last month the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law hosted a panel event on How to get into Social Policy, as part of the ‘How to get into’ event series. 

Here we bring you an overview of the sector and the panellists’ top tips for getting into social policy.

What is social policy?

Social policy is all about addressing human needs for security, social justice and welfare, and it considers how states and societies deal with such issues.

There are many different routes into policy work and a wide range of roles to pursue if you’re interested in this area – both in the private and public spheres.

A common entry route into the sector is as a research associate for independent think tanks. You could also work in project delivery or as a policy adviser in a government department. If you’re interested in more local issues, you might consider applying for the National Graduate Development Programme which is run through local governments.

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My SME Internship: Jemima – Vounder Analytics

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Hi, I’m Jemima, a second-year computer science student. Last summer I completed a month-long SME Internship with Vounder Analytics

Vounder Analytics builds bespoke insurance data systems for other organisations and is moving the actuarial and insurance industry away from dated and unsuitable tools such as Excel.  

My experience 

A head and shoulders photo of Jemima, smiling

Before my internship, I did not think I would have been capable of the tasks I worked on. However, the workplace was a brilliant learning environment.

My tasks were clearly explained and presented to me in manageable chunks, with ample opportunity to ask questions. I also learnt a lot about insurance and actuaries (I didn’t even know what an actuary was before I started!). All in all, I was presented with fulfilling and diverse work, without being overwhelmed.

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Mentoring matters – why apply for Bristol Mentors?

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The Bristol Mentors scheme matches successful applicants with an alumni mentor who will help you explore ideas, share advice and give you an edge to break into the job sector that interests you.

To celebrate Bristol Mentors now being open for applications for the class of 2023/24, we caught up with Lucy (BA English Literature, 2019) and Grace (MA Law, 2019) to hear about their experiences as student mentees on the programme.

Both former mentees have since taken the role of mentor for two current students. From mentee to mentor, and student to graduate, they are full of valuable experiences worth sharing!

Lucy smiling in her graduation gown
Lucy, EDI Lead for Communities at the National Literacy Trust
Grace, Trainee Solicitor at CMS UK
Grace, Trainee Solicitor at CMS UK
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