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.
This Spring your Careers Service is offering an extra suite of support for widening participation students, which includes:
BAME students
Disabled students
Mature students
Students who attended an aspiring school
Students who grew up in a low income household.
We know widening participation students face additional barriers to career thinking. This may include exploring career ideas when you don’t know what’s out there, getting quality work experience with less developed networks, and facing discrimination in recruitment practices. That’s why we’ve put together a dedicated programme of support this Spring to get you career ready:
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…)
The Outstanding Award is the perfect platform for students to be recognised and rewarded for making a significant contribution to a project or extracurricular activity.
It is the Universities highest employability accolade and acknowledges students who have gone above and beyond in their chosen context.
Mirrors a real-life recruitment process.
Rewarding outstanding contributions and high level application and interview technique
Provides engagement with industry experts on the interview panel.
We asked a few of our experts why they were dedicated to the Outstanding Award process, and here is what they had to say!
‘I’ve always been really impressed by the creativity and innovation of the projects that the students have done, and I’ve been inspired by how they have put their ideas into action in their own time. This is such an important programme for Bristol University, because it’s really helping to develop the leaders, innovators and pioneers of the future.’ James Fortune, Head of Service, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
‘Achieving the Outstanding Award demonstrates that a student is willing to go above and beyond what is required or expected of them. It shows their capacity to offer meaningful contributions to topics and areas beyond what could be considered a student’s ‘normal sphere of influence’ Leah Eatwell, Community Led Housing Enabler, Ecomotive.
‘Without doubt, at the heart of the Outstanding Awards are the students themselves. Their drive and ambition, their dedication to their projects, and the benefits such endeavours provide for the wider community is truly inspiring.’ Matt Gibbs, WGGB Award nominated writer and editor
If you have already achieved the Bristol PLUS Award and feel that you have made a significant contribution to a project or activity that meets the brief of the Outstanding Award, now is the perfect time to start your application! The deadline for submitting applications if 7th March 2021.
You can gain inspiration on the types of projects used towards the Award and read about last year’s achievers here.
Successful applications will be invited to interview during the week starting 19th April 2021. Our team and this year’s expert panellists very much look forward to meeting you!
It is an exciting time for international students! If you are graduating from this summer, you will be able to apply for the new graduate route, to stay in the UK and work or look for work for two years, or three years if you have a PhD.
The main benefit of this route over the skilled worker route is that you do not need an employer to sponsor you. We expect the government to publish full details on how to apply for the route very soon. In the meantime here are 3 steps you can take now to make the most of this opportunity.
The pandemic has impacted so much, including the world of work. The ongoing uncertainty can feel de-motivating; it may feel easier to avoid thinking about careers right now and to put it off until later. However, it could be an ideal time for career thinking and looking at what the Faculty of Arts Careers Series has to offer, (more…)
Eveline has written about her recent internship at Tumelo, which was supported by our COVID-19 SME Internship Fund. The aim of this fund was to support local SMEs including charities, social enterprises and start-ups who are operating at maximum capacity as they respond to the challenges of Coronavirus, while giving students valuable and meaningful work experiences in a difficult economic climate.(more…)
Rosie, who was studying Biochemistry, has written about her recent Digital Marketing internship which was supported by our COVID-19 SME Internship Fund. The aim of this fund was to support local SMEs including charities, social enterprises and start-up who are operating at maximum capacity as they respond to the challenges of Coronavirus, while giving students valuable and meaningful work experience in a difficult economic climate.
Introduction
As part of the University of Bristol’s COVID-19 SME Internship Fund, I completed a placement with Airway Medical Ltd (AML), a Bristol-based, medical device start–up. The company produces Suction and Oxygen Therapy equipment such as theAirway Medical Suction Unit (AMSU™) for clearing blocked airways in emergency and chronic conditions.(more…)
I did an SME Internship at Scribeless, a tech start-up company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced printing technology to create handwritten letters that are indiscernible from those written by the human hand. Enterprise giants and start-ups alike, companies all around the world use Scribeless’ letters to bring a personalised feel to their marketing campaigns, ultimately leading to an improvement in their acquisition and retention of customers.(more…)
