Helping you get to where you want to be when you graduate
We caught up with Lucy Downer, Final Year English BA Undergraduate, about her experiences of having a mentor with the Bristol Mentors programme.
Starting out as a third-year student I felt incredibly daunted by the prospect of life post-graduation. Being part of the Bristol Mentors programme this year has given me invaluable experience within an industry I am considering entering after graduation. (more…)
Is this you? You graduated from the University of Bristol in 2018, but you feel that something is missing. Lots of people you know might be in graduate careers now, moving and shaking to shape their world, but you’re still wondering what you should do? What would make the difference?
(Photo from Pixabay)
Employers tell us consistently that work experience is the answer. Not that week you had to do back at school, where you sat and watched people doing something vaguely more interesting than your lessons.
We’re talking about getting stuck in and really experiencing what a graduate role is like and making a difference, showing what impact you can bring to an organisation. In fact, this year over a third of the Times Top 100 employers repeated their warnings from previous years – that graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are less to be successful during the selection process for their graduate programmes. (The Graduate Market in 2019 – High Fliers Research.)
Have you heard about our SME Internship Scheme? It’s a great opportunity for students to find quality, paid work experience opportunities with small and medium enterprises in the UK. Here’s one student’s experience:
My name’s Tom and I did a 3-month producing and marketing internship with MAYK, a theatre-producing organisation who host Mayfest, a Bristol-based international theatre festival.
The producing aspect of my internship was built around helping to organise Demostage, an event that provides a platform for people to share ideas for creative projects with an audience and ask for feedback. This involved contacting our sharers and the venue on the run-up to the event and also helping out on the day.
Bristol Futures open online courses are now an essential element of the Bristol PLUS Award. With their broad range of topics and interactive learning style, it’s hardly surprising that they are receiving great reviews – but who is doing what, and which might you do?
This post was accurate at the time of writing, please check online for the latest information.
We know that many of our international students would like to get a job in the UK when they graduate. However, it can be hard to find an employer willing to sponsor you for a Tier 2 visa.
The good news is, there’s an alternative visa route if you’re prepared to be flexible: the Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange). You are eligible if you are from outside of the EEA and Switzerland.
The run up to Christmas can be a whirlwind of activity – presents, parties, travel plans, revision for exams. After Christmas Day itself though, as the New Year approaches, our minds often turn to what we’d like to do differently in the year ahead. So often these resolutions can be about “fixing” something we’re not happy with: our fitness, terrible French, suboptimal study habits, excessive Netflix viewing….
This year why not think about building on the positive, instead of focusing on what’s not right. Leading management thinkers are now arguing that our greatest potential for development lies in enhancing our strengths, rather than following the traditional management approach of tackling our weaknesses.
I graduated last summer with a degree in Biology. When I finished I hadn’t got a large amount planned, all I knew was that I wanted to remain in Bristol. I was open to all jobs to start off with but my overall aim was to head down a biological route.
In November I had an opportunity to have a meeting with a member of staff from the UoB Careers Service, this was really helpful in clarifying the types of jobs I could see myself doing and what steps I should take next. She also told me about internship schemes Bristol University offer with local SMEs. (more…)
Alex secured a role with Selfridges as a Front End Developer after graduating in 2015 with a BSc Politics and the Bristol PLUS Award under his belt.
“The Bristol PLUS Award encouraged me to pursue hours of paid work which helped populate my CV and gave me experience of what to expect in an office. It also helped prepare me with examples that I could talk about in my interview, to help showcase various efforts I made in trying to gain employment.
or those of you who haven’t decided on what you would like to do after you graduate – don’t worry, there’s still time!
Check out what we have on at the Spring Careers Fair 2 & 3 May from 12-3pm.
1. Careers Fair Plus App
Download the Careers Fair Plus App from the App Store or Google Play Store. Check out which employers are attending on each day and use the filters to narrow your search. Don’t forget to let us know your thoughts once you’ve visited via the feedback form.
2. Employers
This is your chance to meet a range of companies of different sizes, and sectors, and to find out about opportunities for future graduate jobs and internships. Also, employers are still hiring; use the filter on the Careers Fair app to find out who.
3. Global Opportunities
Are you an International Student looking to secure work in the UK or back home? We’re holding a short talk on how to secure a job or work experience in the UK. This will be followed up by employer films highlighting their recruitment across the globe. Click here to sign up.
LinkedIn is ideal for building a professional network and giving prospective employers a good view of who you are and is a popular medium for recruiting people. However, have you considered your other social media pages when it comes to job hunting?
Whether you’re looking for a part-time job, internship or a graduate role, social media can have a key part to play.