Would you like to develop your Intrapreneurial skills and gain invaluable experience working with entrepreneurs?
Our IKEEP (Intrapreneurial Knowledge Exchange Enterprise Pathway) programme is designed for current students from all disciplines to undertake training and engage with industry on knowledge exchange projects as business advisors.
Students will get the opportunity to develop business model solutions and market awareness whilst enhancing their skills as intrapreneurs and future employees.
The IKEEP programme includes training in a range of business areas such as managing innovation, business model canvas and leadership strategies. After completing the training, you can apply for a project placement which matches businesses with teams of proactive students to tackle innovative project briefs through flexible 4-week project placements.
Hi, my name is Harry and I am a final year Management with Innovation student at the University of Bristol. This course is a four-year integrated master’s degree, combining specialist core disciplines such as Management, Economics, Physics and many others, with Innovation, to tackle the growing needs of the 21st Century.
Over the summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to join INVISTA, a global manufacturer of fibers, polymers and chemical intermediates, and a subsidiary of Koch Industries. I worked as a Business Operations Intern, joining the wider EU Supply Chain team.
I engaged with the Careers Service at the University of Bristol several times in my third year, when I was looking at, and applying for internships. The service provided me with resources to help my application stand out and signposted internships, including the INVISTA summer programme that I recently completed.
During this internship, I worked in the relatively new Centre of Excellence (COE) team. This formed part of the wider Enablement team, where the focus is very much on innovation. I found the opportunity to be a part of this team exciting, as it allowed me to use the theory I had learned in my course and apply it in the real world to improve efficiency within selected Supply Chain processes.
From a more tangible perspective, I got the chance to experiment and use tools new to me, such as ChatGPT to automate a process, and worked with developers to enhance a current system of capturing customer information. Through the culture of Principled-Based Management™, I also had the opportunity to ‘fail’, and take it as a learning opportunity for when things don’t go to plan – as they so often do. Therefore, this role provided an opportunity for both personal and professional growth.
Following the conclusion of my internship, INVISTA kindly offered me a full-time position as a Business Operations Specialist beginning in 2024, following my graduation. I will be joining the Customer Experience team, where I will be the focal point for my customers to ensure they get the very best service we can provide. I am really looking forward to beginning my career at INVISTA and furthering my knowledge in supply chains and the manufacturing industry.
Whilst studying, I found taking part in activities such as representing the University in tennis and being part of the innovation society, (firstly as Kit Secretary before moving on to Equality Director) will help me develop skills for working life, through teamwork, leadership, and people-skills.
I think one of the key skills to work in this industry would be the drive to continually keep learning. However, there are some skills which would be more obvious to increase your chances of getting into this sector, like teamwork, customer service skills, and experience using software such as Salesforce, SAP, and PowerBi.
I would also encourage you to want to keep learning more about whatever it is you are doing. For example, before my internship, I had very little knowledge of supply chains, business operations or the manufacturing industry, before my internship, but I was given a chance to learn because I showed the drive and commitment to constantly and quickly learn or adapt.
At our spring careers fair, Get Hired, student Jamie approached Blue Frontier. As a result, he secured a full-time position with them.
We spoke to Michael Raisbeck, Cyber Security Consultant at Blue Frontier, and Jamie to hear about how a conversation at a careers fair turned into a stepping stone to an opportunity.
It was great to see so many of you at our recent Employer Showcase, and hope you enjoyed the opportunity to network with potential employers. Our next big careers event will be the University of Bristol Law Fair.
Join us at the Wills Memorial Building on Thursday 2 November from 12:30 pm until 3 pm to engage with 41 law firms seeking Bristol graduates. The event even includes employer-led talks from leading firms, so come along to find out exactly what top law firms are looking for.
This is the perfect opportunity for those of you interested in law to explore a career in the legal sector.
If you’re studying law, considering a conversion Masters, or simply wish to explore your options, make sure you don’t miss out.
Attending the fair is only the first step…
It’s essential to keep things moving after the fair and stay in touch with your contacts. Take a look at these quick tips in order to maximise your pre-fair and post-fair experience:
Recent research* shows that 17% of students are already using generative AI tools to assist with writing documents such as CVs and cover letters for applications. By the time you read this, that figure will no doubt be higher.
It’s hard to avoid the news and frenzy around tools such as ChatGPT that can make light work of even complex tasks. Where we have our limitations in terms of knowledge and resources, AI can instantly draw on comprehensive expertise from millions of data points to help us reduce time spent on admin-intensive work.
So, whether you feel overwhelmed with multiple applications or just find it difficult to produce the right words, it’s understandable that taking a shortcut can be appealing.
Last academic year, final year Engineering Mathematics student Patrick approached Windō at the Get Hired careers fair, and as a result was able to secure an SME Internship with them.
We caught up with Oli, founder and CEO of Windō, and Patrick to hear about how a chat at a careers fair led to a connection…and an internship!
Windō
Windō is a free platform for students to easily access, digest and compare the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) progress and plans that companies are making to drive positive change across sustainability, diversity, equality and inclusion, and employee wellbeing.
“Hi, I’m Oli, CEO at Windō.
We were invited as a Sustainability Partner to have a stall at Get Hired in the Spring. It’s always a great opportunity to demonstrate our platform to students and meet the very people we built Windō for.
Our annual 2-day careers fair, the Employer Showcase is back! Join us on Wednesday 11 October and Thursday 12 October from 12:30 pm to 4 pm at Bristol Beacon.
The Employer Showcase is a great opportunity to network with employers from a variety of sectors and see what opportunities are available. This year, Delaware is one of our fair sponsors and will be coming along to chat with students over both days. We recently caught up with Josh Westwell to hear about his experience taking part in Delaware’s analyst programme.
Our annual 2-day careers fair, the Employer Showcase, is back, bringing brilliant opportunities to network and foster connections with potential employers.
The event runs on Wednesday 11 October and Thursday 12 October from 12:30 pm to 4 pm at Bristol Beacon, providing the chance to discover a whole range of work experience, internships, and graduate roles from employers of all backgrounds.
The Careers Service will be located on the Lower Ground Floor of the venue and will be available to answer any questions that you might have about the showcase.
There will be the opportunity to receive bespoke advice from our Careers Advisers, as well as the chance to get a professional headshot taken for your LinkedIn profile – please register using this form to express your interest: LinkedIn Headshot Registration Form
Our careers fairs are for everyone, so if you:
Suffer from a long-term physical or mental disability
Are neurodivergent (including but not limited to Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia)
Have any access requirements to be fulfilled
Are apprehensive about any aspects of the event
We are here to help make the day as easy as possible for you.
With our two-day careers fair, the Employer Showcase, fast approaching, here are some of our top tips to help you prepare for the day.
The Employer Showcase is happening on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 October, from 12:30 p.m. to 4 pm at Bristol Beacon, Trenchard Street. If you haven’t already, make sure you book your place on mycareer.
First and foremost, the Career Fair Plus app will be your best friend for navigating the Employer Showcase and making the most of your time there. The app offers an interactive floorplan, resources to research ahead of time, and filters to view your employers of interest to guide you through your experience.
Top tip: There are different employers attending each of the days, so we recommend coming along on both days to get the most out of it.
Once you’ve downloaded the app and got a feel for what to expect at the event, here’s what you can do to get the most value out of the two days:
Ready to start your first job? Graduate programmes are a popular choice for graduates, offering a great way to kickstart your professional journey.
These programmes are designed to prepare you for the job market, equipping you with the necessary skills and knowledge to stand out from the competition.
At FDM, we’ve been connecting people with technology for over 30 years. Our graduate programmes attract thousands of individuals each year, helping them discover exciting opportunities in business and tech.
But what skills are recruiters looking for in candidates? The FDM recruitment team spill the beans…
