Bristol Mentors is now open for applications for home UK students returning for study in 2024/25.
We caught up with Elena (Politics and Sociology BSc), one of two Bristol Mentors Student Associates about her experiences as a mentee on the programme.
As part of LGBT+ History Month, the Careers Service hosted a panel event exploring what it’s like in the workplace for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
The event connected current students with speakers from the LGBTQIA+ community who work in a variety of different sectors, allowing those who attended a chance to hear stories and advice, and ask questions.
Our panel included –
Cassie Agbehenu (she/her or they/them) – Director of Impact and Influence, Bristol Students’ Union
Dr Jo Hartland (they/them) – Senior Lecturer, Bristol Medical School
Mateusz Lipinski (he/him) – Business Analyst, Deloitte
Yiran Liu (she/her) – Audit Associate, Deloitte
Raeesa Rajmohamed (she/her) – Barrister, Academic Writer and Human Rights Implementation Centre Advisor
Here are their key tips for LGBTQIA+ people to thrive in the workplace.
Last term, PwC’s Kim Whippy, Change 100’s Ursula Green, and University of Bristol MEng Aerospace Engineering alumnus, Syirah Ami, joined us at our ‘Disability and neurodivergence career panel’.
They shared their insights into the range of support available for students and graduates:
Workplace adjustments
Reasonable adjustments within the workplace maximise inclusivity, accessibility, and support for employees.
Applicants are encouraged to disclose requests or requirements whenever is most comfortable for them.
LGBTQ+ History Month aims to increase the visibility of LGBTQ+ people, their history and experiences.
It’s an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made for LGBTQ+ rights, whilst also recognising the barriers that still exist and the importance of continuing to fight for equality.
We caught up with Lola Karpf, an Anthropology (MA) student who is currently completing the Bristol PLUS Award, to find out about the work she’s done to champion LGBTQ+ friendly spaces.
David Simkins is a 2023 MA Music with Innovation graduate with a developing career in music and media.
Between working at a local record label alongside his studies, conducting student orchestras and scoring soundtracks for media projects, (including two feature films and a short film), being mentored by the Head of Marketing at Sony Music’s Columbia Records and interning at SoundCloud, David (pictured right) has been busy in the past 4 years!
Drawing on his experience with soundtracks, tech, and client management, David is pursuing a music career in creative sync and marketing while working to improve industry transparency, education, and inclusivity, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community.
We caught up with David about how his extracurricular activities throughout his degree helped him get to where he is:
Career planning can be tricky. We know some students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can also face specific challenges.
These may include:
Exploring career ideas when you don’t know what’s out there;
Getting quality work experience with fewer existing networks; or
Having time to dedicate to career planning alongside other commitments.
At the Careers Service, we provide dedicated support to address these challenges:
Bristol Mentors
The Bristol Mentors scheme matches you with an alumni mentor. They can help you explore ideas, share advice, and give you an edge to break into the job sector that interests you.
Applications typically open in the Spring term – check your university emails.
“Hi, I’m Anika. For my SME Internship, I was working for a start-up called Safer Industries Ltd.
I worked closely with the founder, Tim, to begin fleshing out the brands of his company and organise some elemental ideas around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policy.
Apart from occasional meetings in local Bristol cafés, my work was remote and flexible.
By the end of my internship, which spanned two months part-time during term-time, we had collaboratively created logos for one brand and created a Venn diagram covering some starting points for what would later be developed into a comprehensive and novel ESG policy.
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.
Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) is a multi-award-winning charity which works to affirm the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and reduce discrimination experienced because of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Since 2013, EACH has hosted 15 SME interns through our SME Internship Scheme.
So why does EACH participate in the SME Internship Scheme each year? Here’s what Jonathan Charlesworth, Executive Director of EACH, says:
Bristol Pride is all about showcasing, celebrating and championing LGBTQIA+ equality.
In conjunction with Pride 2023, we caught up with two Bristol PLUS Award achievers to find out about the work they have done to champion LGBTQIA+ friendly spaces.