As the new academic year starts, we are so excited to welcome you all back and *drumroll please* open the Bristol PLUS Award for registration! (more…)
Category: Part time work
Find work experience for this summer 🌞
Work experience is any opportunity which gives you experience of work, or the non-academic skills that will prepare you for work. It can be paid or unpaid experience and is not necessarily related to your degree or your future career plans. This can include internships, summer vacation jobs, volunteering, insight events and shadowing as well as self-driven projects.
Good quality work experience should:
- Teach you new skills including professional behaviours.
- Highlight which skills you need.
- Let you explore a career idea.
- Connect you to people you could use as contacts in the future.
- Improve your understanding of that sector.
- Demonstrate your interest in that sector.
- Provide you with a reference.
We know that many of you have had your summer internships and work experience cancelled or are struggling to find opportunities.
Here are some ways we’d suggest you look for new opportunities for this summer.
COVID-19 SME Internship Fund
We have launched a new internship fund to provide paid work experience of 4 weeks within Bristol-based small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
Chambers of Commerce: the successful job hunter’s best kept secret
What are Chambers of Commerce?
Chambers of Commerce are membership organisations which businesses can join to access services to help them grow and play a part in their local business community. They exist around the world at the local, regional and national level. Bristol Chamber of Commerce is run by Business West. You can easily find Chambers for your nearest home town or city, or home country, by searching online. For example, “[name of city] Chamber of Commerce.”
Calling all final years and recent graduates! An internship opportunity for you!
The Santander SME Internship Scheme provides quality, paid work experience opportunities for final year students and graduates who completed their degree in the last 18 months. (more…)
Why would an SME hire me for an internship?
If you’re looking for an internship, sourcing your own can be a great way to find an opportunity with an organisation that you’re really interested in. 
For our SME Internship Scheme, we can offer funding to a small and medium enterprise (SME) to help them take you on for a paid internship.
When you’re approaching SMEs to ask for an internship opportunity, it can feel like you’re asking for something which only you benefit from. However, it’s important to remember that an internship can be mutually beneficial, and SMEs in particular can reap big rewards from taking on a University of Bristol intern.
Here’s four reasons why recruiting an intern can be good for a small business: (more…)
Four skills employers are looking for
The top skills employers in the south west are looking for and how you can develop these over the festive season.
What skills are local employers looking for? In the recent Local Sector Skills Statements 2019 produced by Skills West, communication skills featured in the top three most desirable skills listed by employers across eight separate sectors in the south west. (more…)
Calling all final years and recent graduates! An internship opportunity for you!
The Santander SME Internship Scheme provides quality, 
paid work experience opportunities for final year students and graduates who completed their degree in the last 18 months.
The internships are 280 hours long and can be completed on a part-time or full-time basis. (more…)
Size isn’t everything: 5 reasons why you should start your career working for an SME
Working for a big corporate giant isn’t the only option when you graduate, starting your career in a small business can offer incredible experiences and teach you some invaluable life lessons.
Looking for a summer internship?
The University runs internship schemes that enable you to gain quality, paid work experience.
We work with SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) including charities, social enterprises, and start-ups, as well as larger organisations across the UK.
There are many reasons why you might want to do an internship: (more…)