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.
Category: Part time work
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…)
10 ways to avoid being tricked by a job scam
Using online recruitment agencies and websites is now the most common way that students and graduates find a job. While most jobs that you see advertised online are real, fraudsters make use of online advertisements to trick you into paying for something that doesn’t exist.
Scams come in many different forms, but the people who carry them out are always looking for new ways to make easy money. To detect a scam and avoid being tricked, here are 10 things to look out for:
1. Always do your research. Type ‘name of the company’ + ‘scam’ into Google and see what comes up. Are they registered with Companies House? For VAT? Are they on mycareer? Check student forums to see if anyone else is talking about them or has experienced problems.
My Assistant Editor Internship
Iona describes her experience of the SME Internship Schemes during her final year at the University of Bristol. If you’re inspired by her story, you can find out more about the schemes and how to get involved here. 
Hi, I’m Iona. I graduated with a degree in Cellular and Molecular Medicine in July, and from March to June interned as an Assistant Editor at the leading events website in the city – 365bristol.com – through the Santander scheme. (more…)
Interning for an Arts SME
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.
My SME Internship at a science start-up
Manan Vaswani describes the opportunity he received to apply his computing knowledge in the real world. The role was part of the SME Internship Scheme run by the Careers Service, you can find out more about the scheme and how to get involved here. This is what he had to say about his experience:
The word ‘internship’ used to conjure visions of long monotonous days, working for large companies on projects to which my only contribution would be slogging out the most mundane of tasks. This perception, however, was flipped upside-down after Spin Up Science arranged for me to carry out an internship with the science start-up, QLM Technology. (more…)
Help! I don’t have any relevant work experience for my PLUS Award
We often get asked if the 50 hours work experience for the Bristol PLUS Award has to be relevant to your subject, or future career plans. The answer is no!
One of the great things about the PLUS Award is that it helps you identify the value of the transferable skills you have gained from jobs or volunteer roles that you might have been dismissive of, because you can’t see how they directly relate to your future. When you complete your reflective report and final review – the final parts of the PLUS Award – you will gain a good understanding of how these skills are valuable to employers, even if the context in which you gained them seems irrelevant. (more…)
My SME Internship with LettUs Grow
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…)
An Overview of Interning at Engine Shed: Joe Walder
As my internship draws to a close, I’m writing this blog as a recollection of the experiences and insights I’ve had over the past four weeks. I’m a recent graduate from the University of Bristol, having studied a Master’s of Engineering with a year abroad spent in Australia and reached out to Briony to gain further work experience. Based at Engine Shed, my time spent in the scale-up sector has provided invaluable networking opportunities and a greater understanding of post-university career options. Under the direction of Briony, I have been able to work closely with some of the scale-ups at Engine Shed and the wider community.
Find an internship for the summer with the UoB Internship Scheme
Are you looking for a summer internship? The UoB Internship Scheme may be just what you are looking for!
For those who haven’t heard of the scheme before, it supports students wanting to gain quality, paid work experience with Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. An SME is an organisation that employs up to 250 people and has a turnover of less than £40 million. This includes start-ups, charities and social enterprises, so there is a real variety of opportunities available.
Pay will be at least the National Living Wage. Our internships are 4 weeks full-time, or the equivalent 140 hours can be worked on a part-time basis. This is typically flexible and internships can be undertaken during term time or vacations.
Further benefits can include:
- Providing a competitive edge to your CV; standing out in the job market is increasingly crucial.
- Gaining transferable and desirable skills.
- Networking opportunities.
- Potential for extended employment.
- Providing work experience hours for the Bristol PLUS Award.