Ghosting: an age-old problem or a new phenomenon?

Posted on May 2, 2025May 13, 2025 by Careers Service

How to deal with being “ignored” whilst job hunting

Imagine this scenario. You see a job advertised for a large company. It is advertised as an entry level job, and you are delighted that you meet all the criteria.

Actually, the more you look at it, the more you realise that you are the perfect candidate, and this is the job for you.

You clear your calendar and designate three whole days to writing the application. Dinner with Gran will have to wait.

You get it done. You get it proofread. You lap up the praise. It is perfect. You send it well in advance of the deadline. And you wait for your invite to interview.

And you wait. And you wait. You refresh your email a million times. You check that your phone is working. You google “How long does it take to be called to an interview?” You ask ChatGPT what it would do.

Not hearing back after submitting a job application is far from a new phenomenon, and many people will have tales similar to this one. However, frequency of occurrence doesn’t stop the pain of a ghosting (as many internet daters can contest to!). And it is not just initial applications – it can happen at every stage of the hiring process.

So, what do you do if you find yourself ghosted? Below are a few suggestions that might just help you out:

(more…)

My Skills: the first step to an international career in human rights

Posted on April 21, 2025April 8, 2025 by Careers Service

Hi, I’m Olivia, a final year Politics and International Relations student. I’ve been using the My Skills platform to reflect on my last few years at the University of Bristol and to help me take stock of my transferable skills, ready for the start of my career journey.

Using My Skills made me realise that the work I’ve done, both for and outside of my studies, has helped me engage with both local communities and the wider world. As I’m aspiring to a career in the NGO/human rights sector, both are attributes that are attractive to potential employers.

You can use My Skills to complete your skills profile and then figure out the skills pathways relevant to you.

I completed the pathways entitled ‘engaging positively with global issues’ and ‘engaging positively with local communities’, here’s what they helped me realise:

(more…)

Last City Challenge of the year: Brave Bold Drama

Posted on April 9, 2025April 9, 2025 by Careers Service

It was our final City Challenge event of the year at the Careers Service recently. We had the wonderful Brave Bold Drama join us with their challenge.

City Challenges are a programme of events providing students with the opportunity to engage with charities and social enterprises.

(more…)

A Day in the Life: PLUS Award Students and Westonbirt Arboretum in Collaboration

Posted on April 7, 2025April 7, 2025 by Careers Service

In February 2025, 20 PLUS Award Students took part in an on-site skills session at Westonbirt Arboretum, where students worked together to support the team in developing their youth forum.

These PLUS students have had a direct impact on the route that Westonbirt will take to develop their youth forum, helping to ensure the student voice is embedded in this project from the outset.

Below, hear from 2^nd year Geography student, Ffion Jones, about their time at Westonbirt.

(more…)

University of Bristol students take second prize in prestigious employability competition

Posted on April 4, 2025April 3, 2025 by Careers Service

In March this year, five Economics and Business Studies students were delighted to take second prize in the prestigious Universities Business Challenge, competing against nearly 40 teams from universities across the country, as far north as St Andrews.

It was a tough slog to reach this position, with the team in question progressing through three rounds of business challenges, intricately designed to test their business strategy, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.

Five teams from the University of Bristol entered the first round, and after completing online business simulations, four were invited to the semi-finals in London. This was an achievement in itself – no other university had as many teams represented at this stage.

(more…)

Graduate stories: my experience as a Hogan Lovells campus ambassador

Posted on April 2, 2025April 1, 2025 by Careers Service

Amrit is studying law at Bristol, and we recently caught up to hear about her experience working for Hogan Lovells and advice about applying for the campus ambassador opportunity.

Hi, I’m Amrit. The main role of a Hogan Lovells Campus Ambassador role is to act as the firm’s key representative on campus, promoting its opportunities. This involves organising and advertising events.

(more…)