Category: Skills development

Hidden benefits of the Bristol PLUS Award: From Internships to preparing you for post-graduate life!

Posted on by Careers Service
The Bristol PLUS Award logo

Hear from 4th year MSc Chemistry student, Zahria, who achieved her Bristol PLUS Award in the 2023-24 Academic Year, whilst also securing a summer internship with telecommunications company BT! 

How has PLUS prepared you for your future once you leave university?

The Bristol PLUS Award has played a great role in preparing me for life beyond university by giving me a clearer understanding of navigating my career journey. It also opened my eyes to many career resources available at the university, that I would otherwise not have known about!

The activities required to achieve the PLUS Award helped me build and showcase key transferable skills that employers value such as teamwork, communication and time management.

Zahria smiling on a beach
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A taste of our Bristol PLUS Award Endorsing Organisation activities!

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What are Skills Sessions?

The Bristol PLUS Award is proud to have a variety of Endorsing Organisations, who work directly with the PLUS Award team to organise bespoke events for our PLUS Award students!

These organisations all see the value of connecting directly with our engaged PLUS Award students, who demonstrate commitment to continuous development of their employability skills. This term, almost 50 students have attended interactive sessions with AlphaSights, Enterprise, and Tutor The Nation.

Each of the sessions allowed students to develop their core skills of working well as part of a team, communicating confidently and appropriately, and developing and maintaining healthy relationships. These are 3 of the 27 skills on My Skills, the University’s skills development profile.

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City Challenge: Streams Learning Hub 

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

The Streams Learning Hub Bristol logo, featuring a white dove on a black background.

Students can support worthwhile organisations whilst developing skills to improve employability. By taking part in a City Challenge, students gain experience in problem solving, presentation skills, innovative thinking, and community engagement.  

Streams Learning Hub 

The Streams Learning Hub is a co-working space for teenagers in central Bristol. It provides a flexible space for young people to gather, learn and connect with online providers and in-person workshops and events.  

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Connect with confidence: a first-timer’s guide to networking

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Networking can be daunting, especially for those who have not had much experience with it before.

Studies show that first-generation students often have smaller, less diverse social networks, which can limit their access to networking opportunities and reduce their confidence in these settings.

However, building a network is crucial for personal and professional growth.

Here are five practical tips to help you get started:

Careers fair
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How to write a winning CV

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Employers can spend as little as 30 seconds looking at your CV, so you need to make shortlisting easy for them.

Make sure you stand out from the crowd and showcase your unique selling points, by following these top tips. If you are unsure how to start or need a bit of feedback, check out the range of resources available on mycareer.

Resources available on mycareer:

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City Challenge: Changes Bristol

Posted on by Careers Service

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

Students can support worthwhile organisations whilst developing skills to improve employability. By taking part in a City Challenge, students gain experience in problem solving, presentation skills, innovative thinking, and community engagement.  

Changes Bristol

The Changes Bristol logo: speech bubbles behind text reading ‘Changes Bristol.’

This month we invited Changes Bristol to host our latest City Challenge. 

Changes is a user-led organisation and a unique recovery service for those in mental distress.

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My SME Internship: Aarya – Drinks Kitchen

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This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern with Drinks Kitchen, a pioneering company in the non-alcoholic beverage industry.  

Located in Bristol, Drinks Kitchen is on a mission to redefine social drinking norms by offering high-quality, environmentally mindful non-alcoholic drinks. The internship was part of the SME Internship Scheme, which aims to provide students and recent graduates with quality, paid work experience.   

Drinks Kitchen logo
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City Challenges kick-off the year with The MoSAIC 

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

Students can support worthwhile organisations whilst developing skills to improve employability. By taking part in a City Challenge, students gain experience in group working, problem solving, public speaking and presentation, innovative thinking, and community engagement. 

The MoSAIC (The Museum of Science, the Arts & Interdisciplinary Collaboration)
is a Bristol based business taking STEAM learning to the next level and reducing the disadvantage gap using cross-curricular education. They show young people and educators how creative the STEM subjects really are through online and downloadable teaching resources and accessibly priced in-person creative school workshops aimed at secondary school aged students. The MoSAIC came and hosted a session with us at the Careers Service on Tyndall Avenue. Students worked together and came up with ideas to support the marketing of services and diversification of revenue streams. 

Gareth, founder of The MoSAIC stands in front of a slide with his company's branding on. He is talking animatedly and gesturing.
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Unlock your career potential with the University of Bristol’s recruiter in residence series

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Navigating your career path can be a daunting experience, but the University of Bristol’s recruiter in residence series makes it easier. This opportunity invites employers to campus, offering you the chance to meet and engage directly with the people who could shape your professional future.

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