My name is Maisie, I’m an ecology graduate. After months of writing up my thesis and being entirely screen-based
during lockdown, I was feeling square-eyed, fatigued and longing to get out of the house. I especially wanted to be more involved in community and people-based projects happening around the city in response to COVID-19, so I happily took a COVID-19 SME Internship working for Bristol Food Union (BFU).
Category: Skills development
‘The Careers Service always felt like a safe space to talk’ – with Kofo Ajala
We know that coming to the Careers Service can be a game-changing moment, even if it might feel a bit daunting at first. You may not even be sure what support we can offer to you.
We also know that the best people to tell you (and us!) about the benefits of using the Careers Service are students who have been in the same position. We caught up with Kofo, BA History graduate 2020, to find out what she had to say about her experience with Careers during her degree. (more…)
My COVID-19 SME Internship: Lily – Purplefish PR
Lily, a third year Anthropology student, secured an internship through our COVID-19 SME Internship Fund with Purplefish PR, 
as a Social Media and PR Intern.
Lily wrote this blog for us about her experience while she was interning from June to July.
Best resources for emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI) is a very useful skill in the workplace and is an increasingly sought-after skill by employers. But what does it mean, and how do you improve and demonstrate your emotional intelligence?
We had a look on the mycareer e-learning hub and found these top 5 articles to help you learn more.
Best resources for commercial awareness
Commercial awareness is all about having an understanding of the market a certain organisation operates in.
It is a sought after skill by employers, and having good commercial awareness when applying for a job might help you stand out from the crowd.
How can you improve your commercial awareness? We’ve done a round-up of some of the top resources about commercial awareness from mycareer.
Where can BAME students find specialised careers development opportunities?
We know that Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students face specific and real barriers to career development. In light of the worldwide and local Black Lives Matter movement, we want to affirm our ongoing commitment to supporting our BAME students. (more…)
Ways to develop your skills and employability from home – the student experience
At the end of March, we posted a blog about the ways that you can continue to develop your skills and employability from home. As the lockdown has continued, we’ve seen more and more students taking up these remote activities and finding ways to adapt their plans or practices in response to COVID-19.
Read about the experiences of some of these students below.
Carlos Shanka Boissy Diaz – volunteering for the Green Impact Scheme from the Canary Islands
I am really passionate about sustainability so I applied to be an auditor with Green Impact in March. However, the lockdown came, and departments had to close their doors, which meant that I would not be able to audit in-person.
Luckily, The Green Impact staff team managed to transfer all our work online and it was extremely successful. I was able to interview the staff in the departments and review the work that they had done throughout the year virtually. It was really fun to have a chat with all of them.
I believe that now more than ever, other students should get involved in these sorts of opportunities. We are in a self-isolation bubble, where our minds are in more need of social interaction and our brains need different stimuli. Also, I feel it’ll be great for my employability, so, if possible, I advise others to stay active with volunteering from home!
#10YearsOfPLUS: A decade of devotion to employability.
We are getting a little nostalgic as we draw closer to the end of the PLUS Award’s 10th anniversary year (just under 6 weeks to go!) We are so proud of all the achievers, past and present.
The PLUS Award has certainly grown and evolved in the past decade; In its pilot year, 165 students achieved the PLUS Award, since then over 5,000 students have achieved it. Another 800 have finished so far this year, persevering to bag their Award despite changing circumstances! (more…)
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.”
