Ever wished you had a career mentor?

Bristol Mentors is now open for applications for home UK students returning for study in 2024/25.

We caught up with Elena (Politics and Sociology BSc), one of two Bristol Mentors Student Associates about her experiences as a mentee on the programme.

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Careers support for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds

Career planning can be tricky. We know some students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can also face specific challenges.

These may include: 

  • Exploring career ideas when you don’t know what’s out there; 
  • Getting quality work experience with fewer existing networks; or 
  • Having time to dedicate to career planning alongside other commitments. 

At the Careers Service, we provide dedicated support to address these challenges: 

Bristol Mentors

The Bristol Mentors scheme matches you with an alumni mentor. They can help you explore ideas, share advice, and give you an edge to break into the job sector that interests you.

Applications typically open in the Spring term – check your university emails. 

The words Bristol Mentors with two stduents smiling
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The social mobility superstars breaking barriers

The Student Social Mobility Awards (SSMAs), organised by upReach, celebrate the achievements of undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds from across the UK.

The SSMAs recognise students who have excelled in their studies and beyond, and have demonstrated great resilience, determination or initiative, or boosted their employability in innovative ways.

Filipe Costa Figueiredo is a 4th year joint Honours Politics and Spanish BA and has been shortlisted for two awards:

  • Undergraduate Awards: Academic Success for those who have achieved the most impressive academic feats whilst at university, breaking through barriers in the process
  • Undergraduate Sector Award: Professional Services and Consulting which recognised outstanding achievement in specific career sectors while at University.

We chatted to Filipe (pictured below) about why he thinks he was nominated and why social mobility is important.

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Mentoring matters – why apply for Bristol Mentors?

The Bristol Mentors scheme matches successful applicants with an alumni mentor who will help you explore ideas, share advice and give you an edge to break into the job sector that interests you.

To celebrate Bristol Mentors now being open for applications for the class of 2023/24, we caught up with Lucy (BA English Literature, 2019) and Grace (MA Law, 2019) to hear about their experiences as student mentees on the programme.

Both former mentees have since taken the role of mentor for two current students. From mentee to mentor, and student to graduate, they are full of valuable experiences worth sharing!

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My Motability Operations internship: Anna

“I am incredibly grateful that I took this chance.”

Anna smiling with cameras, microphone, and general filming set props in the background

This summer, I’ve been working at Motability Operations (MO) as part of my place on their scholarship programme. I’ve been placed on the Connected Vehicles team, which is centred around data science. Day-to-day, my role has involved researching model inputs and preparing and analysing data stored on the cloud.

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International Womens Day 2022 – 5 stories of women working hard to #breakthebias

“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias. Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.” – tagline for International Women’s Day 2022

Happy International Women’s Day (IWD)! 

We LOVE hearing your stories, and get to hear so many of them through the various activities and programmes that we run here at the Careers Service; The Bristol PLUS Award, SME internship scheme, Bristol Mentors, New Enterprise Competition and much more.

Today, we are taking the opportunity to highlight and acknowledge a handful of brilliant female students and graduates who have helped to #breakthebias by exemplifying the missions of International Women’s Day through their various projects, start-ups, and volunteering activities. Prepare to be inspired!

IWD mission: To shine a spotlight on activity uplifting and inspiring women to pursue goals without bias or barrier

Arooba Hameed, Year 3 Cancer Biology and Immunology (BSc)

Picture of Arooba
Arooba

Arooba completely embodies this mission and recently won £1000 of funding in the Development Stage of the New Enterprise Competition for the non-profit community group she founded, Higher Education for Asylum Seekers & Refugees (HEAR). HEAR aims to support refugees and asylum seekers in accessing educational opportunities through guidance, training, mentoring & advocacy. (more…)

City Challenge: Student volunteers help to launch Hartcliffe City Farm cut flower farm.

A group of smiling students outdoors at Hartcliffe cut flower farm
The student volunteers and Careers Service Community Engagement Team

For the most recent City Challenge, University of Bristol students helped local organisation Heart of BS13 to come up with ideas to promote the opening of a new cut flower farm, focusing on sustainable growth, soil health, and biodiversity. 

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Extra careers support for LGBTQ+ students

At the Careers Service we know LGBTQ+ students can face additional challenges to career thinking. This may include facing discrimination in recruitment practices, and identifying inclusive and supportive workplaces.

To help level the playing field, we’ve compiled the best support and opportunities into one handy document over on mycareer.

We also send out live opportunities in our weekly Flying Start bulletin. Sign up to Flying Start now!

Here’s a taster of the support on offer…

Mentoring & Employability Events

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Give yourself a Flying Start this spring

This Spring your Careers Service is offering an extra suite of support for widening participation students, which includes:

  • BAME students
  • Disabled students
  • Mature students
  • Students who attended an aspiring school
  • Students who grew up in a low income household.

We know widening participation students face additional barriers to career thinking. This may include exploring career ideas when you don’t know what’s out there, getting quality work experience with less developed networks, and facing discrimination in recruitment practices. That’s why we’ve put together a dedicated programme of support this Spring to get you career ready:

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