Category: Student stories
5 reasons to get involved with volunteering – from a PLUS Award achiever!
Hello! I’m Toby Ferris, chair of the Volunteering and Fundraising Network.
Having used lots of volunteering hours towards my Bristol PLUS Award last year, I’m here to give you five great reasons to consider volunteering, especially during Student Volunteering Week.
(more…)4 hidden ways the PLUS Award benefits you! – untold secrets of a PLUS Award achiever
Hello prospective PLUS Award achievers! I’m Avellina, a final year Biology student and 2021/22 PLUS Award achiever.
Many students understand that the Bristol PLUS Award is an employability award that rewards you for going above and beyond your degree. We know that it boosts our CV and makes us stand out to future employers… but there are also secret, unknown benefits that you’ll only uncover upon starting the Award process!
(more…)Graduate stories: working at TLT as a Bristol graduate
Joseph Battle graduated from Bristol with a law degree and is now a first seat trainee in TLT’s London office.
We recently caught up with Joseph to hear about his journey so far at TLT and his advice for students considering a career in law.
Hi I’m Joseph,
While studying I tried to get as much exposure to the legal industry as possible to confirm that I wanted to start a career in law and to work out which area of law suited me best. This included work experience with a barristers’ chambers, a boutique private practice, larger full-service corporate firms and a firm operating in a different jurisdiction. These experiences were invaluable for me to gain an awareness of the different disciplines within the industry and to figure out what clicked for me.
I was appreciative of the opportunities to attend numerous networking evenings and law fairs whilst at Bristol. I found these to be a brilliant way to informally chat to representatives from a whole host of firms and to quickly get a feel for whether I would be a good fit for the firm and whether the firm would be a good fit for me. (more…)
The Growth Support Programme: a springboard to success
The New Enterprise Competition’s (NEC) award-winning Growth Support Programme (GSP) is open for applications.
The NEC is a year-long programme that offers you the chance to build your dream business, taking it from an idea scrawled onto a pub napkin, all the way up to a sustainable, successful, and profitable business.
What does it all mean?
After the initial Ideas and subsequent Development Stage, the final Growth Stage begins. It’s the highest point of the competition, where you will be competing for up to £20,000 in funding for your business.
My SME Internship: Jasmine – Neuronostics
Hi, I’m Jasmine.
I’m a current masters student studying Applied Neuropsychology, and I have just recently completed my marketing internship with Neuronostics Ltd through the SME Internship Scheme.
Neuronostics is a start-up company which aims to utilise mathematical modelling in the EEG diagnosis and prognosis of neurological conditions, such as epilepsy. My main motivation for applying for this internship is I was intrigued by their technology. I’m very interested in the field of neuroscience and it relates to my course.
Graduate stories: from Bristol graduate to External Communications and Relationships Manager at STEM Women
Pam McGee is a 2005 Bristol University graduate who studied English Literature BA.
Pam is now the External Communications and Relationships Manager at STEM Women. She has kindly written this blog to tell us about her experiences at University and working for STEM Women.
“I can’t tell you a motivational story about how I always wanted to work in PR and communications, because I never knew I wanted to – it just happened. But I can give you one key piece of advice which is to engage with your university Careers Service – something which, I’m sorry to say, I didn’t do during my time at Bristol.
Graduate stories: from a Bristol graduate to Pupil Barrister with the Crown Prosecution Service
Hi, I’m Ellen. I studied LLB Law from 2015 to 2018 at Bristol, where I developed a real interest in criminal justice.
Modules such as Rich Law, Poor Law and Jurisprudence encouraged me to think about the practical implications of law and the (in)justice these perpetuate for everyday people
As a student leader in the Human Rights Law Clinic, I gained experience working alongside lawyers on a project to encourage compliance with the UN OPCAT (Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture) on behalf of the African Commission. This developed my interest in using law to achieve positive societal change.
My SME Internship: Ozten – Taught by Humans
Hi, I’m Ozten, I study Philosophy and Economics, and I started my internship at Taught by Humans in February, where I worked as a ‘Research and Partnerships Intern’.
As this was a remote internship, my first day started in my room, at my desk, on a video call with Laura (founder of Taught by Humans), where I got to know about all my tasks and projects for the upcoming weeks. Laura is a fun and reassuring person, who always made me feel welcomed in the workplace. She valued my opinions and listened to what I wanted to get out of the experience.
Are you considering a PhD?
With most PhDs spanning 3 to 4 years, it is not a decision to take lightly.
For some students, their passion for research and a specific academic discipline is such that a PhD is an obvious choice as part of their career planning, however, for others it is just one possible option, prompting further questions.
Having an insight into what life is like as a post-graduate researcher is a crucial first step. Without any doubt, you will need to love learning, have a hunger for research, and be a self-starter happy to work for long periods independently. Advice from vitae.ac.uk is to be ‘really clear on your motivations for doing a doctorate, and that it [will be] a positive career step.’