Category: Student stories

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

Posted on by Careers Service

“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.

Posted on by Careers Service
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. 

(more…)

My SME Internship: Josh – True to Nature

Posted on by Careers Service

As part of the SME internship scheme, I was lucky enough to be offered a one-month Series Researcher position at True to Nature (TTN), a Bristol-based natural history production company. During my time at TTN I was asked to undertake a variety of research and production tasks for three episodes of an exciting new natural history TV series.   (more…)

My IKEEP Experience: Beixi’s thoughts on Intrapreneurial training

Posted on by Careers Service


The IKEEP programme is designed for current students (on undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research degrees from all disciplines) to expand their skillset through intrapreneurial training and engage with organisations as business advisors on knowledge exchange projects. (more…)

My SME Internship: Fin – TechForge

Posted on by Careers Service

Hi, I’m Fin, a final year History undergraduate who worked as a writer and media intern for TechForge Media part-time alongside my degree during my final term.

I applied for the SME Internship Scheme after writing for the Epigram student newspaper during my first term of final year. Having thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I decided to take my writing to the next step by self-sourcing a paid role with a Bristol-based company.   (more…)

My SME Internship: Iona – Second Campus

Posted on by Careers Service
A photo of a desk.
Photograph by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

My name is Iona and I completed my internship with the SME Internship Scheme just after I finished my third year doing English Literature. I was employed by Second Campus, an organisation that seeks to help students find job in the tech industry. Over the course of the internship, I was involved in content creation, writing, and SEO research. 

(more…)

My SME Internship: Millie – Wildscreen

Posted on by Careers Service

A photo of Millie with a dog.Hi, I’m Millie, and over the final months of my Zoology BSc I took part in a SME Internship with the Bristol-based charity Wildscreen. 

Wildscreen is best known for its internationally–renowned film festival, so as an aspiring natural history filmmaker, I had heard of them and the amazing things they get up to. Natural History filmmaking is a competitive field to get into, so I was beyond excited to land an internship with this organisation. (more…)

My SME Internship: Nada – Deki

Posted on by Careers Service

Hi, I’m Nada, my internship role was as a Fundraising Research Assistant with the International Development charity, Deki. I contributed to the Fundraising Team primarily by conducting background research into Trusts and Foundations which was the basis for other team members to make grant applications.

A photo of Nada, smiling

What was your day-to-day like? 

The internship was part-time and remote. I worked 2-3 days a week. The role offered a lot of flexibility, and I was able to easily balance it with other part-time work commitments. My day generally consisted of research, using Trello and Excel to input information, and once a week a Zoom call to review the week’s progress. Working remotely in a new role can be a challenge, however, the team and my manager for the internship were very willing to help ease this by keeping communication lines open. 

What did you find interesting? 

As a recent Economics graduate, who particularly enjoyed Development Economics within my degree, it was great to get insight into Deki’s projects in Togo and the impact of their work. I had an understanding of development from economic theory, and it was fascinating to see how projects are designed to promote growth from a more practical perspective. 

The fundraising aspect of working in the development/charity sector was something I had not really considered and it was really interesting to see the amount of detail and work that goes into writing grant applications.  

Final thoughts?

The internship was a very valuable experience, and I would advise anyone to apply for the scheme. These are unique opportunities and allow you to develop your skills, in my case particularly communication and research. I am very grateful to Deki for the internship, and to the Careers Service for creating opportunities that can otherwise be difficult to access.

Interested in applying?

The SME Internship Scheme is now open.

We are advertising SME Internship opportunities through mycareer and there are many other work experience opportunities listed here. 

SME Internship Scheme branded image.

If you’re struggling with writing applications, you’ll find some useful resources and events here to help.  

Need more support? Get in touch via Live Chat on mycareer.

My SME Internship: Anastasiia – Altuity Solutions

Posted on by Careers Service

As students, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to succeed.

The job market is extremely competitive, and often, recruiters already expect you to have work experience when you graduate. So, many of us spend the holidays searching for vacation schemes and internships, myself included. During this winter vacation, I was looking for opportunities to boost my CV when I stumbled across the SME Internship Scheme. It was truly the perfect opportunity because you are able to gain some experience working remotely whilst also getting paid for it.

Altuity Solutions logo (more…)