Why nominate yourself for the Outstanding PLUS Awards? – from past winners and honourable mentions
Category: Student stories
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.
(more…)My SME Internship: Andrea – Famli
Disability and Neurodivergence careers panel – employer and alumni insights
Last term, PwC’s Kim Whippy, Change 100’s Ursula Green, and University of Bristol MEng Aerospace Engineering alumnus, Syirah Ami, joined us at our ‘Disability and neurodivergence career panel’.
They shared their insights into the range of support available for students and graduates:
Workplace adjustments
Reasonable adjustments within the workplace maximise inclusivity, accessibility, and support for employees.
Applicants are encouraged to disclose requests or requirements whenever is most comfortable for them.
Meet Lola Karpf: volunteer, advocate, and champion of LGBTQ+ friendly spaces
LGBTQ+ History Month aims to increase the visibility of LGBTQ+ people, their history and experiences.
It’s an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made for LGBTQ+ rights, whilst also recognising the barriers that still exist and the importance of continuing to fight for equality.
We caught up with Lola Karpf, an Anthropology (MA) student who is currently completing the Bristol PLUS Award, to find out about the work she’s done to champion LGBTQ+ friendly spaces.
(more…)How extracurricular activities helped me graduate into the music industry
David Simkins is a 2023 MA Music with Innovation graduate with a developing career in music and media.
Between working at a local record label alongside his studies, conducting student orchestras and scoring soundtracks for media projects, (including two feature films and a short film), being mentored by the Head of Marketing at Sony Music’s Columbia Records and interning at SoundCloud, David (pictured right) has been busy in the past 4 years!
Drawing on his experience with soundtracks, tech, and client management, David is pursuing a music career in creative sync and marketing while working to improve industry transparency, education, and inclusivity, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community.
We caught up with David about how his extracurricular activities throughout his degree helped him get to where he is:
SPAIS students tackle food insecurity at Hackathon
On 23 and 24 January, students in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Relations came together to tackle food security issues in Bristol.
Organised in partnership with the Transform Society, the annual SPAIS Hackathon brings together students, academics, and the local community to research a big issue facing our community. This year, the challenge focused on food security and how to involve Bristol students in solutions.
Across the two-day event, students worked in small teams to research the issue, create a project outline, and present their project to a team of industry experts. The event also included talks from the Transform Society’s CEO James Darley about the public sector and working in public service; as well as the Careers Service, on how students could use their experience at the Hackathon in future job applications and interviews.
Teams had a £10 000 budget to create a feasible idea, with this year’s projects including:
(more…)How to get into Financial Management: Top Tips
In October 2023, we ran a ‘How to get into Financial Management’ careers panel event about roles within the industry and top tips for applying for opportunities in this area.
Our panellists:
- Charlotte Wheeler – Financial Planner and Coach at Evelyn Partners, ex-KPMG
- Pawel Abramik – Head of Financial Services at North Bristol NHS Trust
- Victor Flores – Financial Consultant at Hargreaves Lansdown
- Vincent Pang – Senior Tax Manager for ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (Singapore)
How I discovered my passion for the non-profit sector (and how you can do the same!)
I’m Amelia, a second-year International Social and Public Policy with Study Abroad (BSc) student and 2022/23 Bristol PLUS Award achiever.
Committing to the Bristol PLUS Award pushed me out of my comfort zone and exposed me to lots of different experiences.
It helped me to narrow down possible career avenues and even led to a part-time job.
Read on to find out how…
Tips for applying for laboratory internships
Are you an undergraduate looking for laboratory internships?
Finding lab internships for the first time can be confusing, you may be unsure how to start and feel a little overwhelmed. We’ve taken the opportunity to break this down and share some insights from Carol Huang, a UoB MSci Plant Science student, who has successfully gained opportunities within the UK and Europe.
When should I apply?
- Peak time is November to January ready for a summer start (typically July – September)
- Some will be available later in the year (but usually only accessible via supervisors who have secured funding)