Graduating from university and entering the workforce can be both an exciting and uncertain time in our lives.
When browsing through job advertisements, you may feel confused, trying to decode salary figures and Latin terms like pro rata or per annum. Don’t worry – this blog is your money advice toolkit to understand what salaries mean and why salary figures alone can be misleading without considering living costs, income deductions, and regional variation. Read on to learn more about salaries and how they may impact your career decisions. Plus, we’ve highlighted some tips and resources for managing your finances during the job search.
Thinking about what you want to do after you graduate can be daunting. So we’ve designed a new and exciting interactive course called ‘Explore Your Career‘, to take the stress out of it.
So we enlisted the help of Charlotte O’Brien, a student Careers Ambassador, to put our new course through its paces.
The world of work is moving fast. Employers are looking for graduates who can adapt, think creatively, and use new technologies with confidence. That’s where the Future Skills Series comes in. It’s a brand new employer event programme designed to help you build the skills employers say will matter most for the future.
Why Future Skills?
We’ve worked with employers and looked at the Bristol Skills Profile to find out what’s really in demand. Two areas stand out:
Green Skills – skills that help you work sustainably, tackle global challenges, and make a positive impact.
Artificial Intelligence – skills that help you understand how AI is shaping the workplace and how you can use it responsibly.
By joining the series, you’ll not only boost your knowledge in these areas but also develop the confidence to talk about your skills when it comes to applications, interviews, and networking.
The Law Fair will take place on Thursday 9 October, from 12:30 pm to 4 pm and will be held at Wills Memorial Building.
This is the perfect opportunity for those of you interested in law to explore a career in the legal sector. This year, we’re pleased to welcome Birketts LLP as our fair sponsor. Representatives from the firm will be coming along to the fair to speak with students, and they’ve also kindly contributed a blog post about their company and shared top tips on applying for their vacation scheme.
We are the Careers Service, and our mission is simple:
We collaborate with employers across the South West and UK to create inclusive and exciting opportunities for Bristol students and graduates. From local start-ups, Small-and-Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to global companies, our partnerships give you access to internships, graduate jobs, and contacts that can shape your future.
What we do for you
Everything we do has one goal; to help you secure the role you want after graduation. Whether it is through working with academics to embed employability and skills development opportunities within your taught curriculum, to hosting one-to-one sessions with employers, our focus is your future.
We:
Run careers events – job fairs, networking sessions, panel discussions, and employer drop-ins.
Create opportunities – internships, including funded opportunities through our SME Internship scheme, City Challenges, live briefs, and consultancy projects.
Build your skills – employer-led application workshops, mock assessment centres, and training.
Raise your awareness – introducing you to industries and roles you might never have considered.
Every connection you make could lead to your next role.
I’m Haseeb, I’m just about to start my third year as a law student at the University of Bristol. I also work part-time at the Careers Service as a Careers Ambassador. Below, I have highlighted some of the ways I made the most of my first year of university.
Get involved and develop skills
In your first-year of university, I would recommend embracing all the opportunities that are open to you, as any skills that you develop will help with your career. For example, I had a part-time supermarket assistant role. When applying to first-year schemes, this allowed me to evidence my communication skills and my ability to work well under pressure. In addition, any society involvement will not only enhance your university experience, but look great on your CV. Being part of a sports team shows that you are a team player, and all of these experiences highlight your ability to balance extra-curriculars with your university studies, evidencing the key time-management skill employers look for.
Explore your options
I’d recommend not limiting yourself to career options that you would assume your degree lends itself to. This is the time to explore! For example, I am a law student but I have explored the technology and insurance sectors. Taking part in a range of open-days or career-oriented society events will help you with narrowing down your options when applying to internships or graduate schemes as you will have a better idea of what it is you would or wouldn’t like to do. It will also help evidence why you are interested in a specific career, as you can mention what you enjoyed in your prior experiences, and how that has led you toward your current application. For example, I spoke about my experience working in sales and how that led me toward applying for legal internships.
Talk to people
This is the time to start networking, especially with graduates who were recently in your position as a student! They understand your situation and are usually very willing to help, so there is no need to stress about reaching out. This will help with exploring your career options by speaking to those who are currently working in the sector you are considering and completing the type of work you would do if you were on the scheme.
They may also be able to help with any future applications you submit, especially if it is to the same company, as they would have had to go through a similar application process.
Further support
Don’t know where to start? Browse online career guides written by your Careers Service
Do you receive Flying Start newsletters from the Careers Service? Read on to learn more about what Flying Start is and meet the team behind its creation.
How to deal with being “ignored” whilst job hunting
Imagine this scenario. You see a job advertised for a large company. It is advertised as an entry level job, and you are delighted that you meet all the criteria.
Actually, the more you look at it, the more you realise that you are the perfect candidate, and this is the job for you.
You clear your calendar and designate three whole days to writing the application. Dinner with Gran will have to wait.
You get it done. You get it proofread. You lap up the praise. It is perfect. You send it well in advance of the deadline. And you wait for your invite to interview.
And you wait. And you wait. You refresh your email a million times. You check that your phone is working. You google “How long does it take to be called to an interview?” You ask ChatGPT what it would do.
Not hearing back after submitting a job application is far from a new phenomenon, and many people will have tales similar to this one. However, frequency of occurrence doesn’t stop the pain of a ghosting (as many internet daters can contest to!). And it is not just initial applications – it can happen at every stage of the hiring process.
So, what do you do if you find yourself ghosted? Below are a few suggestions that might just help you out:
