Lots of social science students are looking for work experience but are struggling to find something that’s right for them. If you’re searching for valuable work experience to help you in your career plans, here are some ideas to help you in your search.
Top tips from the public sector
To find out more about work experience in the public sector, I spoke to James Darley from Transform Society. He was clear that there are often plenty of opportunities to get work experience in the public sector, it just requires some research to find them.
Councils can advertise opportunities for local students on their website, so it’s worth signing up to their jobs mailing lists. Bristol City, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire are our local councils.
Resilience is becoming an increasingly crucial attribute in the job market. Whether you’ve just started your career or are navigating the job application process, building career resilience is an essential skill that can set you apart from the competition and contribute to your long-term success.
In this blog post, we will explore the meaning and importance of career resilience, and most importantly, how you can develop and strengthen this valuable trait, both as you apply for jobs, and navigate workplace challenges.
Hi, my name is Harry and I am a final year Management with Innovation student at the University of Bristol. This course is a four-year integrated master’s degree, combining specialist core disciplines such as Management, Economics, Physics and many others, with Innovation, to tackle the growing needs of the 21st Century.
Over the summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to join INVISTA, a global manufacturer of fibers, polymers and chemical intermediates, and a subsidiary of Koch Industries. I worked as a Business Operations Intern, joining the wider EU Supply Chain team.
I engaged with the Careers Service at the University of Bristol several times in my third year, when I was looking at, and applying for internships. The service provided me with resources to help my application stand out and signposted internships, including the INVISTA summer programme that I recently completed.
During this internship, I worked in the relatively new Centre of Excellence (COE) team. This formed part of the wider Enablement team, where the focus is very much on innovation. I found the opportunity to be a part of this team exciting, as it allowed me to use the theory I had learned in my course and apply it in the real world to improve efficiency within selected Supply Chain processes.
From a more tangible perspective, I got the chance to experiment and use tools new to me, such as ChatGPT to automate a process, and worked with developers to enhance a current system of capturing customer information. Through the culture of Principled-Based Management™, I also had the opportunity to ‘fail’, and take it as a learning opportunity for when things don’t go to plan – as they so often do. Therefore, this role provided an opportunity for both personal and professional growth.
Following the conclusion of my internship, INVISTA kindly offered me a full-time position as a Business Operations Specialist beginning in 2024, following my graduation. I will be joining the Customer Experience team, where I will be the focal point for my customers to ensure they get the very best service we can provide. I am really looking forward to beginning my career at INVISTA and furthering my knowledge in supply chains and the manufacturing industry.
Whilst studying, I found taking part in activities such as representing the University in tennis and being part of the innovation society, (firstly as Kit Secretary before moving on to Equality Director) will help me develop skills for working life, through teamwork, leadership, and people-skills.
I think one of the key skills to work in this industry would be the drive to continually keep learning. However, there are some skills which would be more obvious to increase your chances of getting into this sector, like teamwork, customer service skills, and experience using software such as Salesforce, SAP, and PowerBi.
I would also encourage you to want to keep learning more about whatever it is you are doing. For example, before my internship, I had very little knowledge of supply chains, business operations or the manufacturing industry, before my internship, but I was given a chance to learn because I showed the drive and commitment to constantly and quickly learn or adapt.
“Hi, I’m Sophia. I undertook an SME Internship as a recent graduate from my Neuroscience BSc. I worked for The Brain Charity, a Liverpool-based charity that provides support to individuals affected by neurological conditions.
I found the charity during my search for an internship that would align with my morals. I contacted them directly, and to my delight, they were happy to take me on as an intern through the SME Internship Scheme, as a Neurodiversity Training Co-ordinator.
My job
My role was a Neurodiversity Training Co-ordinator, which involved various administrative and miscellaneous tasks that supported and enhanced their Neurodiversity Training programme.
It offers training sessions to clients and their employees, to educate and share knowledge on how to best support neurodivergent employees in the workplace.
With our two-day careers fair, the Employer Showcase, fast approaching, here are some of our top tips to help you prepare for the day.
The Employer Showcase is happening on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 October, from 12:30 p.m. to 4 pm at Bristol Beacon, Trenchard Street. If you haven’t already, make sure you book your place on mycareer.
First and foremost, the Career Fair Plus app will be your best friend for navigating the Employer Showcase and making the most of your time there. The app offers an interactive floorplan, resources to research ahead of time, and filters to view your employers of interest to guide you through your experience.
Top tip: There are different employers attending each of the days, so we recommend coming along on both days to get the most out of it.
Once you’ve downloaded the app and got a feel for what to expect at the event, here’s what you can do to get the most value out of the two days:
Rachel graduated from Bristol with an Economics degree and now works in data analysis for Tesco. We recently caught up with Rachel to hear about her experience working for Tesco and her advice for students that are starting their career.
“Thinking about careers and trying to secure a first job might be easy for some. Maybe you’ve had an idea about what you want to do for a while and your university degree is leading you in this direction.
However, for others, it’s less clear, and this can cause anxiety and confusion. I fit into the latter group and nearly 7 years since graduating I’m still figuring it out!
Bristol Beacon’s Get Hired event on Wednesday 3 May brought together more than 750 students with 40 employers from a range of industries, offering immediate job vacancies, graduate roles, and internships.
But attending the fair is only the first step – what you do next can determine your success in building your network, finding a mentor, or landing your dream job.
The employers at Get Hired were impressed by the quality of students they met, and as we know Bristol students are the 4th most targeted by top graduate employers, so it’s important to capitalize on that positive impression and keep the momentum going.
Here are some tips to help you maximise your post-fair experience.
Are you innovative, self-driven and interested in working in a close-knit work environment? Then working in a start-up or SME might be the right career move for you!
On 28 February, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law invited University of Bristol alumni to talk about their experiences in start-ups and SMEs, as part of the ‘How to get into…’ event series.
Read on for our speakers’ top tips for those interested in pursuing a career in the sector, as well as an overview of the sector and some useful links.
Get Hired, our flagship spring careers fair, is back! Taking place on Wednesday 3 May, from 12:30 pm to 4 pm at Bristol Beacon, it’s a great opportunity to network with a variety of employers.
But how do you network effectively? We chatted with James Darley, CEO of Transform Society, to get his networking top tips.
“It’s critical that you get the most out of this unique opportunity to meet employers face-to-face and build your professional network, but often students worry about these events and don’t know how to get the most out of them.
As part of the ‘Prepare to get hired’ event series (aiming to help you get the most out of Get Hired), I will be hosting a skill session based on professional networking where I’ll discuss what professional networking is, why you need to do it and how to do it.
Last month the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law hosted a panel event on How to get into Social Policy, as part of the ‘How to get into’ event series.
Here we bring you an overview of the sector and the panellists’ top tips for getting into social policy.
What is social policy?
Social policy is all about addressing human needs for security, social justice and welfare, and it considers how states and societies deal with such issues.
There are many different routes into policy work and a wide range of roles to pursue if you’re interested in this area – both in the private and public spheres.
A common entry route into the sector is as a research associate for independent think tanks. You could also work in project delivery or as a policy adviser in a government department. If you’re interested in more local issues, you might consider applying for the National Graduate Development Programme which is run through local governments.
