Tag: Careers Fairs

Get Hired! In-person careers fairs are BACK!

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Cressida, year 2 Law (MA), has been working as a Career Peer Support Assistant at the Careers Service since September 2021. She has worked predominantly with the Employer Engagement Team, which build relationships with employers and create networking and job hunting opportunities for you through careers fairs, skills sessions, and much more.  

“It’s been two long years of virtual events, but, kick off your slippers (let’s face it, they’ve seen better days), rummage through the depths of your wardrobe for something other than pyjama bottoms, and step into the light! Our flagship careers event is back; it’s in person, and with over 70 employers from a variety of sectors, it’s all designed for you to Get Hired!” (more…)

Five things you can get from our upcoming Sector Spotlight Series

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Meeting with employers does involve networking – which we know can seem terrifying! But don’t let that put you off coming to talk to some of the 300 plus employers that come to Careers Service events every year. There’s so much you get from coming along. Here’s our top five:

1. Productive research

Coming along to a large scale employer event, like one of our Sector Spotlight Series (27 October to 11 November) events, is a great way to get a lot of information quickly. There’s no better bang for your buck than being able to research multiple employers on the same day.

2. Insider information

As you’ll be speaking directly with employers, you get the inside scoop on the work culture and can get answers to questions that aren’t on their website or FAQs list. Employer representatives might include recent Bristol graduates who can tell you all about their work. Come and get the gossip!

3. Work experience opportunities

Employers come to our events because they want to hire Bristol students. They will have work experience and internships on offer as well as graduate jobs. Recruiters will often hire people to their full time roles that have completed work experience with them, so you can get in there early.

4. Get ahead

Meeting employers in person (even if that is through Zoom!) is the best way to make a good impression. The people you meet might be a future interviewer, so you can make a good contact and start to stand out from the crowd early on. You can also ask for tips on making applications 👍

5. Something for everyone

It doesn’t matter if you’re starting to explore your options or ready to apply for opportunities, you can get useful information from an employer. The range of employers we connect with is huge – large and small, local and international – and from a huge array of sectors.

At our Sector Spotlight Series, you can meet employers from:

  • Banking and Finance – 27 October
  • Law – 28 October
  • Consultancy – 29 October
  • Public Sector – 3 November
  • Engineering – 4 November
  • Technology and Data – 5 November
  • Consumer Goods and Retail – 10 November
  • Sciences – 11 November

👋 We look forward to seeing you there!

And if you’re worried about networking, use our resources to build your confidence, our elevator pitch builder to prepare your introduction, and our how to prepare guide for ideas about questions to ask. Remember, you can always ask your Careers Service for help through our live chat too.

🎪 All the fun of the (careers) fair

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❤ Employers love Bristol students

Your Careers Service connects you with employers – large and small, local and international. Every year we link Bristol students and graduates to over 300 employers, and are one of the top five most targeted UK universities by employers (High Fliers).

We’ve been in this position for the last ten years, so we’re not going to let this new, mostly digital world stop us! This autumn term, we are bringing over 100 employers directly to you through our Careers Showcase Week and Autumn Fair (19 to 23 October).

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Careers Fairs – not just for students

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Students at Careers Fair

Why do so many careers fairs take place in the Autumn?  

Simple: it’s when larger organisations’ graduate recruitment schemes are open for applications and they want to engage with as many potential candidates as possible. If an organisation is seeking to take several candidates on at the same time, it makes sense to gain exposure and raise awareness, before the application deadline:  (more…)

Five reasons to come to Get Hired!

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  1. Employers are there to recruit you 

We have a range of employers attending – from small to large, from Bristol and beyond. They are there because they want to recruit University of Bristol students and have immediate vacancies to start this summer. Make the most of this opportunity! Use the app to research employers in advance and target the ones most relevant to you.  (more…)

10 Things to look out for at the Spring Careers Fair

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or those of you who haven’t decided on what you would like to do after you graduate – don’t worry, there’s still time!

Check out what we have on at the Spring Careers Fair 2 & 3 May from 12-3pm.

1. Careers Fair Plus App

Download the Careers Fair Plus App from the App Store or Google Play Store. Check out which employers are attending on each day and use the filters to narrow your search. Don’t forget to let us know your thoughts once you’ve visited via the feedback form.

2. Employers

This is your chance to meet a range of companies of different sizes, and sectors, and to find out about opportunities for future graduate jobs and internships. Also, employers are still hiring; use the filter on the Careers Fair app to find out who.

3. Global Opportunities

Are you an International Student looking to secure work in the UK or back home? We’re holding a short talk on how to secure a job or work experience in the UK. This will be followed up by employer films highlighting their recruitment across the globe. Click here to sign up.

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Things that might surprise you about a career in Investment Banking

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Things that might surprise you about a career in Investment Banking

At our Investment Banking and Management Consultancy Evening this month, we held a Q&A with representatives from Macquarie, Barclays, Deutsche Bank and HSBC. We heard what it’s like, and what it takes, to work in this fast-paced and exciting sector.  Read on for a few things that might surprise you about a career in investment banking

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What’s new? – Careers Fairs 2017

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Whether you have a clear idea of what career you’d like to have, or no idea at all, careers fairs are great way to find out about different options, meet employers, and get the information you need to apply. We’ve got several fairs lined up for the Autumn Term. Read on to find out what to look for in this busy programme.

Careers Fair App

Download the ‘Bristol Uni Careers Fair Plus’ app from the App Store or Google Play to start planning and researching before the fair. Our top tips section is a good place to start. You can also filter and search the attendee list to find the most relevant employers by the types of roles they are advertising and the subjects they target. Highlight these employers on an interactive floorplan and use the links to company websites and social media to find out more about the employers who most interest you.

Confused About Your Career

If you have any general queries or want some advice, ask at the Careers Service ‘Confused About Your Career’ stand. We will be on the landing at the Science, Autumn and Engineering fairs and would love to help you get the most out of the events.

Bristol Opportunities

Opposite ‘Confused About Your Career’ will be the Bristol Opportunities stand. Come and talk to us about city opportunities, graduate vacancies, internships and business start ups. We’ll also be able to offer information and advice on the University of Bristol Internship Scheme.

Grads Love Bristol

Love Bristol and want to stay? Come to our new event in Bristol Museum on Monday 30 October to meet a variety of employers, large and small, with opportunities in the city.

Other Events

We have more new events this year including Employers Love Bristol, Public and Third Sector Q&A panels and events especially for International Students. Check the website and mycareer for updates.

The Spring Careers Fair 2017

Posted on by Careers Service

Our final employer event on campus this term was last week’s Spring Careers Fair.

New for 2017: careers fair app

This year we trialled a careers fair app which allowed students to research and prepare for the fair using our top tips section, filter and search to find the most relevant employers by the types of roles they were advertising and the academic departments employers were targeting, and then highlight these employers on an interactive floorplan.

We had over 500 downloads and positive feedback from students who downloaded the app. One student commented, “very helpful to plan who I’d like to speak to. Made my day more efficient. The map was a great feature.” Other comments included, “very useful resource”, “App very useful for prep”.

After the success of the Spring Careers Fair, we will be using the app for all of the careers fairs this autumn, if you want to get a sneak preview of the main features and benefits as well as check out the employers that are still recruiting and attended the event, the Spring Careers Fair app is still available to download – search for Bristol Uni Careers Fair Plus on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Bristol PLUS celebration

Exclusive to those who completed the employability award, the fair opened early with a welcome and the chance to speak to employers more directly over coffee and pastries.

The Bristol PLUS Award provides a framework to help you enhance your CV, develop a variety of employability skills and be more prepared for the interview process. A degree is no longer enough to make you competitive in the recruitment process. The Bristol PLUS Award rewards University of Bristol students who have gained significant skills and experience through activities outside of their studies.

Careers Service pop-up event & Bristol Opportunities area

One of the marquees outside the event held a Careers Service pop-up event with lots of taster talks open to all students as well as offering specific advice for postgraduate students. For those students still confused about their career options staff were on hand to offer one to one advice. The other marquee was the Bristol Opportunities tent, offering a list of immediate vacancies in the city, the chance to meet some local employers and advice on applying to the UoB Internship Scheme.

Employers love Bristol students

With a leading global reputation, and one of the highest rates of employability in the UK, your degree from the University of Bristol will help you get wherever you want to be. The quality of today’s students attracts many recruiters.

Employers from a diverse range of business areas attended this event including media, charities, consulting, finance, teaching, hospitality and IT, to meet with students and promote their organisation as well as upcoming and available opportunities. Around 2 thirds of these were SMEs with the rest being larger organisations. Many commented on the calibre of students and the conversations they had.

“Very inquisitive students.”

“It was a pleasure to meet the high quality students at Bristol.”

“It’s always great to visit Bristol Uni – lots of interested students with lots to bring to the charity sector.”

“A fantastic event for students to drink with cups from the fountain of business knowledge from fossils like ourselves.”

Missed out? You can still catch up

We are here to help you get to where you want to be when you graduate, offering you careers support in person, online and over the phone. The Careers Service opening hours are Monday to Friday 9:30 pm to 4:45 pm and in vacation 1:30 am to 4:45 pm. You can download the app to research employers and get ahead for next year. Our employer events programme will resume in the autumn term so check mycareer for updates.

How to use the Law Fair to get work experience

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Original URL: http://nickbaines.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/

I am a postgraduate researcher in an arts subject (not Law!) but last October, at the Careers Service Law Fair, I managed to get a week’s work experience in a mid-sized City firm – the Holy Grail of the would-be lawyer. I got this purely through chatting to the people I met on each stand. As networking and meeting people is a great way to get a foot in the door, especially for law, I thought I’d share a bit on the blog about how I went about it.

Just ask!

I chatted to a few employers at the firm, and got (alongside a lot of free stuff) 2 business cards, and 1 offer of work experience. At the stand of the firm in question, there were a partner, a trainee and an HR person, and I tailored my questions to each of them. After talking to all three for some time, I asked the lady from HR if there was any possibility of a week, or even a day, of shadowing. She’d already offered to take my email address, and suggested I drop her an email with my CV and the practice areas I’d be interested in. She actually emailed me with a reminder before I’d had a chance to get in touch with her, and once I’d sent my CV, she arranged for me to sit in my preferred department for a week in January.

The lesson here is an old one, but it’s true: if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you feel a conversation is going well, then why not ask? Some firms, of course, will say no, but you’ve lost nothing, and it’s worth it to get even one yes.

Research, research, research

You’ll probably have heard this already, but research is key to securing legal work experience – even informally. And preparation is vital for law fair success:

  • Before the fair, I made a list of firms I was interested in, why I was interested in them, and what questions I wanted to ask in order to find out more.
  • I also had a think about more general questions I could ask. For example, it’s always good to ask about the structure of a firm’s training contract, as this differs from firm to firm.
  • As I mentioned, I tailored my questions to each person – when talking to a partner, I wouldn’t ask about the structure of the training contract (put that to trainees or HR), but I would ask about practice areas or the firm’s structure.

I met this firm for about 15 minutes and impressed them enough to get a place, and I can only assume this was because of my research. I was enthusiastic and interested, and it showed that I had prepared beforehand.

For more on researching employers, see the Careers Service pages about how we can help with your research. You can come into the Careers Service in person and talk to Information Specialists at our Resources Help Desk, who can help with this.

The Careers Service also runs talks on how to prepare for the Law Careers Fair. You can read our blog post about preparing for Careers Fairs and our blog post with tips for becoming a solicitor or barrister.

Don’t forget to come along to the Law Fair this year: 5 and 6 November at the Wills Memorial Building. See a list of the different firms attending each day on our website.

Lucinda, a previous Careers Service Information Assistant Intern