Fancy making a difference on campus? Nominate yourself for a student leadership role!

Each year, the Bristol SU elections are a chance for you to choose a student leader who represents you and the change you want to see on campus.

You can vote to elect the people you trust to represent your community and make a positive impact. Over 900 student leaders are elected, playing vital roles in amplifying student voices.

You can vote from Monday 10 to Thursday 13 March. Make sure you vote and make your time at Bristol the best it can be.

However, you can go one step further…

Are you the person to make a difference?

Are you passionate about improving the wellbeing services or making changes to the food options on campus? If so, do more than just vote, and run for an SU-elected role today. The SU elections are the perfect way for you to make a positive change for you and your fellow students. 

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What’s your USP? Marketing yourself with applications

group of students laughing

If all products were the same, how would we choose between them?

A unique selling point – USP – is the attribute that makes a product different from and more attractive than its competitors.

Just as big brands need to hook buyers in with their USPs, job applicants need to find ways to catch the eye of recruiters. So, when applying for jobs, this means showing employers what makes you different, ensuring you stand out from the crowd.

Job descriptions and person specifications outline the skills and qualifications required of an ideal candidate, and in some cases additional ‘desirable’ qualities. However, the jobs market is a competitive place, and many applicants will meet the essential criteria, i.e. many people will be equally qualified to do the job.

This can make the shortlisting process quite difficult – between equally competent candidates, who should get the job? Therefore, as an applicant, you need to be able to offer something extra to differentiate yourself from the others and break that tie. You are aiming to tick all the essential boxes and offer additional benefits too!

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Tips to make the most of your winter break!

With your winter vacation coming up, have you considered how you might spend the break from University?

Bristol harbourside in the snow

The Winter vacation, and the addition of Preparation Week this year between Monday 6 and Friday 10 January, present a valuable opportunity to invest in your future career before your studies restart.

Preparation Week is your chance, reflect on your skills, come to an event, or start making future career plans.

To kick things off, why not sign up for one our intro talks:

Make the most of the careers service during our opening hours which change slightly as we approach the Winter break. Live Chat and opening times for walks-ins are:

  • 9 to 13 December: 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm (Monday to Friday)
  • 21 December to 5 January: Closed
  • From 6 January: 10 am to 4.30 pm (Monday to Friday) – Back to normal!

Read on for our top tips on how to maximise your time during the break and preparation week. 

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Davitt Jones Bould Law: Undergraduate placements and cover letter advice

Davitt Jones Bould, the largest specialist real estate law firm in the UK, have opened their Undergraduate Placement applications. They have written for us about their placement opportunities and provided some application advice too. 

Davitt Jones Bould logo.

The placement is truly like no other as we deliberately don’t put you through a structured programme. Instead, you will be working in line with the real-time demands of the business, giving you experience of what running a business is really like.

You will work directly with a talented team of Davitt Jones Bould people, including colleagues in the Business Services Centre, lawyers based all over the UK and Davitt Jones Bould’s leadership team. You will be given responsibility straightaway for a wide range of tasks – some will play to your strengths, and some will challenge you to learn new skills.

You will be provided with dedicated on the job mentoring and training, as well as access to Davitt Jones Bould’s wider training programmes and courses. 

To find out more information about undergraduate placements and apply today, click here.

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How to write a winning CV

Employers can spend as little as 30 seconds looking at your CV, so you need to make shortlisting easy for them.

Make sure you stand out from the crowd and showcase your unique selling points, by following these top tips. If you are unsure how to start or need a bit of feedback, check out the range of resources available on mycareer.

Resources available on mycareer:

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Davitt Jones Bould Law: Undergraduate placements and CV advice

Davitt Jones Bould, the largest specialist real estate law firm in the UK, have opened their Undergraduate Placement applications. They have written for us about their placement opportunities and provided some application advice too. 

Davitt Jones Bould logo.

The placement is truly like no other as we deliberately don’t put you through a structured programme. Instead, you will be working in line with the real-time demands of the business, giving you experience of what running a business is really like.

You will work directly with a talented team of Davitt Jones Bould people, including colleagues in the Business Services Centre, lawyers based all over the UK and Davitt Jones Bould’s leadership team. You will be given responsibility straightaway for a wide range of tasks – some will play to your strengths, and some will challenge you to learn new skills.

You will be provided with dedicated on the job mentoring and training, as well as access to Davitt Jones Bould’s wider training programmes and courses. 

Apply today. 

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Welcome to your Careers Service

Welcome (or welcome back!) to the University of Bristol. We are your Careers Service. We are here to support you in preparing for your next steps during or after you finish your studies. It’s never too early to start!   

Whether it’s help in getting a part-time job, finding internships and graduate roles, writing CVs and applications, or deciding what you want to do after your degree, we’re here for you.     

First things first, you are going to hear us talking about mycareer a lot this year. mycareer is your portal to resources, vacancies, events, appointments and more. You can set up a profile in there that will tailor content just for you. 

Log in, complete your profile and off you go! 

The front entrance of the Careers Service at 5 Tyndall Avenue.
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AI generated applications – should you, or shouldn’t you?

Recent research* shows that 17% of students are already using generative AI tools to assist with writing documents such as CVs and cover letters for applications. By the time you read this, that figure will no doubt be higher. 

It’s hard to avoid the news and frenzy around tools such as ChatGPT that can make light work of even complex tasks. Where we have our limitations in terms of knowledge and resources, AI can instantly draw on comprehensive expertise from millions of data points to help us reduce time spent on admin-intensive work. 

So, whether you feel overwhelmed with multiple applications or just find it difficult to produce the right words, it’s understandable that taking a shortcut can be appealing. 

However, assist should be the key word here.  

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Unsuccessful applications? Here are some tips on changing strategy

Job hunting is a difficult process and unsuccessful applications can be really disheartening, particularly if employers don’t give feedback as to why you were unsuccessful.

But there are all kinds of ways you can change your strategy and hopefully improve your chances of success. Here are some of our top tips to give you a leg up in your job search!

1. Planning, be strategic

When it comes to applications, having a clear plan can prove really useful.

Research the sectors you’re interested in and check out what skills are needed for the specific roles you’d like to apply or aspire to.

Our sector guides are a great place to start or, for more information on individual roles within a sector, take a look at Prospect’s list of job profiles.

An image of someone viewing a wall filled with different mind maps and plans.

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Welcome to your new-look mycareer!

You may have noticed that mycareer has had a bit of a glow-up! Rest assured it is still packed with all the events, opportunities and information it had before. 

We thought we’d give you some top tips for getting the most out of it:  

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Tailor your profile

When you first log in, you’ll be asked to set up your profile which will take you under 3 minutes (we know, we have timed ourselves doing it!)  This will ensure that you get the most relevant advice and opportunities for you. 

 

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The Career Discovery Feed

Find articles from us here at the Careers Service, as well as other specialists. Personalise your feed by favouriting resources as you go and build your own library.

 

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Get your CV ready pathway

We have lots of pathways for you to discover. This super useful pathway will help you learn to write a winning CV in 3 easy steps. Once you’ve completed it, talk to us on Live Chat and we can book you an appointment to have your new CV reviewed by a Careers Advisor. 

 

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Search opportunities

We have a HUGE range of jobs, work experience and opportunities for you to explore. You can use filters to target your search to find exactly what you want; whether it’s a part-time role to fit around your studies, volunteering, a summer internship, or immediate start graduate vacancies, we’ve got you covered!   

Take a look!

Watch our 3-minute video to walk you through the new features 

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So, what are you waiting for? Head to mycareer now, set up your profile and start exploring!