Science meets the arts in an IKEEP work placement

Electrical and Electronic Engineering student Tirenioluwa Omigbodun recently took on the challenge of an IKEEP placement with independent arts venue The Bristol Improv Theatre (BIT).

She was part of a student team looking at external factors impacting the theatre so they can adapt and attract new audiences. 

 

Tirenioluwa Omigbodun posing for a selfie in front of the window overlooking Wills Memorial Building on a sunny day in Bristol.

Tirenioluwa, can you tell us about your team placement with Bristol Improv Theatre?

The placement with the Bristol Improv Theatre was on looking at their external environment. The theatre was preparing their 2023/25 business plan and needed a glimpse of the socio-economic environment. We researched their audience profiles, trends within the industry and how the BIT impacts its environment.  

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Outstanding PLUS Awards: Meet the Winners 2022/23!

"Outstanding PLUS Awards" against a purple background

Let’s meet the outstanding eight who have cinched an Outstanding PLUS Award for going above and beyond their Bristol PLUS Award activity.

But first, what are the Outstanding PLUS Awards (OPA)?

The OPA celebrates Bristol PLUS Award students who have made a significant change or impact in their PLUS Award activity.

There are eight award categories, with just one winner per category. This year, we received 114 applications across the eight categories (the highest number of applications yet!).

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My SME Internship: Mehwish – Resilience Brokers

Mehwish, smiling.

Hi, I’m Mehwish. I was given the opportunity to join Resilience Brokers as a Sustainability Projects Intern. Resilience Brokers helps organisations to use systems thinking to improve the climate resilience of places. 

Climate resilience is the capacity to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or shocks related to climate.

During my internship, I undertook five research tasks that revolved primarily around building resilient communities and communicating with stakeholders. These included:  

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Looking for a graduate job in Asia? 5 tips for international students

In February, the Careers Service invited five international alumni to share their valuable insights and experiences with searching and applying for graduate roles in Asia. 

Here are five top tips from our speakers:


Utilise your Bristol experience as your unique selling point

Yun Wen Soh, Singapore — Honours Law LLB (2021) 
Incoming Trainee Solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills 

When preparing for job applications and interviews, think about the different experiences you have at Bristol and use it as your unique selling point (USP).  

Try to identify a range of competencies throughout your time at university that will make you stand out as a candidate. Remember, your extra-curricular experiences are just as important as your legal internship and work experiences!

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Graduate stories: The Graduate Route visa has allowed me to do a meaningful job

Utsa attended the University of Bristol as an international student from India, majoring in BSc Social Policy and Sociology.

A picture of Utsa smiling with a city scape behind her

After graduating last year, Utsa used the Graduate Route to secure a job within the university and is now working as an International Scholarship Assistant.

She is one of over 80,000 international students granted a Graduate Route visa since it launched in the summer of 2021.

Utsa spoke to us about her ambitions for working in a role that allows her to make a positive impact on the people and communities around her.

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Bristol international graduates share their Graduate route visa success

Since summer 2021, international graduates have been able to stay in the UK for two years (three if they have a PhD) to work or look for work, under the Graduate visa route.   

This is the first in a series of posts sharing the experiences and advice of Bristol alumni who have secured jobs using the Graduate visa. Hear from Ning, Fei Fei and Emelyn – two of whom work at the Careers Service!  

Ning Tay, Malaysia – Honours Law LLB

Careers Support Officer (International) at the University of Bristol 

 picture of Ning tay smiling in her graduation gown

My initial plans of heading to bar school changed significantly due to COVID. As such, I applied for the Graduate visa and got an internship with the University’s Student Inclusion Peer Support Team, whilst figuring out my career path. Due to the flexibility of the visa, I was able to transition to a fixed-term position in the Careers Service after 6 months of my internship, now supporting the employability of our international students, with a focus on those returning to China.

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My SME Internship: Yanan – Bristol Braille Technology

A photo of YananHi, my name is Yanan. 

It was my great honour to undertake a two-month internship at Bristol Braille Technology (BBT) under the SME Internship Scheme. My position at BBT was Braille and Employment Researcher Intern. My main duty was to conduct research on how braille promotes employment and improves the lives of the visually impaired. My work was mostly done remotely. 

Working for BBT, I learned workplace etiquette and gained lots of new skills, including working to a high standard. As a non-native English speaker, my English has improved tremendously during this internship. My colleagues and supervisors are all native English speakers, and, frankly, it was a little difficult for me to keep up with them when I first started my internship. I quickly got over this problem with a lot of English practice.

Bristol Braille Technology logo.
Bristol Braille Technology logo.

At the same time, the research skills I learned at university came in handy and my time management skills have also been enhanced. This valuable experience has laid a solid foundation for my future career. 

All in all, as a visually impaired person, I have benefited a lot from this internship, it really boosts my CV and I have become more confident. At work, I didn’t feel any discrimination and I wasn’t treated differently from anyone else. I sincerely hope that more of my peers will benefit from this scheme in the future.  (more…)