Tag: PLUS Award

The University’s employability award

Work with us next year!

Posted on by Careers Service

Each year we recruit a team of current students to come and work with us at the Careers Service. They are an integral part of our team and work on a wide range of exciting tasks.

From working face-to-face with fellow students to creating content for blogs and our social media channels, supporting the Bristol PLUS Award and getting involved in employer events, and even helping students develop their entrepreneurial skills – we don’t know where we would be without them!

We are excited to say that applications are now open for next year’s team.

All of these roles are part-time and designed to fit around your studies.

You’ll receive full training and will gain valuable, transferable skills through working in a professional environment, such as teamwork, time management, and communication skills. We have also been told, it’s a lot of fun to work with us!

We are currently recruiting for the following roles:

(NB: All roles will begin in September, so you must be a current student as of September to apply.)

Follow the links to mycareer to find out more and apply. Applications are open until Sunday 18 June 2023.

We caught up with some of this year’s team to hear a little more about their roles and why they think you should apply:

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Meet the Bristol PLUS achievers who are championing mental health in their community!

Posted on by Careers Service

Mental Health Awareness (MHA) week is an opportunity to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and discover tools and techniques to protect our mental wellbeing.  

We're proud to support Mental Health Awareness Week 15 to 21 May 2023 Mental Health Foundation

This year, MHA week is themed around anxiety. We caught up with three Bristol PLUS Award achievers to learn how their work has improved the wellbeing of others in their community.  

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Outstanding PLUS Awards: Honourable Mentions 2022/23!

Posted on by Careers Service

The Outstanding PLUS Awards (OPA) recognise exceptional Bristol PLUS Award achievers who have gone above and beyond in their PLUS Award activity.

Whilst there can only be one winner for each of the eight categories, the judges awarded a number of honourable mentions to those shortlisted in each category.

With 114 nominations overall, the judging was tougher than ever, so a huge congratulations to everyone who received an honourable mention! Let’s meet them… 

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Outstanding PLUS Awards: Meet the Winners 2022/23!

Posted on by Careers Service
"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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Make your SU award nomination count for your career

Posted on by Careers Service

Being at university is not just about getting a degree. It’s also about the opportunities alongside your degree to explore interests and develop yourself.

It can be about pushing outside your comfort zone or proving to yourself that you can do something. You may want to make a difference in a community or make your mark. Or you may want to dedicate time to an interest or a cause that intrigues or inspires you.

Many find these fulfilling experiences through Bristol Students’ Union (SU), by:

As well as making university memorable, SU experiences can enhance your employability.

Employers frequently state the value they place on extracurricular experiences.

A group of students accepting an SU Award. There are balloons in the background and the students are all smiling widely.

The SU celebrates students’ achievements each year in the SU Awards.

Being nominated and achieving one of these coveted awards can help you stand out to employers.

So how can you make the most of this?

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Five reasons why you should take part in a City Challenge

Posted on by Careers Service

For our latest City Challenge, we teamed up with local Bristol charity BristolHub, an organisation that supports University of Bristol students to tackle social challenges, learn about issues and connect with each other.

So what is a City Challenge? and why should you take part?

Table of students at the careers service working on the most recent City Challenge with BristolHub

We caught up with Hannah (BA Politics and International Relations) and Apoorva (MA Economics and Finance) who attended the most recent City Challenge, along with Will Westgarth of Bristol Hub, to hear all about the programme and why they recommend you take part in a future one. Here are their five top reasons : 

1. You can make a real difference to a local charity

During a City Challenge, you help a Bristol non-profit tackle an issue they are facing. You learn about a local cause, help improve them and have a positive impact on the local community. Our most recent challenge was with Bristol Hub. Hannah, who’s in her second year, said, “I aspire to work in the non-profit sector so insight into a small charity and the way it works was really helpful for me.” 

Will, from BristolHub, smiling

The charity gets a lot too.

Will of Bristol Hub said, “The Challenge helped Bristol Hub further understand students’ desires when it comes to opportunities and how we can best reach out and connect with students. They came up with incredibly detailed and well thought-out presentations, with suggestions which we will take on board for the next academic year.”  

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Meet the Bristol PLUS achievers who are taking steps towards gender equity!

Posted on by Careers Service

International Women’s Day is all about embracing equity by celebrating women’s achievements, raising awareness about discrimination, and taking action to drive gender parity. 

Happy International Women's Day! #EmbraceEquity #IWD2023

We caught up with two PLUS Award achievers, Ellie Haines and Isabella Cupido, to learn about the work they have done to help forge a gender-equal world, and their motivations for getting involved.

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Postgraduate Researchers: How the Bristol PLUS Award can work for you

Posted on by Careers Service

‘As a Postgraduate Researcher, it can be easy to focus so intently on your research and forget how much university life still has to offer. The Bristol PLUS Award has encouraged me to seek out these experiences, and meet a wider range of students and staff, which I am incredibly grateful for.’

(19 – 20 PGR PLUS Award achiever)

Broaden your Horizons

A photo of volunteers outside in an allotment, standing together and smiling
Volunteers on the City Challenges programme

The Bristol PLUS Award is the university’s employability Award, giving you the opportunity to gain formal recognition for commitments you take on outside of your research.

Getting involved outside of your research is a great way to build connections and community. The PLUS Award recognises a broad range of activities, and for Postgraduate Researchers, lots of these are things you may well already be taking part in.

That could be teaching support, marking, or submitting a paper to a journal. Or experiences outside of the university such as part time work or volunteering. For more ideas, you can check out our list of common PGR options for the Bristol PLUS Award.

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