Are you considering a PhD?

Posted on December 12, 2022January 4, 2023 by Careers Service

With most PhDs spanning 3 to 4 years, it is not a decision to take lightly.

For some students, their passion for research and a specific academic discipline is such that a PhD is an obvious choice as part of their career planning, however, for others it is just one possible option, prompting further questions.

Having an insight into what life is like as a post-graduate researcher is a crucial first step. Without any doubt, you will need to love learning, have a hunger for research, and be a self-starter happy to work for long periods independently. Advice from vitae.ac.uk is to be ‘really clear on your motivations for doing a doctorate, and that it [will be] a positive career step.’

Kayleigh Crouch is a Career Peer Support Adviser with the Careers Service, currently a PGR at the University of Bristol, and has shared her insights on what it’s like to be a doctoral researcher here:

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Five reasons why I would recommend the Change 100 internship scheme: Helena

Posted on December 7, 2022December 6, 2022 by Careers Service

Hi, I’m Helena, I am a third-year Psychology student and I also work at the Careers Service as your Bristol Mentors Student Associate Intern.

This summer I took part in Change 100, a programme run by disability charity Leonard Cheshire. It supports students and recent graduates with disabilities to complete an internship. Students apply to the programme and, if successful, are paired with a partner organisation to complete a three-month summer internship.

A picture of the author, Helena, smiling with a cup of coffee

I was paired with IHG Hotels & Resorts in their Corporate Responsibility team.

I was new to the world of Corporate Responsibility and learnt a lot. However, I learnt just as much from taking part in the Change 100 process itself.

My experience of applying to the scheme, and being supported by the team there, was the most accessible I am yet to see in the workplace. They demonstrated how disability inclusivity can – and should – be done:

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Global Careers Week: 5 top tips from our international alumni finding jobs in the UK

Posted on December 2, 2022November 30, 2022 by Careers Service

A cartoon of a looking glass with the earth inside it

We were told the best advice is always from those with a shared experience and that’s why we have invited 5 of the University of Bristol’s international graduates here to share their top tips for landing a graduate job in the UK.

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Global Careers Week: Sarah’s inspirational global career

Posted on November 30, 2022December 20, 2022 by Careers Service

Employers from all countries are looking for graduates who can demonstrate global skills and competencies.

Bristol alumni, Sarah M. Natumanya, tells us about her global experience working for a German consulting group, the UN in Switzerland and as a consultant in Uganda.

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Inspiring insights at the Public Sector Panel

Posted on November 23, 2022November 24, 2022 by Careers Service

Hi, I’m Phoebe! And last month I went along to the Career Service’s ‘Public Sector Panel’ which featured four inspiring representatives from the public sector who came to share their experience of working in the industry with students. This is what I learnt …

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How to get into Finance: Top Tips

Posted on November 18, 2022January 24, 2023 by Careers Service

Finance careers include key areas of banking, financial accounting, financial planning, insurance, investments, pensions, real estate, sustainability and fintech. You could find yourself in a multinational corporation, a small or medium sized business or enterprise (SME), or even a microbusiness or start-up enterprise.

Some recent University of Bristol graduates have gone into graduate roles in this sector as Financial Analysts, Tax Associates, Financial Planners, Risk Analysts, Financial Consultants and Investment Bankers, to name a few.

As a taster, here we draw together some top tips from our careers panel event on ‘How to get into Finance’ for Social Science and Law students on 25 October 2022. (more…)

The SME Internship Scheme: tackling hunger and homelessness one internship at a time

Posted on November 16, 2022November 10, 2022 by Careers Service

This week is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, why not consider arranging an SME Internship with an organisation that is working to prevent hunger and homelessness? We spoke to a few organisations that University if Bristol students have previously had internships with to find out what they do, and why they like the scheme.

1625 Independent People

1625 Independent People works with young people aged 16 to 25 in the southwest.

They work to prevent youth homelessness through early intervention and have taken on interns through our scheme since 2017 to support this work

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Happy Global Entrepreneurship week!

Posted on November 14, 2022November 15, 2022 by Careers Service

It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week this week, which means people all over the world are coming together to celebrate start-ups and new business ideas.

Here at Basecamp, we have a lot of exciting events and opportunities coming up this academic year, to help you get a leg up for your start-up. Read on for more info, as well as some insights from former students who have worked with us and turned their start-up dreams into reality. You can also visit the Global Entrepreneurship website where they have more information, as well as events running all week, online and in-person, all over the world.