Careers Network - careers support from Bristol graduates
Gain careers insights and support by networking with Bristol graduates and former Bristol research staff
'The Careers Network proved to be the single most useful resource available to students during the Milkround process. This tool allows students to contact Bristol alumni who are now pursuing careers in industry, and without doubt was crucial to gaining my job offer.' John Gill, Marketing Manager, Unilever (MEng, Engineering Design, 2012)
What is the purpose of the Careers Network?
Who can access the Careers Network?
What are the terms and conditions?
How can I contact Careers Network members?
Log in to the Careers Network 
How can I volunteer to become a Careers Network member?
How do I update my contact and/or employment details?
What if I need further details?
Other sources of careers insights
Feedback
Video tutorial - how to access and use the Careers Network
Are you graduating this year? Do you know what you are planning to do next? If so, the Careers Service would like to know details of your work and/or further study plans - please contact the Graduate Destinations and Statistics Team.
What is the purpose of the Careers Network?
The purpose of the Careers Network is to allow current Bristol students and staff, and recent Bristol graduates registered with the Careers Service, to network with more than 750 graduates and former research staff of the University of Bristol, now studying, researching and working in dozens of different fields, in order to gain careers insights. You could ask... What do you do? How did you get there? What was the selection process? Any tips on how I could make myself a better candidate? What experience do I need and how might I get in?
All Careers Network members have volunteered to offer you informal support related to a potential career and you can send them a message via the Careers Service. Some members also offer work experience and vacation work opportunities. You can also search for members who offer mentoring.
Who can access the Careers Network?
- Current University of Bristol students and staff only
- Other sources of careers insights available to recent Bristol graduates
What are the terms and conditions?
Advice from Careers Network volunteers:
- '...the couple of Careers Network emails that I've been particularly impressed with have been ones that have asked for advice rather than simply "I'd like a job"!'
- '...regret[table] that none of the enquirers, to all of whom I wrote, took the trouble to acknowledge my response'
- Some of the members offer work experience/vacation work but please don't request this unless it is offered. If you are interested in work experience, please provide some background details and offer to send a CV and covering letter
- You are permitted to contact a maximum of five Careers Network members per day
- Always start the email by introducing yourself and explaining how you found their details
- We recommend that students approaching a Careers Network contact write in a formal way, introducing themselves and paying attention to punctuation and spelling. This will create a good impression with the contact and means that you are more likely to get a favourable response.
- Please use the Careers Network for your own career-related enquiries only
Please note: We monitor Careers Network emails and will contact you if the system is used for non Careers Network purposes. Please also note the University regulations for the use of computing facilities.
How can I contact Careers Network members?
If you are a current Bristol student or member of staff log in to the Careers Network using your UoB username and password. If you find a Careers Network member you would like to contact, simply select the [send message] link and send your message to that member via the Careers Service.
Remember to explain that you found their details within the Careers Service Careers Network and that you are a current student or member of staff at the University and remember to thank them if they respond.
Please note: Please contact the Resources Help Desk if your emails are returned to you as 'undelivered' or 'non-deliverable':
- 0117 928 8237 (internal 88237)
- careers-resources@bris.ac.uk
How can I volunteer to become a Careers Network member?
Please note:
- From Friday 16 November 2012 the Careers Network will be closed to new volunteers as we seek to introduce mycareer, the name of a new online environment from the University of Bristol Careers Service which will replace, in time, selected content previously available on the Careers Service website.
- Functionality will be introduced in a phased approach and so the Careers Service website and mycareer will co-exist for the foreseeable future, but the division of content between these two online environments will change during the 2012-13 academic year and beyond.
- Existing Careers Network volunteers will be kept informed of system changes.
- If you have any comments or questions, please contact Mark Powell, Head of Information Services, Careers Service.
We are very keen to involve Bristol graduates in the delivery of careers events. Please contact Brian Staines, Head of Guidance Services, Careers Service.
How do I update my contact and/or employment details?
If you want to update your Careers Network contact and/or employment details, please contact the Resources Help Desk:
- 0117 928 8237 (internal 88237)
- careers-resources@bris.ac.uk
What if I need further details?
If you require further information, please contact the Resources Help Desk in the first instance:
- 0117 928 8237 (internal 88237)
- careers-resources@bris.ac.uk
- Please note: as a rule we allow Bristol graduate volunteers 28 days to respond to requests for help from current Bristol students before we chase for a response.
Other sources of careers insights
You can also:
- Join LinkedIn, the professional networking database, including the University of Bristol Alumni LinkedIn Group to connect with other Bristol graduates [c.12,000 members as of January 2013].
- Research employers (and employees)
- view over 200 graduate case studies
- view over 75 postgraduate case studies
- read about students' work experiences including internships
- 'How I became...' from Campaigns and Alumni Relations
Feedback
We are very keen to receive feedback from current students who have used the Careers Network as well as Careers Network volunteers. Please email your feedback to careers-resources@bris.ac.uk.