Careers

Careers

At Bristol we are committed to making sure that you have every opportunity to get ready for life after graduation. Every year, our graduates go on to do amazing things in incredibly diverse fields. Our experienced and qualified staff are on hand to support you in whichever direction you decide to explore.

Life after graduation

During your time at Bristol, you will find that you are gaining not only academic or technical knowledge but a wealth of other skills at the same time. Self-motivation, an innovative approach to problem solving and independent and critical thinking are just some of the skills that our students develop through research-led teaching. What’s more, we will help you to work out how you can best demonstrate your employability on application forms, on CVs and in interviews.

Our Careers Service, is located in newly refurbished premises at the heart of the University campus and we’re open Monday to Friday throughout the year. Our services are free for current students and for the first three years after graduation.

Careers Advisers work closely with academic faculties, schools and departments, with a specific adviser to support international students.

Getting ahead

Bristol students are ambitious. The vast majority demonstrate commitment in areas such as volunteering, participation in student societies and sport. There are many opportunities to get involved in the local community and with employers, trying out things you never thought you could. We are proud of our students' achievements and recognise them through award schemes such as the Bristol PLuS Awards, endorsed by many leading graduate recruiters including Airbus, Cancer Research UK and Ernst & Young.

For more information about the Bristol PLuS Award and to find out more about how students prove they can offer more than just a degree, please visit the PLuS Award website.

Making connections

We believe that there is nobody better to tell you about the reality of particular jobs than the people in them. That’s why we develop long-standing relationships with hundreds of employers, from small businesses to global organisations. They help support our degrees to make sure that they are up to date and relevant, mentor students who are interested in starting their own business, and offer hundreds of internships and work experience placements.

During an average Autumn term almost 500 employers participate in on-campus activities including careers fairs, presentations, networking events and workshops. This reflects the University’s excellent reputation and means that our graduate employment record is among the best in the UK, with students going into over 960 different organisations in
2010-11.

Careers Service

Alumni views

Hanif Virji, BSc Physics, 1985
Joint Founder and Partner AHV Associates LLP

Bristol has an exceptional reputation in science. My Physics course gave me the fundamental building blocks to understand the world. Through practical work and application, it gave me a comprehensive grounding in physics and maths, which cultivated the skills I use today.

Not long after I graduated, I gained experience in structuring and trading derivatives at some of the world’s largest investment banks including Lazard and JP Morgan. Since then, I’ve gone on to co-found AHV Associates, which gives advice to privately owned businesses in all aspects of corporate finance. As a trustee and treasurer of the RSA, I’m a strong advocate of philanthropy.

Fatema Begum, LLB Law 2005
Solicitor at DAC Beachcroft

Opting to study Law at the University of Bristol is one of the best decisions I have ever made. The course is outstanding and highly rated; taught by lecturers who are leaders in their fields and set within the striking Wills Memorial Building.

Beyond the academic perspective, I made firm lifelong friends and got involved in pro bono work with the Bristol Law Clinic, which provided a valuable taster of legal practice. Being a Bristol graduate has undoubtedly opened doors for me to pursue a rewarding legal career. It has also instilled in me a desire to embark on a lifelong journey of learning.

Bristol alumni

Bristol alumni are extraordinary. They're innovators, entrepreneurs and key influencers, changing the UK and the world for the better in a wide range of fields. Once you've graduated, you'll become a member of this group - a network of over 105,000 alumni from 170 countries. It's a goldmine of talent and experience that will bring you great career and social benefits throughout your life.

Finding your feet

With our support you'll make the most of our alumni network after you graduate, whether it's online or in person, at the many alumni events that take place around the world. When you join our exclusive online community, you'll be able to connect and network through our website, LinkedIn and Facebook pages.

Many of our former students love to return to share their work experiences with current students through mentoring and networking sessions on a range of topics such as the environment, management and law.

A lifelong relationship

Bristol alumni have a long tradition of supporting upcoming generations, both financially and through voluntary activities.

Many graduates organise reunions and networking events for alumni in their area – a great way to meet new people and keep in touch with old friends, while strengthening the ties between Bristol’s past and present.

Our alumni also donate money towards the University’s pioneering research, bursaries and other projects such as the Alumni Foundation. This fund supports the extracurricular activities such as sports clubs, cultural societies and theatre productions that make Bristol such an exciting and vibrant place to be. Many alumni continue to give regularly because they want to ensure that future students have as rich and rewarding experience at Bristol as they did. So when you come to Bristol, remember the Alumni Foundation – you may be able to access funds for one of your activities.

Celebrating your success

We are proud of our students’ successes and the contribution they are making to society. We’ve included a mention of our notable alumni and provided some case studies opposite, so you can discover what our past students have gone on to achieve.

Alumni website

Alumni views

Edd Read, MEng Engineering Mathematics, 2007
Co-founder and Head of Online at graze.com

When I was applying for University, Bristol’s Engineering Maths course was like no other I saw advertised. Its blend of general engineering, computer science, maths and artificial intelligence was a perfect match for my interests and I was thrilled to get a place on the course.

Some of the real-world modelling projects we studied were perfectly relevant to the problems I’m faced with at graze. We’re a very datadriven business, and we actively pursue AI solutions to many of our internal problems, from stock management to predicting which customers might want to leave us. Bristol helped prepare me for today.

Dr Andrea Gnanadurai, MB ChB Medicine, 2008
NHS CT2 Core Trainee in Psychiatry

Bristol University is diverse, multicultural and forward-thinking; a fantastic environment in which to learn and practice medicine. The medical school’s excellent academic reputation, combined with a fantastic range of clinical opportunities in local hospitals has given my career a firm foundation.

My passion for psychiatric medicine emerged during my training and was encouraged by our clinical teachers. After completing my foundation years, I’ve returned to Bristol to pursue my higher training and make use of the excellent, postgraduate opportunities the city provides. I look back fondly at my time at Bristol and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.