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Inside University of Bristol
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Job prospects with a degree at BRISTOL

Hi,

I just wanted to know how likely it is to get a job if you go to the university of BRISTOL ? Like is it targeted by employers and such? Also, what job opportunities does a chemistry degree bring? Thank you x

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This target stuff is mainly to do with lawyers and investment banks not really directly related to chemistry plus experience>degree(unless your studying a vocational degree or need a postgrad to do the job) also check the bristol website they probably have info on career,if not kent have some great stuff and try Prospects
Inside University of Bristol
University of Bristol
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Reply 2
Original post by scrawlx101
This target stuff is mainly to do with lawyers and investment banks not really directly related to chemistry plus experience>degree(unless your studying a vocational degree or need a postgrad to do the job) also check the bristol website they probably have info on career,if not kent have some great stuff and try Prospects


Thank you so much for this! If I wanted to do a law conversion or work for an investment bank, would I be able to with a chemistry degree? Right now, I'm not sure where i want to go. I thought I wanted to do medicine and was thinking graduate medicine. But people are saying to change to biomedical sciences rather than chemistry. Which is better? Job wise (banks and law) and to get into med school? I just want to know the options in case I change my mind when I get to 2nd year about what I want to do. Again, thank you so much xxx
Original post by honeysugar
Thank you so much for this! If I wanted to do a law conversion or work for an investment bank, would I be able to with a chemistry degree? Right now, I'm not sure where i want to go. I thought I wanted to do medicine and was thinking graduate medicine. But people are saying to change to biomedical sciences rather than chemistry. Which is better? Job wise (banks and law) and to get into med school? I just want to know the options in case I change my mind when I get to 2nd year about what I want to do. Again, thank you so much xxx


You can do a law conversion course or work in an investment bank with a Chemistry degree. The degree doesn't matter. What matters is the uni you go to. Bristol is regarded very highly for Law, and even though you won't have done a Law degree there, you will still receive the benefits of their reputation. For investment banking, the main universities (target universities) are Oxbridge, UCL, LSE, Warwick, and Imperial. Semi-targets include Bristol, Durham, etc. So you'd be in with a chance for either law or investment banking with an undergraduate degree from Bristol.
Reply 4
Original post by Abstract_Prism
You can do a law conversion course or work in an investment bank with a Chemistry degree. The degree doesn't matter. What matters is the uni you go to. Bristol is regarded very highly for Law, and even though you won't have done a Law degree there, you will still receive the benefits of their reputation. For investment banking, the main universities (target universities) are Oxbridge, UCL, LSE, Warwick, and Imperial. Semi-targets include Bristol, Durham, etc. So you'd be in with a chance for either law or investment banking with an undergraduate degree from Bristol.


Would my alevel grades matter if I get a first class degree at Bristol? Should I consider a masters instead of a bsc? My alevel grades were not the best and I might resit some whilst at university. But I was wondering if it would affect me in the future for ib or even for a law conversion course. Also, can I get student loans for the law conversion course or will I have to pay myself?
Original post by honeysugar
Would my alevel grades matter if I get a first class degree at Bristol? Should I consider a masters instead of a bsc? My alevel grades were not the best and I might resit some whilst at university. But I was wondering if it would affect me in the future for ib or even for a law conversion course. Also, can I get student loans for the law conversion course or will I have to pay myself?


Student loans are available for conversion. Many firms will also pay for it plus provide money for living costs. What are your A-Level grades?
Reply 6
Original post by Random_PC_Errors
Student loans are available for conversion. Many firms will also pay for it plus provide money for living costs. What are your A-Level grades?


I got AAB. Do you think I should resit the subject I got a B in and get some solid work experience? I know there's a no investment banking society and law society at BRISTOL which I'm hoping to join. Do they help you find internships and such?
Original post by honeysugar
Would my alevel grades matter if I get a first class degree at Bristol? Should I consider a masters instead of a bsc? My alevel grades were not the best and I might resit some whilst at university. But I was wondering if it would affect me in the future for ib or even for a law conversion course. Also, can I get student loans for the law conversion course or will I have to pay myself?


Your A-level grades will matter for investment banking, and will play a part depending on what area of law you go into. Investment banks usually specify AAB minimum, but AAA is much better. Corporate law is similar.

Not sure what you mean about masters instead of Bsc. You'll have to do an undergrad before the masters.
Go to career fairs that are hosted by your uni
Original post by Abstract_Prism
Your A-level grades will matter for investment banking, and will play a part depending on what area of law you go into. Investment banks usually specify AAB minimum, but AAA is much better. Corporate law is similar.

Not sure what you mean about masters instead of Bsc. You'll have to do an undergrad before the masters.


Eek. I got ABB, but for the last two got the following unit grades: A, A, B, D/E... 😐
*I could re-sit the last two and just up it to a C grade to get an overall grade of AAA. Is that worth it? (One of them was because I answered the wrong question & ran out of time trying to correct it.)

I remember from the offer holders day that you apply for vacation schemes in your first year... Am I unlikely to get consideted by MC firms?
Original post by honeysugar
I got AAB. Do you think I should resit the subject I got a B in and get some solid work experience? I know there's a no investment banking society and law society at BRISTOL which I'm hoping to join. Do they help you find internships and such?


Internships are 100% essential for investment banking. If you're just about to start your first year, you're in luck. Apply for 'Spring weeks'. These are temporary internships that last for one week in the Spring of your first year at uni. Example: https://jpmorgan.tal.net/vx/appcentre-emea_jobs/brand-0/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/7/opp/5040-2017-Spring-Week-Investment-Banking-Risk/en-GB

These Spring weeks are just the first step. They'll get you onto the proper Summer internship. This is in your penultimate (second) year. This is the most important one, and if you don't screw up you will very likely be offered a full time position at the bank when you graduate. Example: https://jpmorgan.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-4/brand-18/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/7/opp/4684-2017-Investment-Banking-Summer-Analyst-Program-London/en-GB

For corporate law you want to follow a similar path, doing a Summer internship in your penultimate year.

If you can really only do one or the other, do the internships instead of getting that B up to an A. But really you should try to do both.
Original post by stratagems
Eek. I got ABB, but for the last two got the following unit grades: A, A, B, D/E... 😐
*I could re-sit the last two and just up it to a C grade to get an overall grade of AAA. Is that worth it? (One of them was because I answered the wrong question & ran out of time trying to correct it.)

I remember from the offer holders day that you apply for vacation schemes in your first year... Am I unlikely to get consideted by MC firms?


Your university is more important than your A-level grades (good unis for law = Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, Bristol, Manchester, Durham), but your A-level grades are still important, and with ABB you won't be very competitive. If you are willing definitely resit. Make sure you get your foot in the door and do those vacation schemes. They are especially important for you because you will need to make yourself as competitive as possible.
I got BBB and are categorically not resitting, out of principle.

I've never wanted to sell my soul to the magic circle and have always aimed for a high end regional firm in places like Bristol/Manchester/Leeds etc. Although I need to visit more law firms before I apply for the GDL, only visited one so far and was put off massively by the culture inside.

The benefit of the GDL I suppose is that you apply for T/C's after you graduate, logic would have it that the degree would be a better indicator of your ability than A-Levels you sat four years previous. A lot of (high end) law firms will explicitly state that they read applications in full and don't automatically rejected you for not meeting the A-Level requirements so those are ones to keep an eye out for.

Can't really comment on investment banking because it's not an area I've looked into, sorry :P
Reply 13
Original post by Random_PC_Errors
I got BBB and are categorically not resitting, out of principle.

I've never wanted to sell my soul to the magic circle and have always aimed for a high end regional firm in places like Bristol/Manchester/Leeds etc. Although I need to visit more law firms before I apply for the GDL, only visited one so far and was put off massively by the culture inside.

The benefit of the GDL I suppose is that you apply for T/C's after you graduate, logic would have it that the degree would be a better indicator of your ability than A-Levels you sat four years previous. A lot of (high end) law firms will explicitly state that they read applications in full and don't automatically rejected you for not meeting the A-Level requirements so those are ones to keep an eye out for.

Can't really comment on investment banking because it's not an area I've looked into, sorry :P


Thank you so much! what put you off the culture at the law firm you visited?
I'm not going to go into too much detail, but the culture the firm was trying to present was very different to the one I witnessed myself. If I firm tells you (x) but your seeing (y) with your own eyes, it starts to set off alarm bells.


Also wasn't very impressed that we were taken to the firms car park to have a look around at their shiny cars. The firm was very ambitious (to their credit) but at times it felt like it was trying too hard to make an impression.


Therefore the firm just didn't fit for me, which I why I'm keen need to get out to more firms to see how the cultures compare.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by stratagems
Eek. I got ABB, but for the last two got the following unit grades: A, A, B, D/E... 😐
*I could re-sit the last two and just up it to a C grade to get an overall grade of AAA. Is that worth it? (One of them was because I answered the wrong question & ran out of time trying to correct it.)

I remember from the offer holders day that you apply for vacation schemes in your first year... Am I unlikely to get consideted by MC firms?


ABB is fine for investment banking.

But are you sure these careers are what you want to do? Or are you just chasing prestige like everyone else.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 16
Original post by Princepieman
ABB is fine for investment banking.

But are you sure these careers are what you want to do? Or are you just chasing prestige like everyone else.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Honestly, if I could do anything I ever wanted to do as a career, I'd probably go into music. But like realistically, I thought law and ib would be more of a safe option. I guess ill have to see what it's like when I do some work experience there.
Original post by Princepieman
ABB is fine for investment banking.

But are you sure these careers are what you want to do? Or are you just chasing prestige like everyone else.

Posted from TSR Mobile


I only want to go into law, not banking. I want to work in a magic circle or US law firm (the latter is unlikely given that I'm not going to Oxbridge/London unis).

And no, it's not about prestige! Being in my late 20s, I've given up full time work & thus income for two years to do A-level in order to go to uni, so I've given this A LOT of thought!
Original post by stratagems
I only want to go into law, not banking. I want to work in a magic circle or US law firm (the latter is unlikely given that I'm not going to Oxbridge/London unis).

And no, it's not about prestige! Being in my late 20s, I've given up full time work & thus income for two years to do A-level in order to go to uni, so I've given this A LOT of thought!


Awesome response! Yeah, make the most of uni and you'll be fine :smile:

FWIW, the MC firms have mostly done away with minimum alevel grades and so have some other firms out there. So they're definitely within reach, and, especially from Bristol - provided you get stuck in with socieities and leadership schemes.

Enjoy Bristol dude/dudette (was my insurance but missed the offer aha), apply to the various schemes that are open to you and just see where it goes from there.*
Original post by honeysugar
Honestly, if I could do anything I ever wanted to do as a career, I'd probably go into music. But like realistically, I thought law and ib would be more of a safe option. I guess ill have to see what it's like when I do some work experience there.


Following what's 'safe' usually leads to a quarter life crisis

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