Other careers
Eleanor Fray - Law conversion course
After graduating with a BA in Music, I waved goodbye to the Vic Rooms and set off for another University of Bristol landmark - the Wills Memorial Building - where I joined the faculty of law. I spent the next two years completing the MA in Law programme which is a more detailed and academic alternative to the one year law conversion courses. I wasn't 100% sure that I would want to practice law as a solicitor or barrister so wanted as transferable a qualification as possible. This premonition turned out to be right as I soon discovered that I was more interested in the development and making of laws, rather than their application. This led me to look into careers in public services and I applied to join the civil service's graduate development programme (the Fast Stream).
The Fast Stream programme consists of a series of varied postings across Government to give you a breadth of experience across public policy-making and delivery. The civil service is a fascinating and widely varied beast, as demonstrated by my own Fast Stream career. I started off in the then UK Trade & Investment department working on a campaign to promote the UK's excellence in Islamic finance, before joining a policy team in the Ministry of Justice to help take a bill through Parliament. After a secondment to local government, I took up another policy post in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs where I was tasked with implementing an EU Regulation on equine identification (yes - horse passports!).
I then returned to the Ministry of Justice, spending a year in the Corporate Finance team before joining "Private Office" - the team of civil servants who work directly to Ministers, acting as the key point of contact between them and the department. I started my Private Office career working for the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor as an Assistant Private Secretary before progressing to Private Secretary, and now Deputy Principal Private Secretary leading on the prisons and probation portfolio. Throughout this time, I have been fortunate to meet so many interesting people, from Cabinet Ministers and senior judges to prisoners and prison officers - and all amongst the whirlwind of a referendum, snap General Election, and three separate Justice Secretaries. Along the way, I've always found people to be interested in the fact that I studied music, and I enjoy explaining to everyone what an historical, creative, mathematical and logical discipline it is! Music remains a strong passion of mine, and in my spare time I sing with a choir at St-Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square.
Laura Upton-Smith - Alumnae Relations
I work in Alumnae Relations at Roedean School, and what I love about my job is getting to meet an array of different and interesting people, the events I get to plan, and the fact that no two days are the same. After graduating from Bristol, I worked at Taunton School International for a year as a residential assistant before doing a Masters in Diplomacy and International Relations from Lancaster University. I then spent 5 years working at the Council of British International Schools, organising events and programmes for staff and students. My husband and I then decided to quit our jobs and travel for 18 months, backpacking around SE Asia, doing a camping safari around southern Africa, couch surfing with family and friends in North America, and living in Morocco for a couple of months.
A music degree from Bristol set me up well for my career and wider adult life. During my time at Bristol, I developed the organisational skills I now use daily for event management. As the nature of my job looks different every day, I rely on finding creative solutions to issues as they arise, and the ability to think on my feet. Finally, a large part of my job revolves around relationship building, and the collaborative nature of a music degree put me in good stead.