Challenging University Podcast

When injury brings a halt to your professional studies, does it spell the end of your career?Matt Skelton is a Finance Director with a specialism in technology SMEs and a fascinating career history.A born problem solver, Matt demonstrates the power of reframing a lack of experience as an opportunity to learn and how saying "yes" to big challenges enabled him to find his niche.In this episode, Matt explains how you can turn concerns about your qualifications into a means to define the type of work you want to do, and how to identify the kinds of people and organisations you want to work with.#CareersInTech #CareersInFinance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens if you start university and then decide it isn't for you? Shouldn't you just see it through?  Michael Lonnon has built a career in technology marketing by epitomising the growth mindset of 'fail fast, learn, move on'.  After two false-starts in further and higher education, Michael secured his first role in marketing by asking a direct question and has - ever since - used his tenacity, eye for opportunity and self-belief to carve out the career that he wants.  Michael talks candidly about his early years and experiences, including stints in kitchens and a brief foray into window fitting, and how the challenges he faced spurred him on to bigger and better things.  This is an inspiring episode for anyone who is afraid of making a leap, not sure whether they've made the 'right' education or career decision, or are getting in their own way when it comes to asking for what they want.  To listen to the podcast that Michael hosts, head to: https://www.hso.com/en-gb/resource/dynamics-matters/ To order a free copy of his book, visit: https://www.hso.com/en-gb/resource/confessions/#careerspodcast #technologymarketing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you had to fully support yourself aged 18, what would you do?In this episode of university, challenged Liz Waugh describes how when her parents relocated abroad she decided to defer a university offer and simultaneously worked three jobs until she found her feet in the world of technology.From starting out as a specialist in software asset management, Liz has forged an incredible career, taking on leadership roles that would eventually lead to her becoming Global Director of a large IT services organisation.We talk about:* navigating corporate life* learning to own the fact you don't have a degree when everyone assumes that you do* how important it is to have a supportive partner when combining a career with parenthoodLiz also shares her experiences of coaching a local U15’s female football team and how lateral thinking - and being real about money and lifestyle - helped her open up the world of tech careers to the players.#techcareers #careerstories #inspiringstories #workingparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you achieve all the right grades to have your pick of the best universities, but then decide that uni life isn’t for you? Dan Ball is the Founder and CEO of The Early Careers Company and social mobility charity, The Early Careers Foundation. As a straight A/A* student throughout his school and college life, Dan had originally harboured an ambition to become a neuroscientist until a year out made him re-evaluate where he wanted to direct his energy and talents. So, he stepped into the world of work and now, at just 26, Dan has created two organisations which between them “use careers to transform businesses, advance social mobility and improve lives.”During our conversation, Dan shares how it’s possible to blend a commercial brain with a social conscience; the impact his parents have on his attitude to life and work; and the traits that have helped him get to where he is today. We talk about politics, ‘getting on with it’, why you need to work even harder when times get tough and why you never want to be asked to bring your own chicken when you’re invited to dinner.Contains adult language but we’re all grown-ups here, right?Find out moreConnect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielhball/The Early Careers Company: https://earlycareerscompany.com/The Early Careers Foundation: https://earlycareersfoundation.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you build a career in fashion marketing where you get to work with brands from premium loungewear specialists to global sportswear giants? And how do you do that when no-one in your community works in the industry *and* the industry is structurally designed to be hard to access for people with your background or experience?  Tom Armstrong shares his story of how a love of music and fashion, coupled with an irrepressible need to be creative, led him from working in a shop at the weekends to launching a magazine that got him noticed among some seriously major players.  Throughout our conversation, Tom highlights the power of using your creativity to generate new opportunities and how valuing our unique experiences as individuals can help us to identify what we have to offer.  We also talk about working class culture, state vs private schooling and the surprising statistic that led to Tom and some of his friends forming Common People - a collective that aims to represent, connect, open doors and increase the number of working-class people in the creative industries.  To learn more about Tom's work, head to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-armstrong-the-move/ To join Common People, head to https://commonpeople.substack.com/ #commonpeople #careerstories #creativeindustries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social mobility is not just about access to university and yet existing social mobility programmes often focus on this, which means there are few options available to those who struggled in the traditional education system. Without qualifications, thousands of talented young adults never have the opportunity to make the most of their potential. GoodWork is changing this. In this episode of university, challenged, GoodWork's founder, Felicity Halstead, shares how her organisation aims to address the gap that exists and open up access to professional careers through a combination of early careers training for young people, advisory for organisations on how to rethink their talent strategy, and advocacy designed to create system-level change. Felicity also talks about how her own experience of university helped her understand why it really doesn't suit everyone and shouldn't be held up as the only route to career success. To learn more about GoodWork - including how you can take part in their programme - head to: Web: https://www.goodwork.org.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodworkuk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an extremely special episode with a man who, as a 3 year old, dreamed of becoming a pilot.Born in "an East London slum" and losing four years of education due to World War II, Terry's story is one of overcoming multiple odds to achieve his dream and a reminder that his experiences are still within living memory.From women pawning their shoes during the week, to Friendly Societies looking after communities before the advent of the NHS and the welfare state, Terry paints a vivid picture of life as a child during and after WWII and the impact this had on his desire to succeed.There's lessons on the power of setting your sights; not letting your background dictate your future and, crucially, the role of prioritisation when it comes to career choices that impact your life. There's also a twist in the tale on how Terry came to realise his dream :)Today, Terry is an accomplished artist who exhibits regularly in Berkshire and is a member of the Sonning Art Group. Huge thanks go to Terry for sharing his story. Terry and I met when I performed for Reading Oddfellows - a friendly society that has been operating for more than 200 years across the UK. If you'd like to find out more about what Oddfellows do, and how to become a member, head to: https://www.oddfellows.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered exactly where an apprenticeship could take you? How about starting you off on a journey all the way to the board?This episode of university, challenged features Lyndsey Charlton, Chief Operating Officer and Board Director at Daisy Group - one of the UK’s largest providers of communications, IT and cloud services. She is also Non-Executive Director for Groundbreaker and a qualified dance instructor.From her early days on a Youth Training Scheme in County Durham through to a Modern Apprenticeship and NVQ, Lyndsey’s story is one of how growing up in a family where gender didn’t dictate your career decisions meant she never questioned whether there was a place for her in engineering and IT. And while being “the only girl in the room” didn’t hinder Lyndsey’s progress, she came to realise that the wider issue of representation in the industry does need to be addressed. Today, Lyndsey is a champion for apprenticeships, bringing more girls into STEM and neurodiversity, and uses her own experiences to inform Daisy Group’s hiring and retention practices.There’s also discussion on how to make big career decisions, demonstrating you don’t need to leave where you grew up to get on in life and embracing opportunities.To learn more about the organisations and initiatives Lyndsey shares throughout the conversation, head to these links:Daisy Group: https://daisygroup.com/Enthuse Partnership: https://daisyuk.tech/charities-and-initiatives/ Stem Learning: https://www.stem.org.uk/ Groundbreaker: https://groundbreaker.org/The Girls Network The Girls' Network (thegirlsnetwork.org.uk) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you get from busy to balanced?  And how do you go from starting out as an office assistant to becoming a senior director for commercial strategy and operations at one of the world's most recognised technology brands?  In this episode, Tara Rule shares not just her career journey, but also top tips for success based on her experiences of balancing a demanding corporate role with raising a family.  As well as being a senior director (and a certified accountant) Tara is also a qualified coach who helps other working mums bring balance to their lives, grow in confidence and take control of their careers by helping them identify the things they're already good at, reach outside of their comfort zones and find their 'sticky toffee pudding'!  To join Tara's free Facebook group, head to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/busy2balancedTo connect with her on LinkedIn, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tararule/To follow her on Instagram, head to: https://www.instagram.com/tararulecoaching/?hl=enLike this episode? Give it a share!To find out more about the host, Toni Kent, head to www.tonikent.co.uk or connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonijkent/ #careerstories #careerinspiration #inspiringwomen #leadershipstories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode brings a first for university, challenged with a double helping of guests in the shape of Lorraine Fearn (Radio Access Network Architect) and Liz Hayward (Chartered Legal Executive) where we discuss what it takes to make it as a woman in a male dominated field and how you're supposed to respond to the line "Girls can't be engineers"....Would love to hear any classic lines you've been fed that have made you even more resolved to make it. For me it was "If you came into my office, I'd think you were the secretary".Expect a real show of friendship and some great tips self motivation!#careerstories #careerpodcast #womeninengineering #womeninlaw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy #IWD2022! This post celebrates all the phenomenal women who have featured on the podcast so far (making up 56% of guests :)). If you'd like to listen to their inspiring career stories, follow the links below.Nina Egge'Daborn - on success in the housing sector: https://lnkd.in/eJv39UkMSarah Burns MBE - on creating a career in the charity sector: https://lnkd.in/eRqXTZ3wLouize Clarke - on daring to disrupt and Digital Gum! https://lnkd.in/eDSQeVBnNayna McIntosh - on founding a successful fashion brand: https://lnkd.in/eMPK6W7XKatie Moon - on living your values and life at LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/euXVXfj4Karen Moyse. KineticFuture - on comms, chemistry and coaching: https://lnkd.in/eAEnQSTtLeanne Kathleen Barrie - on embracing change and making it in Italy: https://lnkd.in/e7Px6rpBAkua Apeagyei - on coding, caring and cloud solution architecture: https://lnkd.in/eHfdXANNLez Graham - on being an award-winner, author and canine behaviour consultant: https://lnkd.in/eatKmzhdJulie Genney - on being a professional mindset coach: https://lnkd.in/eu9kPt8f Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you go from fixing fax machines to being responsible for a multi-million pound alliance between two global corporations? In this episode, Jaime Neail – Senior Business Development Manager for Microsoft at Citrix – shares his experiences of working his way up through the technology industry and the skills that have held him in good stead in a sector where many believe you have to be extremely techy or degree-educated to get ahead. We talk about the power of listening, committing to learning and why wanting to win is a powerful asset in contributing to the success of others.Like this episode? Give it a share! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Genney is mindset coach who works with businesswomen that lead purpose and passion led businesses. Through her work, Julie helps her clients to uncover and answer the question “What’s stopping you from changing the world? “. In this episode, Julie shares her family history in educational campaigning and how her parents' attitude to education influenced her schooling. We talk about her experiences inthe banking sector, finding her feet on the career ladder, and how a to return to study while working fired her passion for learning. We also talk about how Julie's own experiences ignited her desire to help and coach others. Julie's story is one of continuous professional and personal development, the value of university when you feel ready (and studying a topic that you love) and the challenges of combining a degree with work, pregnancy, and early motherhood. There's also reflections on the ways in which we can take cues from our own lives to help us understand how best we can add value to others.If you'd like to find out more about Julie's work, you can connect with her on LinkedIn here or visit her website: https://www.juliegenney.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you go from leaving school being told "there's nothing we can do for you" to becoming a leader in your field, someone who creates their own unique methodology that instructors now teach to create a trusted relationship between owner and pet gun dog?Lez Graham's story is as interesting as it is inspiring. Despite leaving school without GCSE's, her career to date has included riding instructor, coder, project leader on Y2K for one of the world's largest financial institutions, kinesiologist specialising in human, equine and canine treatment, Founder of the Kinesiology Association of New Zealand, fire walk instructor, dog behaviourist and author. PHEW!Hers is a story of following your passions, reframing set backs and earning accreditations and qualifications while working. Oh, and of giving back to others every step of the way. You'll notice throughout our conversation how in each instance Lez's own personal development isn't something she keeps to herself - she has a lifelong commitment to helping others.Currently studying for a doctorate, Lez goes to show that learning most certainly doesn't take place just in the classroom and that what's said to you when you're a pupil at secondary school doesn't dictate what you're destined to be.  You can discover more about Lez's work here:www.thepetgundog.co.ukwww.professionalcanineacademy.co.ukwww.retrievingroll.comwww.trainedforlife.co.ukand find her on social media here: https://www.facebook.com/lez.graham/https://www.instagram.com/lezgraham/https://www.youtube.com/user/leztfl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you had three university offers on the table, what would you do?For Conor Cotton, it crystallised a decision to make his mark on the world of work. From an initial motivation of making money, Conor soon realised that by surrounding himself with people he could learn from, he could accelerate both his professional and personal growth beyond chasing bigger pay checks.With business books by his bedside and having crafted a clear vision, Conor became the Managing Director of Not Going To Uni - a company with a long track record in successfully finding work for non-graduates - aged just 21.Over the space of just 15 months, Conor has added new service lines, achieved record-breaking growth and helped make sure that Not Going To Uni is the first port of call for businesses, young people and media outlets when it comes to non-graduate careers.In this episode Conor shares what 'fuels his fire', what you'll learn working at a start-up that you'll never learn in school, and how just a couple of strategic decisions can have a truly transformative impact. And it's not all strictly business! We also talk being a PE tech, home ownership in your 20's and the possibility of owning Leeds FC :)-----Learn more about Not Going To UniYoung people seeking a non-graduate career: www.notgoingtouni.co.ukOrganisations that want to expand their talent pool: www.ngtugroup.co.ukConnect with Conor: https://linktr.ee/ConorCotton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Akua Apeagyei is a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft on a degree apprenticeship programme. She's also a young carer, an award-winner and the founder of Anomalys Foundation - an Instagram community she has created to bring more young people into STEM.In this episode, Akua talks about the source of her resilience, the importance of spotting opportunities and why education doesn't just take place in the classroom. There's also a gap year that is nothing like what most people would expect, picking up the programming language Python in a day and the magic of mentoring.Throughout the conversation, Akua mentions organisations that helped her in her journey so far which you can find out more about below:Stemettes: https://stemettes.org/Codebar: Homepage | codebar.ioMakers Academy: Change Your Life - Become a Software Developer at MakersYou can learn more about Akua's work here: Anomalys Foundation: https://www.instagram.com/anomalys_foundation/And if you want to help Akua develop an app that will help people with hearing impairments, you can find her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akua-apeagyei-95b42aa8/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you imagine passing your UK driving test aged 18 and a month later you're behind the wheel on the roads of Chianti?How about if your first job after earning your BTEC was nannying for an Italian family in Tuscany and you didn't speak the language? Terrifying right? Not for Leanne Barrie.Leanne's story is one of being expected to leave home at 18, receiving sound advice from her dad that opportunity was not on her Hastings doorstep, and how the family she first started working for adopted her as one of their own - from directing her language studies to providing her with opportunities to run their holiday cottages which kick-started a love for tourism.In our conversation, Leanne describes how leaving the UK meant she was able to fully push her own boundaries and enjoy not one, but three distinct career arcs which today sees her working in Marketing and Communications for KPMG in Verona.Leanne challenges the idea that you need a degree to establish yourself in another country and offers clear examples and expert advice on how to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. If you're interested in starting again, switching careers or want to know what it takes to go from childcare via tourism to marketing and events for a global organisation, this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you secure a career in communications that takes you all the way to being offered Chief Exec if you didn't go to uni?And how do you tell Sir Martin Sorrell that you want something other than the top job?!In this wide-ranging conversation, Time to Think Coach Karen Moyes describes in hilarious detail her educational exploits including failing the 11 plus and being sent to an all-girls school; how being 18 and determined to prove people wrong is an incredible asset and why you should never be afraid to ask for what you want.The second half of the interview is required listening for anyone who wants to know how to get on in business as Karen demystifies the 'Game of Work'; highlights the value of being thoughtful and purposeful about your career and explains why you should never, ever piss off the post room!If you're interested in the possibilities that exist in the world of communications today, wonder what it's like to grow up with a dad that won a scholarship to Oxford as the son of a bricklayer and a milkmaid, or are curious to know more about why chemistry is vital in the world of coaching, this episode is for you.To find out more about Karen and her work, visit: www.linkedin.com/in/karenmoyse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much did your friends influence your decisions at school? In this bonus episode I talk about raving in a disused psychiatric hospital, why grafting was our number one priority and how university just wasn't discussed amongst my friendship group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the impact on your educational and career choices when you are born profoundly deaf?In this episode, James Simms explains how his experiences of growing up with cochlear implants and being the first profoundly deaf individual to attend his secondary school led to him having to stand up – and stand out – to access opportunities that people who are born with hearing take for granted.Alongside insights into how it felt to study A-levels and go through the interview process during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, James highlights how applying for an apprenticeship enabled him to go straight from school into one of the world’s largest technology companies.Today, James is in his second year of a cross-functional apprenticeship at Cisco and is already contributing to developing improvements in web conferencing software and helping to make meetings more inclusive for those who are deaf or hearing-impaired.His story so far is one of personal courage and how forging your own path can help create greater understanding and opportunities for others. It will change how you think about online meetings too! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.