Career Zone Podcast (University of Exeter Career Zone)

Joan Wright, Employability and Placements Adviser in the Business School is joined by Lara, a recent graduate who completed a year in industry in her 3rd year, as part of the With Industrial Placement Programme.  In this episode Lara talks about her experiences of the placement recruitment process and shares some useful advice for your placement search.

In this week’s episode Employability and Careers Consultant Sarah Blunt talks with Simon Roper, Director of Ambios, a local not-for-profit company which offers residential and distance learning conservation training, as well as volunteering opportunities. In this episode Simon talks about the range of job roles available in nature conservation, explains why you don’t necessarily need a relevant degree to get your foot in the door, and how to build experience.

Useful links and resources:

• Environment and Conservation work
• Green Consultants
• conservation-careers.com
• environmentjob.co.uk/jobs
• environmentjobs.co.uk
• countryside-jobs.com

In this episode Mel, College Co-ordinator for the University of Exeter Business School, focuses on maintaining mental and physical wellbeing while working from home and also provides some useful hints and tips.   

To find out more information about this episode and to access the resources mentioned, please follow this link; https://bit.ly/3dFByzw. 

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to experienced professionals from both legal and non-legal sectors about their career experiences and advice.  

Faye graduated from Exeter with an LLB in Law and is now a Law Lecturer here at Exeter. Hear about working as a university lecturer, Faye’s career journey and how she came to study Law and work as an academic. We also discuss her experiences of academic study, including what’s involved in PhD study and the funding process. This is a must listen if you are interested in a career in academia or achieving a PhD.  

During the episode we discuss some of the challenges Faye encountered whilst studying, in relation to this you may find some of the information below useful:  

Supporting Equality and Diversity  ; Widening Participation Student Support  ; Career Zone A2i Student Widening Participation Funding  

In addition to this episode, you can find more information to help with career planning here; University of Exeter Career Zone , My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students,  

Building Brilliant Careers and University of Exeter Law and Legal Services Sector  

In this week’s episode, Rae explains what is meant by the compete stage of your career journey. Rae provides an overview of what you can expect when you are competing for a role and shares advice to help you succeed. You can find more information about all three stages of your career journey on the Career Zone webpages. 

In this week’s episode, Sunny Lalli, Employability and Careers Consultant, talks with alumna Jess D'Cruz-Clune, senior information officer at the charity MIND (www.mind.org.uk), a national UK charity founded in 1947 which advocates for improve quality of mental health support though education, information and guidance ventures. In this episode, Sunny and Jess explore the meaning of success in the charity and development sector. They deconstruct the concept of success and reflect on the unique ingredients of success within the charity and development (third) sector. Sunny and Clare also analyse the drivers of success in this sector and reflect on how to maintain success in charity and development work.

Useful links:

• University of Exeter Career Zone sector page on charity and development work: Charity & Development Work | Career Zone | University of Exeter
• University of Exeter Career Zone professional pathways scheme in charity and development: Professional Pathways | Career Zone | University of Exeter
• My Career Zone Digital article on four career success secrets: https://mycareerzone.careercentre.me/u/vqjvwy76

In this week’s episode, as part of International Women’s Day, Sophie Binder, Learning and Development Manager, introduces the new Exe-Change the Norm programme running at the university. Sophie discusses why it has been created, what it involves and how you can get involved.

Exe-Change the Norm is free and open to all University of Exeter students, across all campuses. The four training sessions cover topics including sexism and sexual harassment, partner abuse, racism and racist micro-aggressions. You’ll learn how to effectively step-in to help, if you see these sorts of behaviours occur.

Links:

• You can find out more about the Exe-Change the Norm programme here - https://www.exeter.ac.uk/departments/inclusion/support/training/exe-changethenorm/
• You can book onto a session by searching for ‘Bystander training’ on Handshake

We know that interviews can be nerve-wracking at the best of times. In this episode David Pritchard, Employability and Careers Consultant at the University of Exeter, and student Mel, provide practical tips and advice on how you can best prepare for interviews and effectively manage your nerves both before and during your interview.

In this week’s episode Rachel Haddy, Employability and Placement Adviser is joined by alumni Amy Matthews. Amy graduated in 2017 with a degree in English and is now a comedian and writer. She shares how an English degree helped to prepare her for her current career, the importance of networking and how she manages setbacks and adversity. Amy also shares her advice for graduates thinking of going into creative careers.

If you would like to book an appointment with a Careers Consultant to discuss your career options, contact the Career Zone and ask for a Guidance appointment.

Link to Amy Matthews page: https://www.amymatthewscomedy.com/

Find out more about Expanding Your Career Horizons here https://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/events/careerhorizons/ 

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to Law sector professionals about their career experiences.

Duncan is an English-qualified solicitor and senior associate at the law firm Osborne Clarke. He is originally from Devon in the UK but currently lives and works in Munich, Germany. Hear about Duncan’s decision to pursue a career in international arbitration, his experiences of transitioning from student life to working in London, relocating to Germany, initially in the role of paralegal through to qualification via the New York Bar and then eventually into his current role as a Senior Associate.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students and Building Brilliant Careers

To celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week Rachel Sloan is joined by Jasmine Hammond, Student Startups Manager to discuss the support available to students interested in exploring entrepreneurship. Jasmine shares how you can get involved whether you have an idea you want to explore or whether you just want to find out more about entrepreneurship and social enterprise. Jasmine and Rachel share some of their favourite ideas that have come from students and the Startup Team and discuss some of the important skills you can develop.

Useful Links:

• Contact the Career Zone to book an Entrepreneurship guidance appointment with a Career Consultant
• Attend an Idea Generation workshop and find out more about the Pre-Incubator programme on the Student Startups webpages.
• Find out more on our Global Entrepreneurship Week webpage.
• Whether you are taking an entrepreneurship module or are simply wishing to enhance your employability, the Exeter Award Entrepreneurship Theme offers you a way to get University recognition for your extra and co-curricular entrepreneurship activities.
• Enactus (https://my.exeterguild.com/groups/GYXRW/enactus)

In this episode, Rich Daniels, Placement Learning Manager at the University of Exeter discusses how COVID-19 has influenced employers’ thinking about placements. Rich also shares what support is available to you if you are planning on carrying out a placement as part of your studies. 

In this week’s episode Olivia, a Student Programme Assistant, is joined by two groups of students who completed the Social Inequality Challenge in 2023. Valentina, Nathan and Darcy discuss their project that involved using university students as tutors. The second group, with Bethan, Rosie and Ellie share their experience of working on their project looking at diversity and representation in period dramas with a focus on class, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and race.  

Both groups discuss their experiences of completing Grand Challenges, their motivations for joining and the skills they developed throughout the week. 

You can find out more and sign up on the Grand Challenges webpages (www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges)

What is the current situation when it comes to creative industries in the UK?  Nick Havergal, Employability and Placements Adviser whose background is in the creative arts (having spent the last few years teaching, researching and making theatre) guides us through the current state of play in the UK job market when it comes to creative careers and provides some starting points for graduates seeking to enter this industry.

Further information about skills sessions and 1-1 guidance for setting up your own business can be found here: Enterprise & Entrepreneurship | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Follow the below links for information relating to creative industries:

Developing your Creative Practice fund: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/dycp

Edinburgh Television Festival Talent Schemes: https://www.thetvfestival.com/talent-schemes/

Creative UK (aimed at creative business owners): https://www.wearecreative.uk/

Creative Industries Council: https://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/

In this week’s episode, Rae Roberts, Employability and Careers Consultant, thinks about the question many of you may face, how do I choose a career? To help get you thinking, Rae introduces four steps to help you when choosing a future career.

Jenny Clark from the Student Employability team working, with social science students at the University of Exeter explains why it is so important to ask relevant questions at the end of an interview, and provides some great suggestions for what you should and should not ask.

If you’re feeling like you are unable to decide what to do next or that you’re stuck going down a career path that doesn’t feel right, you’re not alone. In this week’s episode Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, looks at stuckness exploring why you might be feeling stuck and the steps you can take to try and unstick yourself.

If you are feeling stuck there is plenty of help available to you.

Link to Career Guidance support including sessions such as Exploring and Making Career Decisions. https://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/about/guidance/

You can book a 1-1 advice appointment with an Employability and Career Consultant by contacting Career Zone online, by phone or in person

Wellbeing Team https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/

Guild : Support for you. https://www.exeterguild.com/page/support-for-you

This episode was devised by Dawn Lees, written by Owen Wood and recorded by Rachel Sloan.

In this episode Rae and student Mel, look at some of the benefits of flexible working and how to make it work for you. 

In this week’s episode, Sarah Blunt, Employability and Careers Consultant talks with alumna Jen Stoneman, People (HR) Business Partner at Mencap, a UK-based charity that supports people with learning disabilities. Jen shares her journey from studying Politics and German to forging a successful career in the charity sector and reveals what she loves (and what she finds challenging) about her job. Throughout the episode, Jen offers invaluable insights into what it’s truly like to work in the charity sector and highlights the diverse opportunities available for those looking to make a difference.

Useful links:

• Explore your career options in the Charity Sector – include links to vacancy websites including CharityJob
• Career Zone's Pathways to Charity and Development programme – exclusive programme offering employer-led training and a paid internship
• Nightline - a confidential listening and information service run by students for students at the University of Exeter
• The GROW Model of Coaching and Mentoring

Run by the Career Zone, the Career Mentor Scheme is an opportunity for University of Exeter students or recent graduates to be matched with an experienced professional for sector insights and one-to-one guidance. In this episode, Rebecca Lenthall, Student Employment Support Officer, talks with Chris, a mentor and Seth, his mentee, about their experiences. For more information and to apply for the Career Mentor programme click here.

In this episode, as part of Digital and Coding Week, Rae talks with Adam Alton, Co-Founder of FidlLeaf, about how he got into coding. Adam provides an insight into what it is like as an industry to work in and shares his tips on how to have a go at coding. More information on FidlLeaf can be found here www.fidlleaf.com 

Quick links: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. And Adam's personal Twitter. 

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to Law sector professionals about their career experiences.

Luke graduated from Exeter with an LLB in Law in 2011. He is an English-qualified solicitor working in-house as Legal Director at Adidas in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, focusing on global licensing matters. Hear Luke’s experience of working in house, how his decision to work in house lead to the opportunity to work overseas, the transition from working in the UK to Amsterdam and his journey to becoming a solicitor including the importance of transferable skills.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students and Building Brilliant Careers

There will be some point during your career that you will have a disagreement or dispute with another person. In this episode, Rae talks through the key elements to work through in order to resolve conflicts in any situation. 

In our Law mini-series podcast, our Law Employability and Careers Consultants; Rachel, Tess and Sunny, talk to experienced professionals from both legal and non-legal sectors to hear their career experiences and advice.

In this episode Sunny Lalli, Employability and Career Consultant, talks to Maria Smirnova, a Human Rights Officer at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Maria shares insights into her journey, reflecting on how an internship with the UN propelled her career, the differentiation between international public law and international private business law and the credentials required to work in this practice area. Maria and Sunny examine strategies such an internships and employability schemes to enable progression into this exciting practice area of law.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; University of Exeter Career Zone , My Career Zone Digital , Law and legal services: Information for Law and Non-Law Students , Employability for Law Students and The Law School.  

Further resources touched upon in the episode:

• https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/employability-schemes/globalemployability/
• University of Exeter sector page on law: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/sector/law4nonlaw/
• University of Exeter sector page on politics and government: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/sector/politicsgovernment/
• General info about careers in the UN, including internships, volunteering, young professionals programme: https://careers.un.org/home?language=en
• Portal to apply for UN jobs and internships: https://inspira.un.org/

In this episode Rae considers how the rise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will help businesses remove repetitive tasks, and explores how your skills can fit into this ever expanding sector to help address social inequalities, create jobs and improve people’s lives.

References:

Microsoft’s Unlocking the UK’s potential with digital skills Unlocking the UK's Potential with Digital Skills - Microsoft UK

JISC Building Digital Capability Building digital capability | Building digital capability (jisc.ac.uk)

CBI learning-for-life-report.pdf (cbi.org.uk)

Digital skills must go hand-in-hand with human skills | Luminate (prospects.ac.uk)

How can employers upskill graduates post COVID? | Luminate (prospects.ac.uk)

Most students want a part time job to help their finances when they study, and international students are no different. In your home country, a casual job may not impress employers, but in the UK part time work is very highly regarded, even if it’s not related to the graduate career you want to go into. In this episode Rhianna Skeates, Employability and Placements Adviser, discuss what part time work is, how it can help your future career and how you can find a part time job.  

Links: 

• Come and see us in Career Zone if you need help with your CV 
• You can find jobs on Handshake 

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2021, Rae is joined by Emily Davies, SETsquared Exeter Student Startup Manager and Max Harrington, Masters student and founder of Just Surf. Emily discusses the support available to students who are thinking about starting their own businesses, including information on the funding that is available for students to pitch for. Max shares how Student Startups has helped him start up his business, Just Surf, and shares his advice on how to make the most of the support available.

Student Startup drop ins run on Tuesday 2-3pm, and details on how to attend can be found here.

More information on Student Startups, including the Pre-Incubator and Incubator Programmes can be found here.

You can find the SCRATCH Startup magazine here.

You can find out more about Max’ business by visiting Just Surf.

If you're thinking about working for yourself, building a portfolio or entrepreneurial career, contact the Careers Zone to book an Entrepreneurs Guidance appointment.

Dawn Lees, Student Employability and Development Manager talks to recent graduate Scarlett about the variety of support on offer from the Career Zone. Scarlett shares what she engaged with during her time at university and how it has helped her in securing a graduate role and making career decisions. 

More information on the programmes mentioned in the podcast can be found in the links below: 

• Professional Pathways programme is a suite of sector specific training courses and paid 35 hour internships that will take place in June 2023.  
• Exeter Award is an extracurricular and co-curricular employability award open to all current undergraduates and taught postgraduates. Completing the Award will help you make the most of your professional experience. Exeter Leaders Award is an extracurricular and co-curricular award that recognises leadership roles you've undertaken during your time at the University of Exeter. It also provides a framework to help you develop as a leader.   
• Change Makers is an online training programme is delivered by the Cornwall School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) in association with the Career Zone and has been designed specifically to help students develop their ideas for social and environmental change into viable ventures. 

• You can book onto skill sessions on Handshake 

As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Rae is joined by University of Exeter student, Ridi. Ridi shares her experience of being neurodivergent and how neurodiversity can be explored and supported within the workplace.

If you would like to book an appointment with a Careers Consultant, contact the Career Zone and ask for a Guidance appointment.

You can find out more about Ridi's art business at: 

Art page Instagram: @creativeweirdo_98

Art website: https://creativeweirdoshop.bigcartel.com/

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to Law sector professionals about their career experiences.

Hear from the team at Maples Group about what life is like training and working as a lawyer in Jersey. Listen to them talking about some of the interesting cases/deals they've been working on, what their drivers were to work and live in Jersey, and hear about how you can get the big city experience, but working from somewhere you can spend your evenings and weekends at the beach!

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students and Building Brilliant Careers

Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant explores how you can use challenges in your life to your advantage on applications and at interviews. All of us have been through tough times, maybe a goal or achievement you had your heart set on did not happen or your plans were disrupted by a factor outside of your control. Rachel explores how the skills and attributes you may have developed can make you a stronger candidate when applying for jobs.  

This episode was devised by Dawn Lees, written by Laura Lawrence and recorded by Rachel Sloan.  

Links: 

• Link to CV, Cover Letter and Application Forms sessions on Handshake 
• Help with CVs, Cover Letters and Application Forms: 
• You can book a 1-1 advice appointment with an Employability and Placements Adviser by contacting Career Zone online, by phone or in person. 

Sunny Lalli, Employability and Career Consultant, in conversation with Joy and Shiryn, two University of Exeter graduates, examines why and how graduates make career changes. In this episode we explore cycles of change from pre-contemplation to action, the career decision-making process of decide, plan and compete; define what a career change is, how graduates can generate ideas to propel a potential career change and resources such as mentoring which can support a career change.

Further resources:

My Career Zone resource on top tips for securing a job when changing a career: https://mycareerzone.careercentre.me/resources/elearning/Hub.aspx?search=career%20change

My Career Zone resource on "what it feels like to change career": https://mycareerzone.careercentre.me/resources/elearning/Hub.aspx?search=career%20change

My Career Zone resource on "career change considerations": https://mycareerzone.careercentre.me/u/fekv13jn

Enterprise and Entrepreneurship: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/enterpriseentrepreneurship/

Help with researching sectors and employers: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithresearchingsectorsandemployers/

Help with networking: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithnetworking/

Career Mentor scheme: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/employability-schemes/careermentorscheme/

In this week's episode, Employability and Career Consultants, Nicky Hutchinson and Sunny Lalli talk with Chloe Bayliss, Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator at Cornish Lithium PLC about transitioning from full-time study into the work world.  Chloe shares her strategies and tips on networking and mentoring which helped her secure her first professional opportunity which is based within a small to medium sized enterprise (SME), the benefits of which will be covered in greater detail in a subsequent episode.

Further links:

•  Book onto a Networking Essentials and other personal development sessions via Handshake: https://exeter.joinhandshake.co.uk/edu/events?page=1&per_page=25&sort_direction=desc&sort_column=default&status%5B%5D=approved&added_institution_labels%5B%5D=35213
• My Career Zone Digital e-learning course on starting a new job: https://mycareerzone.careercentre.me/u/1hrh0dja
• University of Exeter Career Zone blog article on the craft of networking: https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/careerzone/navigating-the-networking-jungle-essential-tips-for-students-and-graduates/
• Cornish Lithium: https://cornishlithium.com/contact-details/careers/
• Bright Network guidance on starting a new job: https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-career-advice/world-of-work/

In this episode Rachel and Sunny, Employability and Career Consultants, seek to assist our University of Exeter graduates to navigate the Career Zone resources and scopes of services to our University of Exeter alumni.  This episode is specifically produced for University of Exeter alumni in mind.

Careers support | Alumni and supporters | University of Exeter Alumni network: Alumni networks | Alumni and supporters | University of Exeter

Help with: Help with... | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Handshake: Handshake | Career Zone | University of Exeter

My Career Zone Digital: Welcome (careercentre.me)

Graduate Jobs: Graduate Jobs | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Helen Hicks, Programme Officer at the University of Exeter, introduces the Aspiring Teachers programme and the range of opportunities available to you. Helen is joined by Leanne Galloway, an Early Years Adviser and Ofsted Inspector, who shares her top 5 skills that you need if you are thinking about a career in teaching. Helen also discusses how you can go about gaining teaching experience to work out where your passion lies.

Useful Links

• Start the training now on the Aspiring Teachers webpage. (ex.ac.uk/aspiringteachers)
• Find out more about the Learning for Teaching module. (https://education.exeter.ac.uk/study/teachingexperience/)
• Book onto a skills session via Handshake

In this episode, Dave Gyll-Murray, Employability and Placement Adviser is joined by University of Exeter alumna Amy Horn-Norris Bradbury, Director of Spalding Associates, an environmental consultancy based in Truro. Dave and Amy discuss career pathways, getting work experience, and some valuable skills that are sought after employers in the sector.

Useful Links:

• Environment and conservation sector pages: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/sector/environmentandconservation/ 
• Work Placements: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/jobsandworkplacements/workplacements/ 
• Green Consultants: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/employability-schemes/greenconsultants/ 

In this week’s episode, Rae is joined by Izzy and Alina, students from the Enactus society, to discuss why they joined Enactus and how they became involved in their projects. They also discuss the range of skills they have developed while working on their projects and share their advice on how to get involved with Enactus.

You can find out more about Enactus here, where you can also find out more about the PlastExe project and the Biosmart project mentioned in this episode.

If you're thinking about working for yourself, building a portfolio or entrepreneurial career, contact the Careers Zone to book an Entrepreneurs Guidance appointment.

You can find out more about Compassionate Careers and the events running by clicking here.

In this episode, Rae, with input from University of Exeter undergraduate student Callie, looks at some of the information available regarding employer's recruitment plans for the autumn term.  To follow Callie's advice visit: www.exeter.ac.uk/careers  To find out more about the data Rae refers to click here

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In this episode we look at the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they can relate to your career planning. Rae takes a look at a some of the SDGs to help you think further about what interests you and how focusing on your passion and skills can help you to make a difference.  

For more information visit:

United Nations Sustainable Development – 17 Goals to Transform Our World.

THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development (un.org)

(99+) Using the SDGs to guide your sustainability career | LinkedIn

Entrecomp | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Career Zone at Exeter activities you may wish to get involved with to explore the SDGs further:

Create Your Future | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Aspiring Educators | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Grand Challenges | Grand Challenges | University of Exeter

Green Consultants | Career Zone | University of Exeter 

In this episode Tess Read, Employability and Career Consultant, talks to undergraduate Molly Miles, on her experience of getting a placement and a training contract. Molly shares her experience of how she found a placement just by speculative asking, how much she enjoyed her year, and how it led to that prized goal - a fully funded training contract.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; University of Exeter Career Zone , My Career Zone Digital , Law and legal services: Information for Law and Non-Law Students , Employability for Law Students and The Law School.  

Other links:

If you're a current Exeter student, you can book onto a Time and Stress Management session via Handshake. 

This week Kate Foster, Employability and Career Consultant, is joined by recent graduate Moza Ackroyd, to discuss upReach, a social mobility charity that partners with the University to support students in receipt of the Access to Exeter bursary with their employability. Moza shares how she found out about upReach, the activities she got involved with and the advice she would give to her first year self.

You can find out more about upReach and whether you are eligible for support here.

The second episode of Placements 101 focusses on money – how to manage your finances while on placement. Everyone’s financial situation is different and how you manage money is a personal choice. In this episode Anya and Immy share their experiences and offer practical advice on how they handled their finances during their placements. 

If you're unsure what you want to do with your third year, or need some extra support/guidance from students who have recently returned from a year out, then check out our new placements 101 mini-series. Join Anya and Immy, fourth year students as they share their experiences of placement life.

• Find more support on our work placement webpages: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/jobsandworkplacements/workplacements/
• Explore wellbeing support for Streatham students: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/
• Explore wellbeing support Penryn students:  https://fxplus.ac.uk/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support/

In this episode Employability and Career Consultant Sarah Blunt sits down with Mia, a final year Biological Sciences student, to find out about her experience of attending a careers guidance appointment with the Career Zone. Sarah also speaks to Employability and Career Consultant Fiona Hartley to find out what you can expect if you book an appointment yourself.  

Find out more on the Career Zone webpage.

In this episode, Rae explores how to motivate others effectively in order to contribute to a happy team, and create a positive working environment.  

Jen Hardwick, an Employability and Placements Adviser shares what to expect from an advice appointment at the Career Zone as well as sharing some top tips to help you get the most out of your advice appointment.  

If you would like advice with any employability query, please book an appointment with the Career Zone. You can book an appointment via the Live Chat on the Career Zone website or by visiting the Career Zone desks in the Forum on Streatham campus and in the Exchange on Penryn campus.

In this week’s episode Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, shares what you should consider when starting a new job, including tips and advice to help you avoid stress and anxiety.

Links:

What to wear at interview: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Y1bq6peke1JTiqbfbTWBf?si=w8qoor0rRsiiXgcZE6tFzA&nd=1

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2021, Rae is joined by recent graduates, Natalia Lemanska, Project Leader and Zoja Vizinger, Deputy Leader, of social enterprise Oyana Soaps. Natalia and Zoja share their experience of working on a social enterprise, including the challenges they have faced and the skills they have developed. They also discuss the support they have received from Student Startups at the university and from the Enactus Society.  

You can find more information on Oyana Soaps at oyanasoaps.com/ or find them on Instagram @oyanakenya and on Facebook.

More information on Student Startups, including the Pre-Incubator and Incubator Programmes can be found here.

You can find out more about Enactus here.

If you're thinking about working for yourself, building a portfolio or entrepreneurial career, contact the Careers Zone to book an Entrepreneurs Guidance appointment.

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to Law sector professionals about their career experiences.

Kelly graduated from the University of Exeter with an LLB in Law in 2020. She has now returned to work in her home country as a Legal Executive at Securities and Futures Commission after studying in the UK for 6 years. Hear about Kelly’s untimely return home due to the pandemic, how she navigated the start of her career journey in unexpected circumstances, her knowledge on qualifying in Hong Kong with an overseas degree, including tips on what to consider and her thoughts on the legal sector in general in Hong Kong.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students and Building Brilliant Careers

Rich Daniels, Placements Learning Manager, gives an overview of work placements, discusses the wide range of support available during your placement search, and provides some key information to help you decide whether a work placement module could the right choice for you. 

To find out more about work placements visit https://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/employment-services/recruit/workplacements/ or contact us directly at placements@exeter.ac.uk

In this episode, as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Rae talks with University of Exeter graduate Ash about how they set up a charity whilst at university and whether they would consider themselves an entrepreneur. More information on Acting for Change International can be found here.

In this episode Helen Hicks, Programme Officer, is joined by students Pooja, Octavia and Bryony to talk about their experiences of completing a Green Consultants internships. Pooja, Octavia and Bryony share how they overcame feeling nervous and intimidated by the thought of their internship to enjoying their experience and recommending it to other students. They share what their internships involved, the skills they have developed and how completing a Green Consultants internship has helped them when applying for jobs.  

Green Consultants is an award winning programme designed to provide students with additional skills and experience required to work in the highly competitive environmental and sustainability sector. You can find out more about Green Consultant and access the training here.   

Rae is joined by Liz Robertson and Jenny Phillips, Employability and Career Consultants at the University of Exeter. Liz and Jenny discuss the importance of passion when applying for jobs and share their top tips to ensure you are demonstrating passion to employers. 

Follow us on Instagram @uoecareers or @uoecornwallcareers or on Twitter @UoECareers or @UoECornwallCZ and include the #careerzonepodcast so that we can follow up in a future episode.

In this week's episode Sunny Lalli, Employability and Career Consultant is joined by guest speakers Dylan and John to examine the challenges of a change in career and the resources you can deploy to help manage the change. Sunny also discusses how to recognise when a change is needed and how change management skills can boost your resilience. 

If you are navigating change there is plenty of help available to you.

Link to Career Guidance support including sessions such as Exploring and Making Career Decisions. https://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/about/guidance/

You can book a 1-1 advice appointment with an Employability and Career Consultant by contacting Career Zone online, by phone or in person

Wellbeing Team https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/

Guild Support for you. https://www.exeterguild.com/page/support-for-you 

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to Law sector professionals about their career experiences.

Pan graduated from the University of Exeter with an LLB in Law in 2017. Originally from Cyprus he is now working as an Associate in London. Hear about Pan’s reasons for choosing to stay in the UK to work, his experience of the application process, including tips on how to evidence skills required, the transition from student to work life and cultural differences between Cyprus and the UK, and within the UK; London city life compared with Exeter city Life.

** The books Pan mentions are ‘All you need to know about the city’ and All you need to know about commercial awareness’ both Christopher Stoakes**

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students and Building Brilliant Careers

As part of our Digital and Coding week, Rae explores what is meant by digital skills and why they are important. Rae also provides advice on what you can do to up-skill and improve your digital skills so you remain competitive in the job market.

If you’ve joined us at Exeter from another country, you’ve probably noticed some of the weird things British people do. They start every conversation with saying something about the weather chat, say thank-you and sorry way more than is necessary and say goodbye in many different ways before they actually get around to leaving. 

How does British culture affect the workplace? How can you prepare? In this podcast, Rhianna Skeates, an Employability and Placements Adviser will share some top tips to help you. 

For more information on the support mentioned in the podcast, visit the International Students Career Zone web-page. 

Career Fairs offer a highly valuable opportunity for you to meet and engage with a variety of recruiting employers.  Meeting these employers at fairs allows you to gain more insight into the company as well as the chance to ask questions which may then potentially enhance any future applications you decide to make.  In this episode, Simon, an Employability and Placements Adviser, offers his 5 top tips for getting the most from any Career Fair you attend.

To find out more about upcoming Career Fairs/events please visit Exeter.ac.uk/careers

This year, most careers events and fairs are being hosted in an online format.  With that in mind, in this episode Rachel Gaunt, an Employability and Placements Advisor, focuses on these virtual careers events and provides some really useful advice for how you can prepare if attending an online event.  Find out more about the Career Zone’s careers events by clicking here

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to experienced professionals from both legal and non-legal sectors about their career experiences and advice.

Harry is the CEO and Founder of leading sustainability consultancy company Bright Tide. He is also a Law graduate and qualified Corporate Lawyer. Hear  the realities of being a company CEO and founder, the transition from a career in law to a career in the environmental sustainability sector, and advice for law students who are considering alternative careers to Law.

Click on the link to find out more about the innovative work Harry and his team are pioneering to address climate and biodiversity challenges around the world. https://www.bright-tide.co.uk/

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; University of Exeter Career Zone , My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students,

Building Brilliant Careers and University of Exeter Law and Legal Services Sector

Content warning: This podcasts discusses eating disorders.

In this week’s episode Rachel Sloan, Employability and Placements Adviser, is joined by Jo Whitfield, National Officer for Beat Eating Disorder Charity. Jo discusses eating disorders in the workplace and shares tips on how to manage them in a workplace.

For more information and support on eating disorders visit:

• Beat: Access to resources including self-help guides and to Beat helpline which is available all year round.
• University of Exeter Wellbeing Services offers individual support sessions for students experiencing eating difficulties.
• Contact your GP for further advice and support.

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to Law sector professionals about their career experiences.

Daniel graduated from the University of Exeter with an LLB in Law in 2018. Originally from Nigeria he is now working as an Associate in London.  Hear about Daniel’s experiences of studying in the UK, choosing to secure work in the UK, obtaining a training contract and how he was supported by his employer to secure a working VISA.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students and Building Brilliant Careers

In this episode, we will be thinking about careers in the green sector. Rae discusses what the green sector is and how every job has the potential to become green. University of Exeter graduates, Grace and Jasmin, share their advice on how to get involved in the green sector.

Resources & links  

Career Development for Sustainability | Career Zone | University of Exeter 

Green Consultants | Career Zone | University of Exeter 

Grand Challenges | Grand Challenges | University of Exeter 

Exeter Award Themes | Career Zone | University of Exeter – sustainability theme 

Career Mentor Scheme | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Sector Information: Environment and conservation | Career Zone | University of Exeter 

Prospects sectors and job profiles 

Education for Sustainability - Sustainability - University of Exeter 

Student volunteering - Sustainability - University of Exeter 

Visit Handshake to find out what jobs and placements are currently available in this area. 

External Links

IEMA - Sustainability skills map 

Green Jobs Taskforce (publishing.service.gov.uk) 

United Nations Sustainable Development – 17 Goals to Transform Our World.

In this week’s episode, Leanne Bisatt, Employability and Placements Adviser, talks about the things you need to be aware of if your thinking of using AI, such as Chat GPT, in your job applications. Leanne shares what employers think, as well as how to use AI effectively.

Useful links:

• Help with Application Forms: (http://ex.ac.uk/dUB)
• Help with Using AI: (http://ex.ac.uk/dUC)
• Demonstrating your passion to employers podcast

In our Law mini-series podcast, our Law Employability and Careers Consultants; Rachel, Tess and Sunny, talk to experienced professionals from both legal and non-legal sectors to hear their career experiences and advice.

In this episode Sunny Lalli, Employability and Career Consultant, talks to Jon Lindley, Business Affairs at Apple+ 

In this conversation Jon and Sunny explore a theme of alternative careers to law, of how an academic law qualification can be harnessed in non-law graduate work, examine the transferability of skills from studying law, and how to harness the power of planned happenstance to secure a meaningful career. 

Further resources touched upon in the episode:

• Career Zone Podcast episode on the Power of Mentoring: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7eIRTaCzor6ZDugKsi3jnf?si=315cde2d0a974991&nd=1&dlsi=fc86fc1de2674b89 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-power-of-mentoring/id1518561665?i=1000603422439
• University of Exeter Career Zone sector page on law: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/sector/law4nonlaw/
• University of Exeter Career Zone sector page on media, publishing and journalism: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/sector/mediapublishingandjournalism/
• University of Exeter Help with Networking: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithnetworking/

We last looked at the graduate labour market in May 2021 (How will graduate jobs be affected by Covid-19? Part 4), but what has changed since then?  Here, Rae takes a look at the current state of the graduate labour market. 

You can find more information on specific sectors visit the Career Research and Planning pages.

In this week’s episode, Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, explores whether you should go into something you are passionate about or something you are good at. Rachel explains what we mean regarding passion and skills and shares the questions you should ask yourself when making a decision of which to follow. 

Links: 

You can book a 1-1 guidance appointment with an Employability and Career Consultant by contacting Career Zone online, by phone or in person. 

Listen to another episode: Why understanding your strengths is so important - an employer's perspective.

This episode was devised by Dawn Lees, written by Laura Lawrence and recorded by Rachel Sloan

Hear Keshav’s top tips on how to be resilient and succeed in the graduate recruitment process from an Indian student’s perspective.  Keshav, graduated with a BSc Management & Marketing with Industrial Experience in 2022 and went on to work as a Business Transformation Analyst - Consulting at Deloitte.

Links:

• Employability support for International Students: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/jobsandworkplacements/internationalstudents/
• Help with Interviews https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithinterviews/ 
• Help with Assessment Centres and Psychometric Testing https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithassessmentcentresandpsychometrictesting/ 

As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Kate Foster, Employability and Career Consultant, is joined by Sharon Cant, Recruitment Marketing Specialist at Auticon, to discuss neurodiversity in the workplace. Sharon shares her advice on disclosing in the recruitment process as well as the accommodations you can ask for. Sharon also shares her advice on finding a supportive employer.

Useful Links:

• Neurodiversity pages on the Career Zone website: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/equality/neurodiversity/
• University of Exeter Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024 

• Auticon - auticon UK careers

• EmployAbility (employ-ability.org.uk): Employability is an organisation that helps disabled and dyslexic people with the transition from education to employment. 

• Evenbreak | Accessible job search site for disabled people: Evenbreak is a social enterprise that supports disabled people to find employment. 

• Enna: Enna offer support for neurodivergent people to find employment including a jobs board for roles at neuroinclusive employers. 
• Diversita: A recruitment agency that assists neurodiverse job seekers and works with organisations to hire neurodiverse applicants. 
• Exceptional Individuals: Another platform for neurodivergent job seekers where they offer support and provide a jobs board. 
• Leonard Cheshire Change 100 Internship Programme: A flagship programme of paid summer work placements, professional development and mentoring. It aims to remove barriers experienced by disabled people in the workplace, to allow them to achieve their potential. 
• SourceAbled by Rangam: a career portal and guidance for disabled, autistic and neurodivergent people
• MyPlusStudents Club: support disabled students and graduates into employment

When we use our strengths, we are more productive, perform better, and are more engaged in our work. By identifying our strengths, we can identify opportunities that require those attributes and that will give us greatest pleasure and satisfaction. We also impress employers who like to understand what makes us give our best. Listen to Employability and Career Consultant Fiona Hartley talking to recruiters across a range of sectors about their approaches to recruitment focussing on the importance of strengths.

Further Career Zone website resources

Help with self-awareness | Career Zone | University of Exeter

https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithinterviews/

Other resources

Learn about strengths and how you can discover yours by watching this video.

Attend the popular termly in-person workshop Discover your strengths and why it is essential to career planning.

Listen to another Recruiter Perspectives: In conversation with Hannah Salton, Career Coach

My Career Zone Digital has lots more, including videos and articles, to help you identify your strengths, including:

• Recognising strengths & weaknesses
• Strengths vs Skills: what’s the difference?
• Strengths assessment
• Asking questions at interview

In this week’s episode Kate Foster, Employability and Career Consultant, is joined by Lena Worwood, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Project Support Officer at the University of Exeter. Lena and Kate explore careers from the perspective of finding a supportive employer, navigating the recruitment process and the support available in the workplace.

Links and resources:

• Information and advice about your rights and help with finding LGBTA+ friendly employers and jobs - https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/equality/sexualorientation/
• LGBTQ+ Staff Network at the University of Exeter https://www.exeter.ac.uk/departments/inclusion/groups/networks/lgbtq+staff/
• Exeter Trans and Non-binary Café - https://www.exeter.ac.uk/departments/inclusion/groups/networks/transcafe/
• Gendered Intelligence - https://genderedintelligence.co.uk/
• Stonewall - https://www.stonewall.org.uk/
• Intercom Trust, Devon - https://www.intercomtrust.org.uk/
• Proud2Be, Totnes - https://www.proud2be.org.uk/
• Not alone, Plymouth - https://www.notaloneplymouth.co.uk/
• LGBT Switchboard - https://switchboard.lgbt/ 

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Rae talks with University of Exeter graduate Anam about their freelance and portfolio work. Anam discusses the importance of building a network and how she has taken an entrepreneurial approach to her career.

If you are a current University of Exeter student, thinking about working freelance or building a portfolio career, you can book a one-to-one appointment with Rae, an Employability and Careers Consultant.

In this week’s episode, Nicky Hutchinson, Employability and Career Consultant is joined by Scott James, Partner of Ward Williams Associates – a certified B Corp. Scott explains what it means to be a B Corp, how it has shaped Ward Williams as a business, and  the benefits of working for one. He also shares valuable insights on what prospective job applicants should know about B Corps when preparing for interviews.

Useful Links:

• Ward Williams Website: https://wardwilliams.uk/
• The BCorp Directory: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/
• BCorporation website home page: https://bcorporation.uk/
• Green Consultants: (ex.ac.uk/greenconsultants)
• Scott James, Partner, Ward Williams Associates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjamesprojects/

In this episode, Marley Pradieu, Programme Assistant, is joined by students Katya, Kiera and Olivia to share their experiences of what it was like to take part in Grand Challenges. They discuss why they got involved and how taking part in the week has helped to develop their employability skills.

Grand Challenges is a project week, in which students work in interdisciplinary groups to design innovative solutions to real world challenges. This year, Grand Challenges will be taking place 5th-9th June 2023. For more information on the week and to sign up visit the Grand Challenges webpage.

As part of Digital & Coding Week, Rachel Sloan, Employability & Placements Adviser talks to Claire Barret, Director at APIsFirst. Claire talks about her career journey and shares her advice to students interested in working within the digital sector. Jobs in the IT sector are open to all graduates, and Claire shares how a grounding in any degree subject can help you with a career in the IT sector. Claire also explores some of the main challenges the digital and IT sector are facing and how organisations are reacting to these challenges. 

Claire Barrett is a Director at APIsFirst who makes strategy happen: translating goals and aspirations into technology change that sticks. She has a background in IT leadership and consulting at large, globally recognised organisations in sectors such as financial services, manufacturing and government. She recently returned to the UK after having spent most of her career in Australia and Hong Kong.

For more resources on digital & coding skills and to find out what events are running throughout the week, visit the Digital & Coding webpages.

As part of Digital & Coding Week, Rae explores what is meant by disruptive thinking and how it can bring change to businesses. Rae discusses the difference between innovation and disruptive thinking and shares what you need to be able to do and the skills you will need to develop in order to be a successful disruptive thinker.

For more resources on digital & coding skills and to find out what events are running throughout the week, visit the Digital & Coding webpage. 

Kathryn, an Employability and Placement Adviser speaks with Samah, a current 4th year Accounting and Finance student who completed her industrial placement at Warner Bros. Discovery UK last year.  Samah shares her experience of searching for and securing a placement and her top tips on how to stay motivated and resilient during your placement search. 

You can book a 1-2-1 appointment with a member of the Career Zone here

Katie Fennell-Harris, Programme Officer at the University of Exeter, introduces the Aspiring Educators programme and the range of opportunities available to you. Katie is joined by Leanne Galloway, an Early Years Adviser and Ofsted Inspector, who shares her top 5 skills that you need if you are thinking about a career in teaching. Katie also discusses how you can go about gaining teaching experience to work out where your passion lies.

Links:

Aspiring Educators Programme

Primary Enrichment

Learning for Teaching Module

As part of Go Green Week, Helen Hicks, Programme Officer for Green Consultants, talks to Alice Dunsmore, an Environmental Adviser at Costain and Barnaby Tagart, an Environmental and Sustainability Manager at BW. Alice and Barnaby share how completing the Green Consultants programme has helped then with their careers. They also discuss the impact they have on sustainability in their current roles and share advice to current students interested in working in the sustainability sector.

Green Consultants is an interactive programme, designed to provide students with the additional skills and experience required to work in the highly competitive environmental and sustainability sector. It is open to all students, and you can start now! Find out more on our Green Consultants webpage - https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/employability-schemes/greenconsultants/

You can find out more about Green Consultants by listening to 'Introducing Green Consultants'.

Once you have secured a work placement, you will be thinking about what you need to do before your first day in the role.  In this podcast, Rich Daniels, our Placements Learning Manager, has some great tips to help you prepare for your first day and to get the most from your time on placement

David Pritchard, an Employability & Careers Consultant, discusses gamification in the recruitment process. David explores what is meant by gamification, and why it is used by employers. He shares the type of experience you might expect with examples from KPMG, Deloitte and Unilever, as well as giving advice on how to approach game based selection tools if you come across them in the recruitment process.

This week Zuzanna Radecka, Partnerships and Global Employability Officer, is joined by students Hannah and Josh, to discuss their experience of taking part in the EAIE Conference. Hannah and Josh share how they have applied the skills they developed from their Global Leaders Experience to real life situations, how their experience has influenced their career aspirations and provide advice to students considering applying for a Global Leaders Experience.

The Global Leaders Experience is a unique opportunity to develop your intercultural skills as part of a short, outbound mobility experience. Typically a week in duration and covering themes such as sustainability, human rights and digital heritage, you will travel to a significant city or location outside of the UK and be immersed in the local environment, presented with real-world challenges and work closely with a diverse range of other students and professionals.

In this week’s episode Antonia Coppen, Employability and Careers Consultant at the University of Exeter, is joined by Software Cornwall, Bluefruit Software, Buzz Interactive and That Seagull Bob to discuss the benefits of working in Tech in the South West from a Cornish perspective.  Discover what current and future opportunities are available to students and graduates in this expanding sector and whether a career in Tech in the South West can offer you the lifestyle you seek.

Follow us on Instagram @uoecareers or @uoecornwallcareers or on Twitter @UoECareers or @UoECornwallCZ and include the #careerzonepodcast so that we can follow up in a future episode.

Credits: Readers! Do You Read? by Chris Zabriskie http://chriszabriskie.com, Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0, Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/readers-do-you-read, Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/aNkVQA4zbMA, Voyager - by Jonny Easton, Creative Commons - Attribution licence (reuse), Link: https://youtu.be/HKinw3NqWFQ, Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/jonnyeaston

Throughout the last year we have all had to adapt to working and studying from home. In this episode, Rae looks at some of the skills that you will have acquired and honed while working remotely, and how you can use these new skills when applying for jobs.  

Follow us on Instagram @uoecareers or @uoecornwallcareers or on Twitter @UoECareers or @UoECornwallCZ and include the #careerzonepodcast so that we can follow up in a future episode

Listen on Spotify or ITunes

In this week’s episode, Laura Ibarra Hempel, College Coordinator for Humanities, explores perfectionism, what it means and how it can affect your behaviour at work. Laura also shares her advice on what you can do to tackle perfectionism.

If you would like to explore this further the University Wellbeing team will be running a webinar on 9th Feb on perfectionism that will help you understand perfectionism better overall and provide you with techniques based on a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy approach.

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to experienced professionals from both legal and non-legal sectors about their career experiences and advice.

Jenny is our Faculty Employability Lead for Social Sciences and has experience working in careers, both in strategic and operational roles. Hear Jenny’s tips about where to start with your career planning, key factors to consider, practical steps to help make informed decisions and what’s available within Career Zone to help you.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; University of Exeter Career Zone , My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students,

Building Brilliant Careers and University of Exeter Law and Legal Services Sector

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to Law sector professionals about their career experiences.

Alex graduated from the University of Exeter with an LLB in Law in 2018. Originally from Romania he is now working as an Associate in London. Hear about Alex’s experiences of starting his training contract in the pandemic, why he decided to stay in the UK to work, how he secured a training contract, the value of taking advantage of Career Zone opportunities and some insight into how the VISA process works for European Union Citizens.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students and Building Brilliant Careers

In this week’s episode Mel Nearchou, Faculty Lead in the Business School, is joined by joined by Joan Wright, an Employability and Careers Consultant in the Business School to discuss Careers in Consultancy Week 2024, which runs from Monday 5 –Friday 9 February. Careers in Consultancy Week sees the Career Zone bring together a range of activities and events for any student interested in exploring consultancy as a career option. Mel is also joined by alumni Alessio Orlando who is now working as a consultant at Bearing Point. Alessio graduated in 2020 and shares his personal and professional experiences of life after graduation and what it’s like working as a consultant.

Find out what’s running and book onto events via Handshake.

Case Interviews session will be running on Thursday 8 February 4:30-6:30pm.

You can book a 1-1 guidance appointment at the Career Zone.

Acronyms and Links

• ECT - Early Career Teacher
• ITT - Initial Teacher Training
• TES, formally known as Times Education Supplement
• If you're thinking of a career in teaching you can find more resources and opportunities on the Aspiring Teachers website

In this week’s episode Rebecca, a Student Programme Assistant, is joined by students Savi, Marco and Anushka who took part in the Climate and Environment Emergency Grand Challenges 2023.  For their project, they developed a student organisation, the Student Sustainability Board, that provides a platform to address sustainability issues and promote positive initiatives.  They share their experiences of completing Grand Challenges, their motivations for joining and the skills they developed throughout the week.  

You can find out more about the Student Sustainability Board by following them on Instagram @ExeStudentSustainabilityBoard  

Grand Challenges is a project week in which you work in interdisciplinary groups with other like-minded students to design innovative solutions to real world challenges. Top academics and invited speakers share their views and help you apply your skills and knowledge to a real-life problem. It’s open to all students and sign up for Grand Challenges 2024 is now open! Sign up for Grand Challenges or find out more on the Grand Challenges webpage.  

The Exeter Award is an employability achievement award that will help you make the most of your professional experience. In this episode, Rae Roberts, Employability and Careers Consultant, talks to students Michaela and Matt about how completing the Exeter Award and Exeter Leaders Award has helped them to develop a range of skills that they can take with them into the graduate jobs market. For more information visit the Exeter Award webpages.

In this week’s episode Rebecca and Katya, Student Programme Assistants are joined by two groups of students who completed the Tomorrow’s World Challenge in 2023. Jake and Anna share their experiences of working on a business plan for a community interest company focused on producing sustainable Cornish sushi. The second group, made up of Nigella and Jasmine discuss their project of proposing a building design to incorporate plants into city living. Both groups share their experiences of completing Grand Challenges, their motivations for joining and the skills they developed throughout the week.

You can find out more and sign up on the Grand Challenges webpages (www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges)

In this episode we are joined by Geography student Harriet who completed her placement year with Johnson & Johnson, and Bioscience student Anais who completed her placement year with ZSL. They share their experiences of looking for, securing and being on placement year and share their tips for students currently looking for work experience and how they had to develop and utilise their resilience.

In our Law mini-series podcast, our Law Employability and Careers Consultants; Rachel, Tess and Sunny, talk to experienced professionals from both legal and non-legal sectors to hear their career experiences and advice.

In this episode Rachel talks to Zoe Bushby, Future Pupil Barrister.  Zoe graduated from the University of Exeter in 2023 with a first class LLB Law degree, she then completed her bar training at BPP Law School in Bristol and has just started working as a Future Pupil Barrister for Magdalen Chambers, here in Exeter. Hear about Zoe’s experiences of studying her bar course and an insight into the factors to consider when deciding which one to choose, including different types of courses, funding opportunities and which provider to choose.

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; University of Exeter Career Zone , My Career Zone Digital , Law and legal services: Information for Law and Non-Law Students , Employability for Law Students and The Law School.

In this episode, celebrating International Women’s Day, Sunny Lalli, Employability and Careers Consultant, is joined by Joy and Shiryn, to discuss the benefits of mentoring, strategies to securing a mentor, and how mentoring can be harnessed as powerful resource for implementing equality and progression in the workplace.

In this week’s episode Christiana, Programme Assistant, is joined by students Ben, Lauren, Sam and Abbi who completed the Mental Health Challenge in 2023. Ben, Lauren and Sam discuss their project that involved creating an e-book aimed at parents of pre-teens/teens on navigating social media consumption. 

Olivia, a Student Programme Assistant, is joined by Julia, Indira, Ronia and Lorenzo to discuss their experiences of working on a proposal for an accessibility widget on the iExeter app.    

Both groups discuss their experiences of completing Grand Challenges, their motivations for joining and the skills they developed throughout the week. 

Grand Challenges is a project week in which you work in interdisciplinary groups with other like-minded students to design innovative solutions to real world challenges. Top academics and invited speakers share their views and help you apply your skills and knowledge to a real-life problem. It’s open to all students and sign up for Grand Challenges 2024 is now open! Sign up for Grand Challenges or find out more on the Grand Challenges webpage.  

In our Law mini-series podcast, Rachel Gaunt Employability and Careers Consultant for the Law School, talks to experienced professionals from both legal and non-legal sectors about their career experiences and advice.  

Simon is a former senior M&A partner for Clifford Chance and global head of the Firm’s sovereign wealth fund practice, he has been involved in recruitment and mentoring throughout his career. He has worked internationally across many jurisdictions in Europe, Asia and the Middle East on a wide variety of corporate, corporate finance and commercial matters. He has acted as a mentor to many Exeter University undergraduates and continues to do so. Hear Simon’s tips of how to tackle those all-important legal applications, including how to stand out, common mistakes to avoid, how to demonstrate transferable skills, and practical tips on how to move forward when facing rejection. This podcast is a must listen if you’re looking for the motivation to get started with your applications. 

During the episode Simon recommends helpful resources for commercial awareness and working in the city, these are:  

All you need to know about the city - Christopher Stoakes  

All you need to know about commercial awareness - Christopher Stoakes

In addition to this episode you can find more information to help with career planning here; University of Exeter Career Zone , My Career Zone Digital , Employability for Law Students,  

Building Brilliant Careers and University of Exeter Law and Legal Services Sector  

In this week’s episode, Rae explains what delegation skills are, why you delegate and the benefit of doing so for both yourself and for others. Rae also talks through the five steps to effective delegation. 

In this episode Joan Wright, Employability and Placements Adviser speaks to Jesse Heasman, a University of Exeter alum, who graduated with a degree in Geography in 2015, and now 7 years later is working for Venture Capital firm Prefcap.  Jesse explains more about the venture capital field, how this relates to entrepreneurship, and what led him into this career. 

You can find out more about Prefcap here https://prefcap.io/

In this week’s episode, Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, focuses on collaboration, a skill many employers want in their recruits. Rachel will explore the nuances between teamwork and collaboration, why having this skill is important for employers and how you can showcase your collaborative skills on your CV.

Useful links:

• Grand Challenges (www.exeter.ac.uk/grandchallenges)  
• Green Consultants (www.exeter.ac.uk/greenconsultants)  
• Exeter Leaders Award (www.ex.ac.uk/exeterleadersaward)

This podcast was written by Dawn Lees, utilising input from ChatGPT and recorded by Rachel Sloan.