Career Zone Podcast

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...

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. The first episode of Placements 101 focuses on prioritising wellbeing whilst on placement - a really imp...

Helen Hicks, Programme Officer, talks with Bella and Raishal, students who have completed Green Consultants. Bella and Raishal explain what the Green Consultants programme is and share the skills and benefits they gained from completing the programme.   Useful Links:  Green Consultants : (ex.ac.uk/GreenConsultants) Find out more and start the training now. Book onto skill sessions via Handshake . 

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...

Current fourth year students, Immy and Anya, share their experiences of working within the Placements Team in their role as Student Campus Partner (SCP), a paid internship with the University of Exeter. They discuss how they secured their roles, what they enjoy most about the position, and the benefits it offers students. SCP roles are available in other sections of the Career Zone and across the...

The decision to change or leave your course will be something only a handful of students consider, but for those in their first year this is a decision that can weigh heavily on you. If you are not enjoying your studies or feeling that university currently is not for you then continue listening. In this episode we hear Careers Consultants Sarah Blunt and Fiona Hartley talking about the options and...

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 stude...

In this week’s podcast, we consider commercial awareness in your job search and future career: what is it, why employers value it and how it can benefit you. Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, explores how you can improve yours and how your commercial awareness will be assessed when you are applying for jobs.  Useful Links: Explore sectors and opportunities on the Career Zone websi...

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 i...

Kate Foster, Employability and Career Consultant, is joined by recent alumni Evie to discuss upReach, a social mobility charity that partners with the Career Zone to support students in receipt of the Access to Exeter bursary to develop their employability. With 28% of current students receiving a bursary, Evie shares how she found out about upReach, the activities she got involved with and the ad...

In this week’s episode Nicky Hutchinson, Employability and Career Consultant, focuses on the importance of having a master CV. Nicky explains what they are, why it is good practice to keep one and explores the kind of experiences you can include in yours.   Useful Links: Sign up and complete The Exeter Award Book onto a skill session via Handshake Access the online training for Green Consultants F...

You’ve been invited to a job interview, but how can you prepare yourself? In this week’s episode, Leanne Bisatt, Employability and Placements Adviser, focus on how you can prepare for answering interview questions. Leanne shares how to answer ‘tell us about yourself’ question and how you can structure your examples using the S.T.A.R technique (situation, task, action and result). Useful links: Hel...

In this week’s podcast, Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, is joined by George Wade, Co-Founder of Zevero, a platform revolutionising carbon management. George shares his inspiring journey, from studying Geography at university to gaining hands-on experience at a startup, and finally, co-founding his own company. George discusses the benefits of working for a startup and shares his...

We last looked at the Graduate Labour Market in October 2023, but what has changed since then? In this episode, Rachel Sloan, Employability and Careers Consultant, looks at the current state of the graduate labour market and the sectors which are expanding.* Links and Resources : If you would like help making career decisions or exploring your career/further study options, please contact the Caree...

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 alternativ...

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 b...

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...

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 you...

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 Ri...

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 Tess Read, Employability and Career Consultant, talks to Ben Gardner.  Recent graduate Ben Gardner shares his remarkable personal journey to successfully getting...

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 Tess Read, Employability and Career Consultant, talks to Natasha Bellinger.  A fascinating insight into the life and work of one of Exeter’s leading barristers. N...

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....

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 Tess Read, Employability and Career Consultant, talks to Susan Starr.  A must-listen to podcast for every budding solicitor – SQE expert Susan Starr from the Univ...

In this week’s episode, Rachel Sloan, Employability and Careers Consultant is joined by Rory a Student Programme Assistant to discuss how attending Create Your Future can help you with your career decisions. Rachel and Rory explore what you can expect at a Create Your Future session and how it can help you to get the most out of your time at university. Rory also shares how Create Your Future has...

In this episode of the Career Zone podcast, Rachel Haddy, Employability and Placements Adviser, explores how you can find part-time jobs and shares her top tips to boost your applications. Rachel discusses where to search for roles both on and off campus, exploring sectors like hospitality and retail, and highlights opportunities through the university's Handshake platform. Plus, Rachel provides i...