Career Zone Podcast

In this week’s episode Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant explores the concept of a CV of Failure. Employers will often ask you about the times when you have ‘failed’ in job interviews. They are not really interested in your failure, but they do want to see how you responded to it. Rachel discusses how developing a CV of Failure can help you prepare for interviews and how to best an...

In this episode, Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, explores career management skills and how they can help you to manage your career throughout your life. Rachel discusses the different types of skills and attributes you need to manage your career including  decision making, adaptability and resilience. Links and resources: Build your self-awareness with the Profiling for Success...

In this episode, Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, discusses the importance of continuous development and lifelong learning in the workplace. Rachel shares how you can cultivate a mindset of lifelong learning and how this can help you to develop your confidence and positively impact your ability to take on new challenges. Useful Links:  Alumni can access Career Zone support for th...

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 )   Gr...

Asking for help can feel daunting, but it's a huge strength that shows confidence and a commitment to progress. In this episode Rachel Haddy, Employability and Placements Adviser, explores how to ask for help in the workplace effectively, from identifying what you need to choosing the right person and timing.   Links: Book onto a skill session such as Problem Solving or Persuading, Influencing and...

In this episode, Bryanna, an Employability and Placements Adviser speaks to Charlotte who is a current fourth year Modern Languages student studying French and Spanish, about why working abroad can be a great option. Charlotte spent last year teaching English in France to secondary school students, and also spent some extra time in Spain Au Pairing. Bryanna and Charlotte will be discussing the top...

In this episode of the Career Zone podcast, Mel Nearchou from Student Employability and Academic Success, introduces Student Circus, a valuable resource for international students at the University of Exeter. With insights from Tripti Maheshwari, Co-Founder of Student Circus, and Aryan Jain, a Student Circus ambassador, discover how this platform can help you navigate job-hunting in the UK. Learn...

In this week’s episode Luke Graham, Deputy of Secondary Education at the School of Education, is joined by Simon Holmes, Assistant Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form at Purbeck School, to discuss what ECTs can expect when applying for a role. Simon shares what the recruitment process looks like, what they are looking for in candidates and they share their top tips. Acronyms and Links ECT - Early C...

In this week’s episode, Rachel Sloan, Employability and Career Consultant, looks at how the transition away from fossil fuels will affect careers in the energy industry moving forward. As the world commits to transition away from its fossil fuel habit towards cleaner and more sustainable options, what jobs and opportunities will become available and what does this mean for the oil industry?   Usef...

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 me...

In this week’s episode Olivia, a Student Programme Assistant, is joined by students who completed the Social Inequality Challenge in 2023. Ellen and Maya discuss their project that involved creating an informative and accessible booklet and campaign regarding safety in Exeter in order to help new students feel more confident and safe at university. They share their experiences of completing Grand...

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:...

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 discu...

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...

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 abo...

In this week’s episode, Nicky Hutchinson, Employability and Career Consultant, shares a simple framework for writing application forms that answers the questions that are on employers’ minds when they are assessing candidates for a job.   Useful Links You can find more support on our Help with applications pages. https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithcvscoverlettersan...

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 experience...

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 involv...

In this week’s episode Olivia, a Student Programme Assistant, is joined by students Hannah and Sophie who took part in the Future Food Grand Challenges 2023. Their project involved designing an app that would generate recipes with ingredients that are in season, with the hope of improving sustainability habits. They share their experiences of completing Grand Challenges, their motivations for join...

In this week’s episode, Laura Ibarra Hempal, Faculty Lead for Employability (Humanities and Arts), is joined by alumna Hannah Smithdale, Account Director at Edelman to discuss what it’s like to work in PR. Hannah shares her journey from graduate to becoming an Account Director and shares what a typical day looks like for her. Hannah also talks about the skills needed to work in PR and how completi...

In this week’s episode Olivia, a Student Programme Assistant, is joined by students Clara, Aimee, Mattea and Ermira who completed the Mental Health Challenge in 2023. Their project involved creating a children’s book which integrated theraplay techniques into the story, which caregivers could read and use with their children. They share their experiences of completing Grand Challenges, their motiv...

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 th...

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 perio...

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...

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 bui...