Challenging University Podcast

How do you go from a career at sea to riding the crest of the technology wave all the way to the cloud? And how do you go from setting your sights on the top job to carving a path that will get you there? In this interview, John shares his career story which takes in: • Setting off to sea aged just 16 • Becoming a Master Mariner by the age of 26 • Charting a whole new course in IT hardware as an I...

When your secondary school is more focused on controlling your behaviour than understanding the root cause, and your headmistress tells you that you'll be "a failure" - how do you find the confidence and motivation to create success on your own terms and break some serious taboos? In this episode, Emma-Jane Taylor shares her incredible career story which began with a whirlwind of dancing, temping,...

When you’re set on either becoming either a merchant banker or a helicopter pilot as a teenager, how do you end up providing business consultancy to some of the largest mobile network operators in the world? James Gray is the Founder and Managing Director of Graystone Strategy and Chairman of the charity Frontline Children. In this interview, James shares his career story which takes in: • Running...

How do you go from selling Sky door-to-door to becoming co-founder of an organisation that trains people in the art of technology sales? And how do you create your own vision of career success when your family believe that university is the only way? Omar Sadik is Co-Founder of TrainYo - a disruptive start-up that is opening up the world of technology sales careers to everyone. For free. Regardles...

What does it take to create an academy designed to fill a global skills gap? And how do you tackle the challenge of holding AI to account when you left education after your A-Levels? Darren Timmins is CTO at Intuita, an organisation dedicated to finding value in data and driving positive change. In this episode, he shares how an early love of engineering plus the opportunity to participate in an a...

With creative industries in the UK valued in excess of £100bn and growing 5x faster than the national economy – why is it so hard to access opportunities? After having her early creative ambitions crushed by elements of the education system, Sam Hornsby knew there had to be a better way to connect young people with the incredible possibilities that the creative industries have to offer. And so, th...

What motivates you to build a school when you didn't enjoy secondary education?   And how do you gain a Masters Degree in Maritime Security when you barely scraped your GCSE's?   Jordan Wylie MBE is an adventurer and author with more than one incredible story to tell. In this episode, he shares how he went from being a teenage tearaway to serving in the British Army, and how this put him...

Where can a one-way ticket to Israel take you? For Brad Tipp, it was the beginning of a lifetime of unshackling himself from expectations and following the evolution of technology from manually dealing with mainframes, through to advising US and UK public sector on the finer points of cloud computing. In our continent-crossing conversation, Brad explains why personal traits are so important; the v...

What options do you have when you know you’re ready to enter the world of work, but the education system is not designed with this in mind?   Harry Bryars was already using his skills as a copywriter and web developer to earn an income before he sat his GCSEs. By the age of 18, he had established himself as a talented marketing professional, moved into his first flat, and put into action a pl...

What does it take to get into the film industry when you don't have connections?   And how do you earn a degree when you don't 'test well'?   Amanda Dorsett, Head of Production at Resource Productions shares her story of breaking into the film industry, the power of apprenticeships and the opportunities that exist in a sector that is always searching for fresh talent.   She also sha...

When expectations for you to go to university are high (and you’re clearly capable) how do you tell your family that you want to work in tech instead? And how do you find a way in? Rose Syed is a Technical Cloud Architect and is also the co-founder of the Young Adult Tech Foundation which helps people aged 16-18 who have struggled within the education system to successfully explore the world of te...

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, M...

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...

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, taki...

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...

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 fa...

What does it take to be your own change? This bonus episode shares a technique I use in my Be Your Own Change / It's Too Risky! workshops to help you to: Verbalise what it is you want Commit to taking steps to achieve it Make fears seem more manageable Think bigger Hold yourself accountable I'd love to know what you think - if you want to talk about arranging a session for your team, head to https...

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 univers...

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...

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...

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...

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 cl...

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/eJv39UkM Sarah Burns MBE  - on creating a career in the charity sector:  https://lnkd.i...

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 e...

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 ab...