Career Zone Podcast

In this week’s episode, Simon Allington, Employability and Careers Consultant, is joined by current postgraduate student Gia Yu to discuss career planning across China and the UK. Gia shares her experience of working in China and in the UK and highlights the strengths Chinese students bring to the UK job market. Gia also shares how the China Career Ready programme can help students when making career decisions.

Simon is also joined by Chinese Exeter alumni Stefanie and Eva as they share the importance of workplace communication, how they have strengthened their resilience and how they are using AI effectively in the workplace.  

China Career Ready is a bespoke programme designed to help Chinese students from any degree programme and any level of study explore their options and receive guidance with career planning.

Useful links:

China Career Ready - https://business-school.exeter.ac.uk/careers/china-career-ready/

In this week’s episode we explore the power of workplace osmosis, the often invisible learning that happens from being around others.

From spontaneous conversations to unplanned collaborations and quick check-ins, we explore why a physical presence still matters in an increasingly digital world.

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This week, we catch up with final year PhD student Sophia, to hear how her PhD journey is going. Sophia shares some of her highlights of her studies, the importance of adaptability in research, and the different types of support available to PhD students. 

In this week’s episode, Dawn Lees is joined by Professor Nathan Mayne, as he shares his journey from a working class background to a successful career in academia. Nathan explores how he overcame adversity, navigating university life without a roadmap and how he has built a successful career as an academic whilst championing mental health, collaboration and support for current students. 

Nathan is a Professor of Astrophysics and Planetary Climates in the Astrophysics Group of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Exeter, U.K, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow. He is also the Academic Director of Research Computing Infrastructure for the University of Exeter. Nathan is interested in understanding how climates evolve and how life and the planetary climate systems interact. 

Part of the Working in Higher Education mini-series

Thinking of doing doctoral research? In this episode, Kate Foster, Employability and Careers Consultant, catches up with Benny, a first year PhD student. Benny shares how his PhD is going and what he is enjoying about studying. Benny also shares the different activities he is involved with including teaching seminars, attending conferences and supporting the Mature Access Pathway programme.  

We’ll be catching up with Benny regularly to hear how his PhD journey is going. Follow the Career Zone Podcast to stay up to date with Benny’s experiences, insights and reflections along the way.

In this episode we explore what risk assessments are, why they matter and the key skills needed to carry them out effectively. Here we explore how risk assessments play a vital role across a range of graduate careers including engineering, finance, IT and environmental roles. We share advice on how to develop your skills and gain experience, whether through societies, internships or graduate roles.

This episode was written by Dawn Lees and recorded by Rachel Sloan.

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In this episode, Employability and Careers Consultant Joan Wright chats with alumni Bhumika Mathkar and Rutuja Lokare, about their journeys from Mumbai to studying masters degrees and working in the UK. They discuss their experience of participating with the India Career Ready Programme and reflect on how work experience and university support shaped their journeys. They also share insights as to what it’s like to navigate the UK recruitment process as an international student.

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In this week’s episode Helen Hicks, Programme Officer talks with Harriet, one of our Student Programme Assistants about Green Consultants. Helen and Harriet discuss what is involved in completing Green Consultants, including the online learning, projects and internships. Helen shares her advice to students wanting to complete the programme and also shares how previous students have been able to use the learning they gained from completing Green Consultants in their future experiences.  

Green Consultants is an employability programme designed to provide students with skills and experience required to work in the sustainability sector. It is open to all students and you can start at anytime.

Useful Links

In this week's episode, Nicky Hutchinson, Employability and Career Consultant, is joined by alumnus Mathys Reiss, now a Climate Action Associate working at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Mathys completed his Masters in Sustainable Business Management in 2024, and reflects on his academic journey and his transition into a career in sustainability. He shares his insights into what it's like to work within a global organisation at the forefront of corporate responsibility.

Mathys shares:

Useful Links:

In this week’s episode we’re exploring the love-hate relationship many students have with LinkedIn. For some, it is a great place to find opportunities and connections. For others, it can feel like a stream of carefully curated posts that come across as performative. We explore how to use LinkedIn without losing your sense of self.  

Listen to hear:

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This episode was devised by Dawn Lees and recorded by Rachel Sloan.