The opportunity to become an entrepreneur is arguably higher than ever before but becoming a successful entrepreneur with a profitable company is still challenging: 90 per cent of start-ups fail. 

We’re speaking with two mental health entrepreneurs to understand what it takes to start your own business, the challenges, the resources, and the learnings. Hear from our guests about the journey to being an entrepreneur and – importantly – how that journey intersects with mental health. 

Thanks to Kathryn Eastwood (EY Foundation Director of Income and Employer Partnerships), Sami Gichki (young social action leader and aspiring mental health entrepreneur) and Joel Gujral (Founder & CEO of mental health startup MYNDUP, which aims to stop the one-size-fits-all approach to mental health) for your contributions. 

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].  

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!  

TIMESTAMPS: 

00:00 – 00:56: Introduction 

00:56 – 03:18: Meet Joel and Sami 

03:18 – 09:42: The journey to starting your own business  

09:42 – 13:42: The entrepreneurial mindset 

13:42 – 19:10: Barriers to entrepreneurship and resources to draw on 

19:10 – 22:58: Social media and healthy boundaries 

22:58 – 30:09: Looking after your mental health 

30:09 – 33:36: Learnings and advice 

Links to anything mentioned: 

MYNDUP 

Our minisodes are bitesize podcasts providing quick answers to your questions. This week, we cover belonging at work. 

Listen to episode 6 to hear more from Bob and Kathryn, who are joined by John Walker (@John Walker (EY Foundation Ambassador, soon to start a role at Bank of America), to discuss how you can decide on a career path, the role your employer has to play in combatting imposter syndrome, and what it means to belong at work. 

Thanks to Kathryn Eastwood (EY Foundation Director of Income and Employer Partnerships), and Bob Athwal (Culture and Belonging Director at Skyscanner, conference speaker, co-founder of the Global Career Services Summit and the 1 Hour Project). 

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].  

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!  

How do you pick your career? 

Hear from our guests about what influenced their choices, the options available to you after school, and why belonging in the workplace is so important. You’ll hear top tips about making post-16 career decisions, advice about avoiding career comparison and overcoming imposter syndrome, as well as our discussion of how you know you’ve picked the right path. 

Thanks to Kathryn Eastwood (EY Foundation Director of Income and Employer Partnerships), John Walker (EY Foundation Ambassador, soon to begin a role in the Investment Banking team at Bank of America) and Bob Athwal (Culture and Belonging Director at Skyscanner, conference speaker, co-founder of the Global Career Services Summit and the 1 Hour Project) for your contributions. 

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].  

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!  

TIMESTAMPS: 

00:00 – 01:45: Introduction 

01:45 – 04:00: Meet John and Bob 

04:00 – 09:14: How do you decide on a career path? 

09:14 – 15:00: Post-school career paths 

15:00 – 27:46: Choosing and changing your career path – top tips 

27:46 – 31:26 Belonging at work 

31:26 – 40:49 Imposter syndrome and vulnerability 

40:49 – 42:52: Feeling like you belong 

42:52 – 43:59: Thank you and goodbye 

Links to anything mentioned: 

Bank of America 

Skyscanner 

Our minisodes are bitesize podcasts providing quick answers to your questions. This week, we cover questions you can ask an employer during an interview.

Listen to episode 5 to hear more from Antoni and Kathryn, who are joined by Maria Owusu-Mensah (Analyst at BP, Co-Chair of EY Foundation’s Youth Advisory Board, and Young Trustee) to share their experience of interviews and the advice they’d give to help you stand out.

Thanks to Kathryn Eastwood (EY Foundation Director of Income and Employer Partnerships), and Antoni Davis-Phillip (Managing Consultant at Signify Technology).

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!

Get answers to your questions about job interviews from people who have been on both sides of the table. 

Understand how to prepare, what interviewers are looking for, and the one piece of advice our guests would give to anyone heading to an interview tomorrow. We also talk about unconscious bias, why no-one is looking for perfection, and what interviewers can do to make the process better. 

Thanks to Kathryn Eastwood (EY Foundation Director of Income and Employer Partnerships), Maria Owusu-Mensah (Analyst at BP, Co-Chair of EY Foundation’s Youth Advisory Board, and Young Trustee) and Antoni Davis-Phillip (Managing Consultant at Signify Technology) for your contributions. 

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].  

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!  

TIMESTAMPS: 

00:00 – 01:41: Introduction 

01:41 – 03:15: Meet Maria and Antoni 

03:15 – 08:30: The process – what’s the interview experience today and tips for getting through it? 

08:30 – 14:48: The perspective of an interviewer 

14:48 – 24:15: Different types of questions you might be asked (and how to answer them) 

24:15 – 27:18: How to prepare and what employers can do 

27:18 – 30:18: What can you ask the interviewer? 

30:18 – 37:12: One piece of advice for someone going to an interview 

37:12 – 38:09: Thank you 

Links to anything mentioned: 

BP Graduate Programmes 

Signfiy Technology 

Sport England 

Our minisodes are bitesize podcasts providing quick answers to your questions. This week, we cover top tips for asking for and providing constructive feedback. 

Listen to episode 4 to hear more from Paul and Kathryn, who are joined by Fairy Chi (A-level student, EY Foundation Programme Alumnus) and share their experiences of ‘failure’, the ways they’ve failed up, and what it’s taught them.  

Thanks to Kathryn Eastwood (EY Foundation Director of Income and Employer Partnerships), and Paul Crossman (CEO of Genuine Solutions and Relove Technology). 

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].  

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!  

We're back for season two with a big topic – failure.

Our guests share their experiences and the ways they’ve failed up in the past. We talk about coping with pressure and how to change your mindset so ‘rejection is redirection’, as well as sharing practical advice for coping with perceived failure in both the short and long term. 

Thanks to Kathryn Eastwood (EY Foundation Director of Income and Employer Partnerships), Fairy Chi (A-level student, EY Foundation Programme Alumnus) and Paul Crossman (CEO of Genuine Solutions and Relove Technology) for your contributions. 

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].  

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!  

TIMESTAMPS: 

00:00 – 01:44: Introduction, what to expect from season 2 

01:44 – 03:42: Meet Fairy and Paul 

03:42 – 06:50: Is there pressure to succeed in school? 

06:50 – 10:00: Imposter syndrome, failure and redirection 

10:00 – 13:06: Coping techniques and changing your mindset 

13:06 – 20:51: Experiencing failure – impact and resilience 

20:51 – 25:42: Self-belief and persistence 

25:42 – 30:03: How can employers support young people to succeed? 

30:03 – 37:08: Role models and final advice for dealing with expectations 

37:08 – 37:56: Thank you 

Links to anything mentioned: 

Genuine Solutions 

Relove Technology 

In episode three, we’re discussing barriers to the workplace and how we can overcome them. What’s the reality of applying to jobs today, how can you upskill yourself, and what do employers really want from applicants?

Thanks to Sion Walton-Guest (EY Foundation Programme Lead), Gertrude Kyeremaa (student and EY Foundation Youth Advisory Board member) and Nathaniel Peat (multi-award winning entrepreneur, international speaker, co-founder of Gennex Solar, and founder of The Safety Box) for your contributions.

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – 02:42: Introduction, meet Gertrude & Nat

02:42 – 11:18: What are examples of barriers to the workplace?

11:18 – 17:02: Applying to jobs, coping with rejection, and networking

17:02 – 22:52: How do young people feel about entering the workplace?

22:52 – 25:34: What do employers want to see in candidates?

25:34 – 28:05: What’s changing?

28:05 – 34:04: How can you overcome the barriers?

Links to anything mentioned:

The Safety Box

Law City

10,000 Black Interns

Bridging the Bar

Youth Voice Census

Skills & Post-16 Education Act

In episode two, we’re talking all things professional services. What does professional services mean; what changes are on the horizon; and how is diversity, equity and inclusion being prioritised?

Thanks to Sion Walton-Guest (EY Foundation Programme Lead), Olivia Agbe (student, public speaker and EY Foundation Youth Advisory Board member) and Mona Bitar (EY UK&I Vice Chair) for your contributions.

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – 03:18: Introduction, meet Olivia & Mona

3:18 – 8:44: What does professional services mean to you and what excites you about the sector?

8:44 – 10:28: What’s your experience of the sector?

10:28 – 13:00: Transition from school to university

13:00 – 16:50: Mona’s career journey and changes in the sector

16:50 - 26:27: Race Equality Week Special – what's happening to promote racial equity in the workplace?

26:27 – 32:17: Olivia and Mona discuss equality and equity

32:17 – 36:08: What can employers do to drive equity?

36:08 – 39:31: Final thoughts and advice

Links to anything mentioned:

The Parker Review

What does professional services mean?

In episode one, we’re discussing the fast-changing, innovative world of technology. We’ll dive into what we mean when we talk about technology and the impact it has on our lives, society and most crucially the workplace. Plus, what does the future hold for jobs in the sector?

Thanks to Sion Walton-Guest (EY Foundation Programme Lead), Ebenezer Odubanjo (student, developer and entrepreneur) and Jo Wimble-Groves (co-owner of tech company Active Digital and author) for your contributions.

What are you enjoying (or not)? What question should we consider next? Email the team at [email protected].

Subscribe to Careers Unlocked wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review!

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – 06:33: Introduction, meet Sion, Jo & Ebenezer

06:33 – 10:20: Quiz – what do you know about the tech sector?

10:20 – 20:30: History of tech and what’s happening in the sector now

20:30 – 31:35: Opportunities and tips for young people interested in the sector

31:35 – 35:30: What might the future hold?

35:30 – 39:58: Digital transformation: how can employers use technology differently?

39:58 – 46:32 Final thoughts and advice

Links to anything mentioned:

Smart Futures Programme

EY Foundation Youth Advisory Board

Active Digital

UK’s Digital Strategy