Challenging University Podcast

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 fashion, coupled with an irrepressible need to be creative, led him from working in a shop at the weekends to launching a magazine that got him noticed among some seriously major players.

Throughout our conversation, Tom highlights the power of using your creativity to generate new opportunities and how valuing our unique experiences as individuals can help us to identify what we have to offer.

We also talk about working class culture, state vs private schooling and the surprising statistic that led to Tom and some of his friends forming Common People - a collective that aims to represent, connect, open doors and increase the number of working-class people in the creative industries.

To learn more about Tom's work, head to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-armstrong-the-move/

To join Common People, head to https://commonpeople.substack.com/

#commonpeople #careerstories #creativeindustries

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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://tonikent.co.uk/contact/

#growthmindset #podcasting

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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 university, challenged, GoodWork's founder, Felicity Halstead, shares how her organisation aims to address the gap that exists and open up access to professional careers through a combination of early careers training for young people, advisory for organisations on how to rethink their talent strategy, and advocacy designed to create system-level change.

Felicity also talks about how her own experience of university helped her understand why it really doesn't suit everyone and shouldn't be held up as the only route to career success.

To learn more about GoodWork - including how you can take part in their programme - head to:

Web: https://www.goodwork.org.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodworkuk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good...

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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 after communities before the advent of the NHS and the welfare state, Terry paints a vivid picture of life as a child during and after WWII and the impact this had on his desire to succeed.

There's lessons on the power of setting your sights; not letting your background dictate your future and, crucially, the role of prioritisation when it comes to career choices that impact your life. There's also a twist in the tale on how Terry came to realise his dream :)

Today, Terry is an accomplished artist who exhibits regularly in Berkshire and is a member of the Sonning Art Group.

Huge thanks go to Terry for sharing his story.

Terry and I met when I performed for Reading Oddfellows - a friendly society that has been operating for more than 200 years across the UK. If you'd like to find out more about what Oddfellows do, and how to become a member, head to: https://www.oddfellows.co.uk/

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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 dance instructor.

From her early days on a Youth Training Scheme in County Durham through to a Modern Apprenticeship and NVQ, Lyndsey’s story is one of how growing up in a family where gender didn’t dictate your career decisions meant she never questioned whether there was a place for her in engineering and IT.

And while being “the only girl in the room” didn’t hinder Lyndsey’s progress, she came to realise that the wider issue of representation in the industry does need to be addressed. Today, Lyndsey is a champion for apprenticeships, bringing more girls into STEM and neurodiversity, and uses her own experiences to inform Daisy Group’s hiring and retention practices.

There’s also discussion on how to make big career decisions, demonstrating you don’t need to leave where you grew up to get on in life and embracing opportunities.

To learn more about the organisations and initiatives Lyndsey shares throughout the conversation, head to these links:

Daisy Group: https://daisygroup.com/

Enthuse Partnership: https://daisyuk.tech/charities-and-initiatives/

Stem Learning: https://www.stem.org.uk/

Groundbreaker: https://groundbreaker.org/

The Girls Network The Girls' Network (thegirlsnetwork.org.uk)

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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 raising a family.

As well as being a senior director (and a certified accountant) Tara is also a qualified coach who helps other working mums bring balance to their lives, grow in confidence and take control of their careers by helping them identify the things they're already good at, reach outside of their comfort zones and find their 'sticky toffee pudding'!

To join Tara's free Facebook group, head to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/busy2balanced

To connect with her on LinkedIn, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tararule/

To follow her on Instagram, head to: https://www.instagram.com/tararulecoaching/?hl=en

Like this episode? Give it a share!

To find out more about the host, Toni Kent, head to www.tonikent.co.uk or connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonijkent/

#careerstories #careerinspiration #inspiringwomen #leadershipstories

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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 classic lines you've been fed that have made you even more resolved to make it. For me it was "If you came into my office, I'd think you were the secretary".

Expect a real show of friendship and some great tips self motivation!

#careerstories #careerpodcast #womeninengineering #womeninlaw

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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.in/eRqXTZ3w

Louize Clarke - on daring to disrupt and Digital Gum! https://lnkd.in/eDSQeVBn

Nayna McIntosh - on founding a successful fashion brand: https://lnkd.in/eMPK6W7X

Katie Moon - on living your values and life at LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/euXVXfj4

Karen Moyse. KineticFuture - on comms, chemistry and coaching: https://lnkd.in/eAEnQSTt

Leanne Kathleen Barrie - on embracing change and making it in Italy: https://lnkd.in/e7Px6rpB

Akua Apeagyei - on coding, caring and cloud solution architecture: https://lnkd.in/eHfdXANN

Lez Graham - on being an award-winner, author and canine behaviour consultant: https://lnkd.in/eatKmzhd

Julie Genney - on being a professional mindset coach: https://lnkd.in/eu9kPt8f

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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 extremely techy or degree-educated to get ahead.

We talk about the power of listening, committing to learning and why wanting to win is a powerful asset in contributing to the success of others.

Like this episode? Give it a share!

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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 about her experiences in

the banking sector, finding her feet on the career ladder, and how a to return to study while working fired her passion for learning. We also talk about how Julie's own experiences ignited her desire to help and coach others.

Julie's story is one of continuous professional and personal development, the value of university when you feel ready (and studying a topic that you love) and the challenges of combining a degree with work, pregnancy, and early motherhood. There's also reflections on the ways in which we can take cues from our own lives to help us understand how best we can add value to others.

If you'd like to find out more about Julie's work, you can connect with her on LinkedIn here or visit her website: https://www.juliegenney.co.uk/

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