Challenging University Podcast

How do you go from leaving school being told "there's nothing we can do for you" to becoming a leader in your field, someone who creates their own unique methodology that instructors now teach to create a trusted relationship between owner and pet gun dog?

Lez Graham's story is as interesting as it is inspiring. Despite leaving school without GCSE's, her career to date has included riding instructor, coder, project leader on Y2K for one of the world's largest financial institutions, kinesiologist specialising in human, equine and canine treatment, Founder of the Kinesiology Association of New Zealand, fire walk instructor, dog behaviourist and author. PHEW!

Hers is a story of following your passions, reframing set backs and earning accreditations and qualifications while working. Oh, and of giving back to others every step of the way. You'll notice throughout our conversation how in each instance Lez's own personal development isn't something she keeps to herself - she has a lifelong commitment to helping others.

Currently studying for a doctorate, Lez goes to show that learning most certainly doesn't take place just in the classroom and that what's said to you when you're a pupil at secondary school doesn't dictate what you're destined to be.  

You can discover more about Lez's work here:

www.thepetgundog.co.uk

www.professionalcanineacademy.co.uk

www.retrievingroll.com

www.trainedforlife.co.uk

and find her on social media here: 

https://www.facebook.com/lez.graham/

https://www.instagram.com/lezgraham/

https://www.youtube.com/user/leztfl

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If you had three university offers on the table, what would you do?

For Conor Cotton, it crystallised a decision to make his mark on the world of work. From an initial motivation of making money, Conor soon realised that by surrounding himself with people he could learn from, he could accelerate both his professional and personal growth beyond chasing bigger pay checks.

With business books by his bedside and having crafted a clear vision, Conor became the Managing Director of Not Going To Uni - a company with a long track record in successfully finding work for non-graduates - aged just 21.

Over the space of just 15 months, Conor has added new service lines, achieved record-breaking growth and helped make sure that Not Going To Uni is the first port of call for businesses, young people and media outlets when it comes to non-graduate careers.

In this episode Conor shares what 'fuels his fire', what you'll learn working at a start-up that you'll never learn in school, and how just a couple of strategic decisions can have a truly transformative impact. 

And it's not all strictly business! We also talk being a PE tech, home ownership in your 20's and the possibility of owning Leeds FC :)

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Learn more about Not Going To Uni

Young people seeking a non-graduate career: www.notgoingtouni.co.uk

Organisations that want to expand their talent pool: www.ngtugroup.co.uk

Connect with Conor: https://linktr.ee/ConorCotton

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Akua Apeagyei is a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft on a degree apprenticeship programme. She's also a young carer, an award-winner and the founder of Anomalys Foundation - an Instagram community she has created to bring more young people into STEM.

In this episode, Akua talks about the source of her resilience, the importance of spotting opportunities and why education doesn't just take place in the classroom. There's also a gap year that is nothing like what most people would expect, picking up the programming language Python in a day and the magic of mentoring.

Throughout the conversation, Akua mentions organisations that helped her in her journey so far which you can find out more about below:

Stemettes: https://stemettes.org/

Codebar: Homepage | codebar.io

Makers Academy: Change Your Life - Become a Software Developer at Makers

You can learn more about Akua's work here: Anomalys Foundation: https://www.instagram.com/anomalys_foundation/

And if you want to help Akua develop an app that will help people with hearing impairments, you can find her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akua-apeagyei-95b42aa8/

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Can you imagine passing your UK driving test aged 18 and a month later you're behind the wheel on the roads of Chianti?

How about if your first job after earning your BTEC was nannying for an Italian family in Tuscany and you didn't speak the language? Terrifying right? Not for Leanne Barrie.

Leanne's story is one of being expected to leave home at 18, receiving sound advice from her dad that opportunity was not on her Hastings doorstep, and how the family she first started working for adopted her as one of their own - from directing her language studies to providing her with opportunities to run their holiday cottages which kick-started a love for tourism.

In our conversation, Leanne describes how leaving the UK meant she was able to fully push her own boundaries and enjoy not one, but three distinct career arcs which today sees her working in Marketing and Communications for KPMG in Verona.

Leanne challenges the idea that you need a degree to establish yourself in another country and offers clear examples and expert advice on how to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. If you're interested in starting again, switching careers or want to know what it takes to go from childcare via tourism to marketing and events for a global organisation, this episode is for you.

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How do you secure a career in communications that takes you all the way to being offered Chief Exec if you didn't go to uni?

And how do you tell Sir Martin Sorrell that you want something other than the top job?!

In this wide-ranging conversation, Time to Think Coach Karen Moyes describes in hilarious detail her educational exploits including failing the 11 plus and being sent to an all-girls school; how being 18 and determined to prove people wrong is an incredible asset and why you should never be afraid to ask for what you want.

The second half of the interview is required listening for anyone who wants to know how to get on in business as Karen demystifies the 'Game of Work'; highlights the value of being thoughtful and purposeful about your career and explains why you should never, ever piss off the post room!

If you're interested in the possibilities that exist in the world of communications today, wonder what it's like to grow up with a dad that won a scholarship to Oxford as the son of a bricklayer and a milkmaid, or are curious to know more about why chemistry is vital in the world of coaching, this episode is for you.

To find out more about Karen and her work, visit: www.linkedin.com/in/karenmoyse

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How much did your friends influence your decisions at school? In this bonus episode I talk about raving in a disused psychiatric hospital, why grafting was our number one priority and how university just wasn't discussed amongst my friendship group.

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What is the impact on your educational and career choices when you are born profoundly deaf?

In this episode, James Simms explains how his experiences of growing up with cochlear implants and being the first profoundly deaf individual to attend his secondary school led to him having to stand up – and stand out – to access opportunities that people who are born with hearing take for granted.

Alongside insights into how it felt to study A-levels and go through the interview process during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, James highlights how applying for an apprenticeship enabled him to go straight from school into one of the world’s largest technology companies.

Today, James is in his second year of a cross-functional apprenticeship at Cisco and is already contributing to developing improvements in web conferencing software and helping to make meetings more inclusive for those who are deaf or hearing-impaired.

His story so far is one of personal courage and how forging your own path can help create greater understanding and opportunities for others. It will change how you think about online meetings too!

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How do you go from working on a make-up counter to being responsible for Customer Success at LinkedIn?

For Katie Moon it was a story of hard graft, asking smart questions and surviving the initial low pay, long hours culture of recruitment in London in her early 20s. And while Katie enjoyed excitement and success, she wasn't able to see the value she had to offer until a family emergency made her pause.

After her dad received a terminal cancer diagnosis, Katie took time out during which she was able to refocus and reprioritise. She joined a small organisation on the South Coast where she worked with genuine individuals that valued life outside of work then following her Dad’s death she joined what would be her last role in the recruitment industry where she met her first true mentor who not only got the best out of her, but helped Katie to see the best in herself.

In this episode, Katie talks candidly about being wrapped up in the whirlwind of 'work hard, play hard' and the power that comes from identifying and living your values.

If you've ever doubted your abilities, felt out of place, or wondered what it takes to transform your trajectory, this episode is for you.

#recruitment #beauty #careerstories #careerinspiration #linkedin #lifestories

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Want to know what me and my friends called each other at our first job? Scrubbers!! Yes, we were all cleaners at the AA before we had even left school. In this five minute episode I talk buffing machines, being responsible and why one gold earring doesn't make you George Michael....

#careers #firstjob #clearner

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Would you know what to say if you found yourself on a Zoom call with Her Majesty the Queen in your early 20s? David McIntosh did.

As Scotland's first ever Management Consulting apprentice at KPMG, and the Co-Chair of the firm's UK Social Mobility network, David's life story so far makes for powerful listening. So much so, he was chosen to speak with Her Majesty as part of the firm's 150th anniversary celebrations.

In our conversation, David explains how growing up in receipt of free school meals and with uniform and holidays provided by veteran's charities empowered him to 'flip his DNA' and embark on a quest to become an accountant. 

He also shares how the work of the Social Mobility Foundation opened up access to opportunities that may otherwise not have been visible or available to him and the impact this had in setting his trajectory towards management consulting aligned with public service.

We talk poverty, using humour to deflect attention and how counting coppers as a child can be a clue to a future career. There's also lots to take away on the value of being unconventional and the power of having a North Star.

If you enjoy this episode, you’ll love David’s podcast – The Development by David. You can check it out here: https://anchor.fm/developmentbydavid

#socialmobility #workingclassvoices #managementconsulting #careerpodcast

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