What if you could solve a problem and build a business around it? Holly speaks with Cardiff Met PGCE Primary graduate Will about going from primary school teacher to education entrepreneur. After starting as a supply teacher, Will built his confidence and secured a permanent role. But he soon spotted a problem: too much marking and not enough time.

Will explains how he used AI to tackle the problem and went on to build his own education AI business. He shares practical advice on spotting opportunities, getting experience and turning an idea into a business.

In this episode…

00:25 Holly Meets Will

00:46 Supply Teacher To Startup Business

01:55 AI Marking Business

02:29 Traction And Goals

03:26 In The Real World Now

04:01 First Step Into Teaching

05:34 Business Idea Advice

06:17 Standing Out In Applications

07:13 Placements And Confidence

08:04 Using AI In Job Searches

09:13 When I Grow Up

11:13 Mentors And Motivation

12:40 Lightbulb Moment And Grants

13:56 Quickfire Questions

17:21 Why PGCE and Cardiff

19:48 Career Goals

20:28 Skills Spotlight: Problem Solving

22:11 Student Life in Cardiff

23:33 Campus and Societies

24:50 Part-Time Work

25:33 Wrap

How far would you move for your dream job? Holly speaks with Cardiff Met Dental Technology graduate Ellie about starting her career as a Dental Technician in Liverpool. She shares how networking at an exhibition led to a LinkedIn connection and a job opportunity.

Ellie explains what it's like working in a fast-paced dental lab, combining digital design with creative skills. She shares practical advice on gaining experience, building a social media portfolio, preparing for interviews and putting yourself out there. Plus, how moving to Liverpool changed her life.

In this episode…

00:29 Meet Ellie - Dental Technician

00:48 Graduation & Job Hunt Fears

02:19 Moving For Opportunities

04:15 What Dental Techs Do

06:18 Placement: Fast-Paced Reality

07:48 LinkedIn Portfolio Strategy

09:58 Moving To Liverpool

11:28 Interview Process Tips

13:45 Being Yourself At Work

15:26 Quickfire Questions

18:07 Mentors and Motivation

20:29 When I Grow Up

21:40 Finding Dental Tech Path

25:19 Career Goals

26:48 Skills Spotlight: Adaptability

28:50 Commuting and Social Life

30:01 Missing Student Days

30:32 Wrap

What does it really take to get a job after university? Holly speaks with Cardiff Met MSc Project Management graduate Fardous about building a career in the UK after moving from Saudi Arabia. He shares how he made the switch from civil engineering to project management and what he learned from applying for around 80 jobs.

Fardous talks about improving his interview skills, building his CV through volunteering and internships, and gaining professional certifications. He also shares how Cardiff Met's Careers Service helped him prepare for interviews and how he progressed from Project Support Officer to Project Manager at the University.

In this episode…

00:22 Introducing Fardous

00:46 Why Switch to Project Management

01:37 Post Graduation Anxiety

02:31 Mastering STAR Interviews

03:31 Landing Cardiff Met Role

05:12 Eighty Job Applications

06:35 Staying Motivated

07:51 Standing Out: Applications & Interviews

09:27 Quickfire Questions

12:50 Remote vs Hybrid Interviews

13:58 Money Saving Tips

14:13 Parents as Inspiration

15:03 Career Path

16:14 When I Grow Up

17:40 Choosing Cardiff Met

19:23 Part-Time Work & Studying

20:29 Career Goals

21:08 Skill Spotlight - Problem Solving

23:04 Student Life in Cardiff

23:45 Building the Bengali Society & Community

25:23 Favourite Cardiff Restaurant

26:01 Wrap

What if your first choice doesn't work out? Holly speaks with Cardiff Met Biomedical Science graduate Jemima about finding her career after missing out on her original plan to become a dentist. She got onto Biomedical Science through Clearing and says it was one of the best decisions she made.

Jemima now works as a Senior Biomedical Scientist at the Welsh Blood Service. She talks about working in the NHS, finding her feet after graduation, and the twists and turns that led to her current role. Expect practical advice on applications, interviews and building experience, delivered with Jemima's brilliant dry sense of humour.

In this episode…

00:33 Meet Jemima

00:52 Dentistry to Biomed

02:33 Welsh Blood Service Role

04:33 Work Culture and Routine

06:04 Graduation Worries

07:02 Horrific Microbiology

08:25 Landing the Dream Job

09:39 Job Search and Applications

11:39 Interview Tips That Work

12:40 Quickfire Questions

15:56 When I Grow Up

18:01 Motivation and Mindset

19:17 Finding Your Science Path

20:32 Clearing and Choosing Cardiff

22:05 Accreditation and Career Goals

24:15 Skill Spotlight: Adaptability

25:50 Cardiff Student Life and Learning

27:38 Wrap

How to secure a graduate job before you graduate. Holly speaks with Cardiff Met Events Management graduate Eliza about changing course, building confidence and gaining experience at university. She shares how she received a job offer while at Glastonbury, and how she now works as a Social Media Events Coordinator and podcast host at Kilroy Travel.

Eliza explains how creating content, leading student societies and using LinkedIn helped her stand out to employers. Expect practical advice on navigating a competitive job market, building your confidence, and finding a career that's right for you.

How to land a dream placement as an international student. Holly speaks with Cardiff Met Public Relations and Marketing Management student Muskaan about gaining experience while studying in the UK after moving from Dubai. She shares how she secured a year-long social media placement with Disney Plus. She also talks about working on major campaigns, meeting famous faces, and how becoming Cardiff Met Students' Union Activities and Communities President boosted her confidence and leadership skills.

Muskaan explains how she stayed motivated through dozens of applications, tailored every CV, and made the most of Cardiff Met's Careers Service. Expect practical advice on gaining experience, standing out to employers, and building your confidence before graduation.

In this episode…

00:00 Episode Teaser

00:31 Meet Muskaan

00:49 Post Uni Career Plans

01:25 Job Market Worries

02:07 Disney Plus Internship

04:23 Landing The Placement

06:04 Standing Out In Interviews

07:02 Finding Hidden Opportunities

07:52 Getting Experience Fast

08:49 Quickfire Questions

11:37 Who Inspired You

12:41 Choosing PR And Marketing

13:40 When I Grow Up

15:33 Why Marketing At Uni

16:28 Picking Cardiff Met

18:08 Working While Studying

19:41 Winning Students’ Union Election

21:25 Skills Spotlight

22:47 Student Life In Cardiff

25:45 Wrap

How to build a business before you graduate. Holly speaks with Cardiff Met strength and conditioning graduate Jake about growing a successful coaching business while studying for his master's. He explains how creating content on Instagram helped him attract clients and what it's really like being self-employed.

Jake shares practical advice on building an online presence, staying consistent and managing your time. He also talks about how Cardiff Met's Careers Service helped him launch his business, and why helping people matters more than chasing likes and views.

In this episode…

00:00 Episode Teaser

00:26 Meet Jake

00:50 Graduation Plans

01:38 Choosing Masters

02:58 Money Worries

03:55 Running The Business

04:46 Niche Rugby Clients

06:14 Content Strategy

08:17 Grow Social Channels

09:28 Time Management Struggles

10:34 Careers Service Help

12:44 Entrepreneur Advice

13:30 Quickfire Questions

17:37 Jake’s Inspiration

18:32 Purpose Beyond Numbers

20:20 Finding A Career Path

26:30 Skills Spotlight

29:01 Cardiff Student Life

32:34 Favourite Cardiff Spots

33:07 Wrap

How an unpaid placement became a dream job in professional cricket. Holly speaks with Cardiff Met MSc Sport Broadcast graduate Bhavya Doshi, now Digital Content Producer at Glamorgan County Cricket Club. He shares how a placement led to a full-time role, why social media is one of the best ways into the sports industry, and what it's really like creating content for a professional cricket club. And of course all things cricket in Cardiff.

Bhavya explains how Cardiff Met helped him build industry-ready skills, why gaining experience can matter more than getting paid at the start of your career, and how networking on LinkedIn opened new opportunities. Expect practical advice for anyone hoping to build a career in sport, media or digital content. And a good amount of chat about Cricket in Cardiff.

In this episode…

00:00 Episode Teaser

00:27 Meet Bhavya

00:55 Landing The Glamorgan Cricket Placement

02:03 From Placement To Full-Time Job

03:06 What A Digital Producer Does

04:54 Course Skills And Mentorship

06:33 Standing Out And Unpaid Internships

08:51 Howzat - Cricket Basics

09:45 Cricket Culture At Cardiff Met

12:11 Training Grounds And Match Days

13:12 From Cardiff Met To The Pros

14:55 Cardiff Cricket Scene

16:08 The Experience At Sophia Gardens

16:38 Quick Fire Questions

19:47 When I Grow Up

20:48 Mentor - Alan Wilkins

23:12 Choosing Cardiff Met

24:44 Life In The UK

26:16 Career Goal - Make Cricket Cool

27:03 Skills Spotlight

28:45 Wrap

Building a freelance creative career and being your own boss. Holly speaks with Cardiff Met graphic design and illustration graduate Katie about turning her passion for design into a self-employed business. She explains how she built her portfolio through personal projects and found clients through social media, especially TikTok.

Katie also talks about navigating the uncertainty of freelancing, staying open to new opportunities, and how Cardiff Met's Centre for Entrepreneurship helped her get started. Expect practical advice on building a portfolio, finding clients, setting boundaries and making self-employment work.

In this episode…

00:00 Episode Teaser

00:35 Meet Katie

01:02 Navigating Life After Uni

02:17 Going Freelance

04:16 Finding a Design Niche

05:14 Landing First Clients

06:20 Managing Uncertainty

09:07 Promoting Yourself on Socials

10:13 University Entrepreneurship Support

11:27 Freelance Advice

12:47 Quick Fire Questions

17:27 Cardiff Coffee Shops

18:26 When I Grow Up

21:36 Choosing Cardiff Met

23:36 Switching to Illustration

25:34 Careers and Clients

28:21 Skills Spotlight

30:32 Student Life in Cardiff

32:49 Wrap

There’s no single route into a creative career. Cardiff Met graduate Duke Al shares his story. A spoken word poet, author and creative practitioner, Duke turned his passion for writing into a freelance career spanning live performances, commissions, workshops, talks and community projects.

He shares how writing became an outlet for managing OCD from a young age, why he didn’t share his work publicly until his twenties, and how a volunteering trip to Zambia helped him discover his purpose. Duke also talks about his type 1 diabetes, freelancing, personal branding, social media and the realities of building a creative career on your own terms.

In this episode…

00:00 Episode Teaser

00:36 Meet Duke Al

01:05 Poetry Career

02:33 Power of the Pen Workshops

03:43 Clients and Commissions

05:05 Hip Hop to Self-Therapy

05:31 Living With OCD

08:06 Sharing Poetry Publicly

09:38 Quitting for Creativity

12:16 Freelance Support Network

14:49 Social Media Reality Check

16:43 Motivation and Passion

17:26 Zambia Turning Point

20:40 Poem - What gets you of bed in the morning

22:11 Quick Fire Questions

24:38 Skill Spotlight

27:20 Master’s in Creative Writing

30:26 Wrap