Career Zone Podcast

In our final episode of our Career Support for Graduate series, Sunny Lalli, Employability and Careers Consultant, continues his conversation with Dr. Hannah Collis, an honorary lecturer in Leadership and Organisational Behaviour in the Exeter Business School, and now academic at the Henley Business School.

In this episode they explore strategies to negotiate challenging workplace settings and how to respond to people and scenarios that prevent our thriving. Hannah and Sunny explore ways to cultivate resilience and connections to protect wellbeing and how job crafting can help employees in times of dissatisfaction.

Useful links:

If you are experiencing significant workplace stress or mental health concerns, do consider speaking with your GP, contacting a mental health professional or reaching out to employee assistant programmes if available in your workplace. 

Mental Health Support:

• Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/  (24/7 helpline: 116 123)
• Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/  (Infoline: 0300 123 3393)
• NHS Mental Health Services: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/
• Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
• University of Exeter Wellbeing Services: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/ 

Workplace support and advice:

• ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service): https://www.acas.org.uk/
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - Work-related stress: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/
• Citizen's Advice - Work problems: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/ 

In this episode, Sunny Lalli, Employability and Careers Consultant, continues his conversation with Dr. Hannah Collis, an honorary lecturer in Leadership and Organisational Behaviour in the Exeter Business School, and now academic at the Henley Business School. They explore how you can navigate personality dynamics in the workplace and how to integrate into new workplace environments. 

Hannah explains the importance of authenticity at work, the natural process of personality transformation during career transitions, and practical strategies for understanding and working with different personality types.

Useful Links:

• University of Exeter Career Zone Help with networking: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithnetworking/
• University of Exeter Career Zone Help with self-awareness: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithself-awareness/
• University of Exeter Career Zone Help with developing your skills: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithdevelopingyourskills/
• University of Exeter LinkedIn alumni tool: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/linkedinalumnitool/
• Career Zone podcast episode on the power of mentoring https://open.spotify.com/episode/7eIRTaCzor6ZDugKsi3jnf?si=315cde2d0a974991&nd=1&dlsi=97aad6d673ce4072 

In this week’s episode, Dawn Lees is joined by Emma Norman, Learning and Pilots Manager at the university, as she shares her journey through education, her experiences of being neurodivergent, and how she came into her current role.  

Emma reflects on navigating school and university before her late ADHD and autism diagnosis. She talks about her experience of teaching  abroad in Spain, how the pandemic prompted her to rethink her future, and how chance opportunities, from a PGCE to Graduate Business Partnerships, led her to a career in curriculum development.

In this episode, Sunny Lalli, Employability and Career Consultant speaks with Dr. Hannah Collis, an honorary lecturer in Leadership and Organisational Behaviour in the Exeter Business School, and now academic at the Henley Business School.

Together they discuss navigating the transition from university to diverse and complex workplace environments. Hannah shares insights from her research on modern working arrangements, explaining the differences between hybrid, remote, and in-person work. She discusses the benefits and challenges of each model, offers practical strategies for building relationships and accessing mentoring in virtual settings, and provides essential tips for graduates to thrive in any workplace configuration. The conversation also explores future workplace trends and how students can prepare now for evolving work models.

• Useful Links
  Skills development: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/helpwith/helpwithdevelopingyourskills/ 
• University of Leeds Future of Workplace research: www.leeds.ac.uk/research/research-expertise/future-of-work 
• World Economic Forum Future of Jobs 2025 Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/digest/ 

This week, Dawn Lees is joined by Ewan Woodley, Associate Professor of Geography to explore why stepping outside the seminar room can transform the way you learn.

Listen to find out:

• The skills you gain from field trips, such as real-world observation and teamwork.
• How field trips can help you to build your confidence and grow as a learner.
• How you can utilise the skills you develop in job applications and in interviews.
• How field trips are evolving to be more inclusive and sustainable.

In this week’s episode, Ciaran Stoker-Diver SEAS Faculty Lead, is joined by Barbara, a final year Business Management student and Vice President of Engagement for Enactus at Exeter.

Ciaran and Barbara explore what social enterprise means and how students can get involved. Barbara discusses some of the current Enactus projects students are involved with including Biosmart and Oyana.

Barbara also discusses the shares the range of skills you can develop through getting involved with social enterprise, including project management, marketing and finance.

 

Useful links:

• Enactus Streatham: https://my.exeterguild.com/groups/GYXRW/enactus
• Enactus Penryn: https://www.thesu.org.uk/organisation/enactus/
• Self employment and entrepreneurship page: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/research/explore/selfemployment/
• Student Startups: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/centres/entrepreneurship/studentstartups/ 

In this week’s episode, we are joined by recent graduate Lowenna Luke to discuss what it’s really like to transition from university into a graduate level job. Lowenna shares her journey of searching and applying for jobs, offering tips on how to stand out in the recruitment process. We also explore the realities of transitioning into the workplace, including adapting to professional communication, managing deadlines and developing effective time management skills.  

Whether you’re approaching graduation or just starting your career, this episode offers valuable insights and honest reflections to help you navigate the shift from student to professional.

Useful Links

• Graduates First - https://www.graduatesfirst.com/university-career-services/business-school-exeter?v=7885444af42e
• Professional Pathways https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/employability-schemes/professionalpathways/
• From Campus to Career sessions (https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/careers/events/from-campus-to-career/)
• Exeter Award (ex.ac.uk/exeteraward)

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.

Useful links:

• Planned Happenstance podcast ( https://pod.fo/e/33a7e9) 
• Book onto skills sessions including networking skills on My Career Zone.

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.