The Graduate Guide: Recent Episodes
Peter Wood
I am a UCL student in my final year studying History. This means the daunting prospect of becoming a graduate and finding a REAL job is looming ever larger. Although respected as a degree, History does not lead directly into a career and often results in people asking me "Oh, so you want to be a History teacher?'. Thus, I have found myself applying for graduate roles because the career 'sounds' like something I should be doing, without ever actually diving deep into what career path suits me best. This podcast is my attempt to find out my dream career path post university by meeting with exceptionally successful graduates in a different career each week. I felt inclined to share these conversations as I don't believe students have enough access to the people who have just recently graduated or taken alternative career paths, faced the fears our generation are so conscious of and been successful in doing so.
A special thanks to 'The Pay Index' for making this possible. They have a great product that every student should know about and I have left a link below. https://www.thepayindex.com
My LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-wood-893812191
The Graduate Guide partnered with Hybr for a networking live podcast event with 30 under 30 guest speaker Zulum Elumogo Managing Director @ TC & Friends
Sponsored event by
The Root Co.
Gullies Hard Seltzer
Mehar Sindhu Batra, CEO & Founder @ MSB Vision. She is a career strategist, creator, investor, TedX speaker, and chartered accountant. The Graduate Guide is very excited to have her on! Connect with Mehar on Linkedin
The Graduate Guide partnered with Hybr for a networking live podcast event with 30 under 30 guest speaker Kola Tytler. Kola is a medical doctor, CEO, and Founder of Dropout.
Sponsored event by
The Root Co.
Gullies Hard Seltzer
Tonsin, Program Head for African Leadership @ LSE, shares with us his journey as an international student in the UK and his career journey.
𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 Ben Dando 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 ⤵️
You’ve almost definitely heard of Liquid Death because of their unique and innovative marketing…
But do you know about the man behind its international expansion?
I was lucky enough to sit down with Ben Dando, the former CEO of Karma Drinks and Liquid Death’s International Managing Director to discuss his incredible career journey.
𝗜𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱:
Ben’s early career journey - from playing hockey at an international level to mastering sales at Coca Cola.
The impact of becoming a Dad at a young age on his career motivations.
How to embrace career rejection.
The importance of disruption in brand awareness.
AND
Some of the amazing marketing strategies Liquid Death have used to gain over 7 million followers across all socials.
Peter Jackson, Hill Dickinson's CEO joins us for an insightful conversation with Charlie from Huzzle.
Natasha Porter, founder and CEO of Unlocked Graduates shares with us her career journey, how she started her non-profit in the education sector and career opportunities for graduates.
This week on The Graduate Guide I sat down with the CCO of VERSUS, Johnny Kay.
Versus is the biggest platform in the UK for championing the future of football, documenting football’s rising influence on new music and culture.
Johnny has an amazing story to tell on how he built VERSUS.
But in this episode we focused on how Johnny built his dream career through his passion for football and music.
Johnny acknowledged that it was not always easy…
Spending the initial years of his career in formative, yet passionless jobs.
But went on to explain how @boiler room gave him a golden opportunity to utilise his creativity and passion in a career sense.
Since then, he has never looked back.
Part of the initial founding team of VERSUS, he has continued to harness his creative skills.
For example:
Johnny’s creative partnerships and recruitment has played an integral role in skyrocketing VERSUS to 250k followers on instagram and 500k on TikTok.
If you are interested in learning how to resemble Johnny’s incredible career path and learn about what makes VERSUS such a special company…
Check out the full episode
Eshita is the Founder and CEO of the award-winning app By Rotation, the world's largest shared wardrobe available in the UK and US.
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Product and customer-obsessed CEO
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Investment professional with over 6 years of experience
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Global citizen, proud immigrant, and "third culture kid" (India, Singapore, US, and UK)
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Passionate and solutions-oriented about the climate crisis, particularly by how every individual can play a part
Eshita is regularly profiled in Vogue, Financial Times, Wired, TechCrunch, Conde Nast Traveller, Business of Fashion, Forbes, Evening Standard, Monocle, and more. She has appeared live and on panels with the United Nations, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Harvard Business School, Meta, Vogue Business, British Fashion Council, BBC Woman's Hour, and more. She has also been featured in paid campaigns for British Vogue, Meta, Armani, Pandora, Tier App, Samsung, Nuxe, and more.
"Ben Page is the Chief Executive of Ipsos. A frequent writer and speaker on trends, leadership and performance management, he has directed thousands of surveys examining consumer trends and citizen behavior. Follow on Twitter: @benatipsos
He was Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI in the UK and Ireland from 2009-2021. He joined MORI in 1987 after studying at Oxford University. From 1987 to 1992 Ben worked in our private sector business on corporate reputation and consumer research, working for companies like Shell, BAE Systems, Sky TV, and IBM. From 1992 he worked closely with both Conservative and Labour ministers and senior policymakers across government, leading work for Downing Street, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office, and the Department of Health, as well as a wide range of local authorities and NHS Trusts.
Ben is a Visiting Professor at Kings College London and a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is a Fellow of the Market Research Society.
He has served on advisory groups at the King's Fund, the Social Market Foundation (SMF), CABE and other think tanks is a Trustee at the Centre for Aging Better, and is a Patron of Create Streets. Ben was named one of GQ’s 100 Most Connected Men of 2015.
He regularly appears on global TV and radio programs."
Siddhi talks about his career background and how everything led her to build Yhangry, her private chef company. After doing a couple of internships at Google, etc, she wanted to be in an environment where she could learn about the markets while having a lot of fun: trading was the perfect fit.
She spent 6.5 years in trading doing asset back secured and financial subordinated debt and ran a balance sheet of over £500m+ in risk assets. Loving it while it lasted, she eventually got the entrepreneurship itch.
Siddhi wanted to build something and have a bigger impact on the world. With just an idea she found a co-founder and quit shortly she went for it and yhangry came to fruition.
Geoff Robinson, Managing Director @UBS and Founder @TheInvestmentAnalyst.com talks about his career, building his Ed Tech platform company, working for UBS for eight years, and having industry experience for over 24 years.
How did he get to where he is? What does success mean to Geoff?
Find out on this episode of the Graduate Guide with your host Charlie from Huzzle.
What I learnt from ABBYY’s head of employer branding on how to land a job in the UK:
Abby is a global tech company that operates across 15 countries on FOUR continents…
And employs HUNDREDS of people all over the world.
So who better to ask:
“How do I land a job?”
Than Rares, ABBYY’s Head of International Communications and Employer Branding.
Here were his TOP 5 pieces of advice for students and recent graduates:
Actively seek opportunities to learn and contribute e.g. societies and startups.
Forge a mindset of 'how hard can it be' to fuel your ambition.
Consider what you want to achieve personally, while not compromising your own values.
Be flexible, easy to work with and a good learner.
Master the art of conversation by adapting and pushing your boundaries.
Check out the full episode 👇
Hattie Willis, Founder of GuessWorks and Co-founder of IfWeRaise, shares how she became one of the UK's brightest startup advisors just a couple of years after graduating from university. Hattie reflects on her first entrepreneurial experience as a student at Oxford University and explains what first-time founders can do to set themselves up for success from the very beginning.
As found on his LinkedIn, Mark Crompton is the Global Head of Employment Marketing at Airbus and has led a transnational team of more than 25 experts in employer branding, talent attraction, and digital marketing. With over 15 years of experience in the aerospace industry, Mark has developed and delivered innovative and effective strategies and action plans to promote Airbus as an employer of choice to employees, early careers, and prospective hires.
In this episode, Gary Izunwa, Co-founder of Tangent, reflects on his journey from a single-parent, low-income household to a 6-figure sales job at LinkedIn after university. As one of the few people from his community who found early success, he increasingly felt the need to give back, leading him to quit his job. Ever since he has been pushing for more social mobility in the tech space, winning him Forbes 30 under 30 in 2024.
João Nuno Simões, CEO and Co-Founder of GenesisLRT, a crypto fin-tech company shares what it is like to build a crypto company during university. As Portugal's first-ever Bitcoin miner, João talks about how he first got interested in crypto and what it took to build his first startup, Bitmasters, into a million-dollar BTC hedge fund.
We sat down with Hector Hughes to learn how his startup. Unplugged is helping people quit their phone addiction through a digital detox 👇 Hector founded Unplugged together with Ben Elliott in 2019, after a silent retreat in the Himalayas that made him rebrand his life.
In this episode, he walks us through his journey and talks candidly about:
0:48: 🚀 Exploring Hector Hughes' journey from university to career outlook.
3:31: ⚙️ Navigating challenges independently leads to valuable learning experiences and skill development.
6:51: 🚀 Major career shift leads to founding Unplugged and sobriety after a series A funding failure.
10:05: 💻 Emphasizing digital detox as the core focus of a cabin retreat for productivity enhancement.
12:50: 💡 Unlocking productivity through changing perception and accessing deep calm by disconnecting from phones.
15:39: ⏳ Understanding the root of busyness as a founder, the importance of gaining insights by taking breaks, and the evolution of workload over multiple startups. 18:49: 💪 Embrace flexibility and go with the flow to boost productivity.
21:59: ⚡ Overcoming failures at University led to current success. Quitting alcohol at 25 impacted productivity positively.
25:18: 🚀 Achieving a significant lifestyle change through a book, leading to increased focus on business goals.
Founder & CEO of Clear a beauty tech company, Ahana Banerjee, came to the Graduate Guide with the most interesting and inspiring anecdotes on how she got her first company founded as a student in Uni. Giving us an entire career trajectory, while talking us through her priorities in life and providing our listeners with tips on how to get funding for your first company.
0:26: 🌟 Founder's journey from childhood in the UK to studying Physics at Imperial College and moving to New Delhi.
4:28: 💼 Revolutionizing skincare analysis through a personalized app for consumers.
8:25: 💡 Impact of working in a startup on personal growth and satisfaction
12:18: ⚙️ Passion vs. necessity in entrepreneurship and leveraging personal experience for competitive advantage.
16:39: ⚖️ Personal experiences drive founder's passion to solve skin issues, emphasizing empathy and founder-market fit.
20:31: 💼 Entrepreneurship journey during university, exploring startup ideas while securing graduate jobs.
24:44: 💡 Entrepreneur's journey to securing Y Combinator interview despite initial rejections.
28:57: 📱 Awaiting interview feedback, received email about Integrated Masters, provided detailed explanation
32:57: 💡 Entrepreneur demonstrates agility and conviction in pivoting from one idea to another during Y Combinator interview.
37:12: ⏰ Strategic academic decisions led to job flexibility and professional growth.
41:21: 🎯 The evolving definition of success and its impact on happiness.
Victoria and Alina have worked and continue to work with successful content creators, from YouTube to all platforms in social media. They came to the Graduate Guide and gave us all the insight on how to build a successful career in content creation.
0:36: Insights from Google YouTube manager on content creation and personal branding importance.
5:11: Realization of the immense influence content creators have on businesses and society.
10:11: Creators evolving into entrepreneurs can maintain relevance long-term by diversifying and monetizing.
14:39: Success in content creation requires focusing on quality metrics, building engagement, and being patient for growth. 18:51:
Navigating online comments: Understanding that negative comments are not personal attacks but reflections of others' emotions.
23:40: Fostering community support for content creation through partnerships and accountability.
27:58: Essential factors for content creator success and audience utilization.
32:23: Utilize recent conversations or photos to identify authentic content for online presence.
36:51: Importance of focusing on creativity over vanity metrics in content creation
Founder and CEO of HYBR Hannah Chappatte joins us for an insightful conversation about student housing and the purpose behind Hybr.
We discussed the lack of education young people get about what job roles they can go into, and decoding what makes a ‘good’ startup culture.
🎓 A lack of information. Students don’t get an insight into the full landscape of the opportunities across industries available to them. There are so many options, yet we all end up going down the same path and applying for the same grad schemes.
🚀 Building a network from scratch. As a graduate starting a business, I didn’t have the network around me to help raise our PreSeed or hire the team. We discussed how essential it is to be able to articulate your story in a way that people instantly understand and can relate to. Plus, you should always be ready to pitch, as you never know who you’ll be meeting.
🤷🏽♀️ Entrepreneur clubs, innovation societies, and business groups – are an incredible resource that I didn’t know about at university. We need to get them more in peoples faces.
💡A lightbulb moment. Want exposure before starting your own business? Join forces with Hybr - I’ve been in your shoes. Hybr is on the lookout for student ambassadors to champion our brand on campus. We’re empowering and supporting students, providing everything they need to learn about different departments, plus pay and commission!
Our first-ever returning guest to The Graduate Gudie, Hashim Syed talks about building a career and his journey to working at Google and becoming a TEDx Keynote speaker. He motivates us during this interview, mentioning multiple times how he "ate those rejections for breakfast" and the importance of building a resilient lifestyle to persevere with a balanced work and personal life.
0:55: ⭐ Discussion on career journey and cultural background of Hashim Syed.
4:22: ⚙️ Embracing stakeholder alignment, going with the flow, and leveraging entrepreneurial learnings in tech corporate career.
8:23: 🔍 Curiosity and continuous learning key to accessing new opportunities in the tech industry.
12:31: ⚙️ Importance of clear communication, understanding goals, and surrounding oneself with motivated individuals.
16:36: 💡 Importance of self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness in adjusting to changing success metrics.
20:34: ⚙️ Skills in building and selling are crucial for success in AI career paths.
24:25: ⚙️ Opportunities for growth and learning in AI beyond technical roles.
28:25: ⏳ Success in career is tied to a fulfilled life with balance, including time for oneself and transformative impact.
32:57: 💪 Overcoming imposter syndrome by owning it and understanding others' experiences to grow.
37:06: ⚙️ Intersection of sales and core PM roles in AI era leads to a Confluence of skill sets.
41:45: 💡 Importance of storytelling and authenticity in personal branding for career development
Meet Niall - the man building Britain’s luxury coffee brand 👇
At the age of just 23, Niall has already gained over 25,000 followers on LinkedIn alone from documenting his founder journey with Cuplsy.
In our conversation we spoke about 👇
- How Niall met his co-founder @rachael
- How to overcome a lack of external support systems for personal growth.
- The importance of self-motivation and setting achievable goals in building a startup.
- Why you should document your journey in entrepreneurship for visibility and credibility.
🎙️ Introduction of Phil Kwok (EasyA) and special guest Leo, a content creator with a HUGE following. 00:10
💡 The importance of finding passion and drive early on to avoid feeling like you are wasting time. 04:36
💡 Crafting engaging short-form content: importance of initial hook and condensing stories. 09:32
💼 Emphasising the importance of storytelling in job interviews and the practical advice for job seekers. 13:26
⚖️ Balancing content creation with financial stability. 17:51
⚖️ Finding alignment between passion and skill, aiming for content creation independence. 22:24
⏱️ The power of content creation in marketing and business growth. 26:21
💡 Exploring personal journeys and self-discovery in finding one's place in the world. 31:06
⏰ How to make the most of opportunities early on in a new environment.
Building a fashion brand that supports rural women in India AND is loved by Priyanka Chopra Jonas?
We are back with another inspiring episode!
Our host Marlene Leiss sat down with Asha Scaria Vettoor, MBA Oxford Graduate and founder of Swara, Voice of Women.
Her start-up, Swara, is one of the first sustainable and ethical fashion brands in India. Swara collaborates with women from India’s most remote communities and helps them make a living from home.
In this episode, Asha opens up about her journey and experiences as a social impact founder.
Tune into the episode right away to learn what it’s like to:
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Work as a Gandhi fellow in educational leadership
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Pilot different social impact businesses
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Build an Instagram page into an ethical fashion brand
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Untap the power and skills of rural women and artists in India
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Learn from failure, iterate, and excel in the social impact space
From LSE to Oxford and back to LSE, to founding London Politica, Manas C has done it all!
We are back with another sensational episode!
Daniel Sundaram and I engaged in an interesting conversation with Manas C, an alumnus from the University of Oxford. Currently, he's pursuing a Ph.D. at LSE while simultaneously building and growing his company, London Politica.
In the podcast, Manas opens up about his journey and experiences, offering insights and 'know-how' for all future entrepreneurs.
Here’s what you can expect from the episode:
- Birth of London Politica
- Advice for young aspiring entrepreneurs
- About the Geopolitical Risk space
- How much does a degree help?
- Mastering public speaking and communication, and learning it the hard way
- Embracing the “Face it till you Make it" approach
- Dealing with hate and criticism
- And of course, Manas's personal definition of success
What are you waiting for? Tune into the episode right away.
Link in the comment section!
entrepreneur #geopolitics #startupjourney #podcast
Ever dreamt of founding your own company? How about becoming an angel investor for 50+ startups?
Let’s hear from the man himself in our latest podcast, who’s been there and done that!
Nick Telson, founder of DesignMyNight, co-founder of Trumpet, and angel investor in 55+ startups, shares valuable insights on starting your entrepreneurial journey and pitching ideas effectively.
Here’s what you can expect from the podcast:
1. How to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey?
2. Mastering the art of pitching your ideas.
3. Striking a balance between steering a startup and fulfilling full-time commitments.
4. What it takes to be a founder?
5. The why and how of personal branding.
6. Tackling imposter syndrome like a pro.
7. Bonus tip: The real deal on building your startup from the ground up.
Are you ready to delve into the nuts and bolts of the startup world?
Listen to the podcast (here) and learn the secrets of success from Nick Telson.
Check out Huzzle - https://www.huzzle.app/
Between Steve and I we have interviewed 50+ industry leaders and we put ALL our biggest learnings into a careers course 👇
Introducing… Divergence University
What is the course?
I’ve teamed up with Steve Duke (ex-McKinsey + Unicorn builder) to offer a 4 week program, with a weekly online session at its core.
You will also get…
A lifetime access to all our exclusive content ✔️
Access to an exclusive community of like-minded people ✔️
CV and cover letter training which is proven to land students jobs ✔️
This course is for a student that either👇
Just graduated and doesn’t know what they want to do.
Just missed out on a graduate role and are looking for alternatives.
Just started university and want to find their passion.
Check out Huzzle - https://www.huzzle.app/
Isobel talks all about her personal branding journey, how she became a top voice on Linkedin and gives us her top tips for captivating recruiter's and company's attention when applying for jobs.
0:00: ⚡ The Power of Personal Branding
5:04: 🎓 Struggles transitioning from university to job market with social media influencer experience.
10:17: 💪 Overcoming fear and finding motivation to pursue success through unique experiences and influences.
15:01: ⚡ The importance of your personal brand and the impact of your social circle on your life and career.
19:29: ⚡ Importance of Branding and Visibility in Business Success
24:07: ⭐ The importance of brand values and authenticity in connecting with consumers.
28:39: 💼 Personal branding humanizes individuals and businesses, emphasizing experiences and emotions over traditional branding.
33:30: 💬 Dealing with hate comments on LinkedIn, the impact of viral posts, and the importance of real-life support.
38:22: 🏡 Challenges and rewards of working from home
42:55: ⭐ Demonstrating passion and initiative in job applications through personalization and relevant skills.
47:53: ⭐ Building connections with similar individuals can drive personal growth and combat loneliness in a social media-driven world.
BCG managing director, Simon Sprague, talks about his journey in Boston Consulting Group, one of the largest consulting companies in the world. He gives our listeners tips on how to get into consulting, and how to land a job in such a field.
0:00 Simon shares his unconventional career journey to BCG, highlighting adaptability and uncertainty.
4:11: Balancing further education and entering private sector. Importance of PhD in Consulting.
8:06: Keys to impress a consulting company while at University and potential changes in hiring practices.
12:08: Consulting expertise, support, and upskilling for clients to achieve independence and capability embedding.
16:39: Overcoming imposter syndrome in a consulting career by leveraging team support and expertise.
20:28: Decision-making process for important choices
24:31: Insights on Consulting skills and passion for education.
28:32: Consulting Approach to Climate and Sustainability
33:01: Career path at BCG and mobility opportunities within the company.
37:01: Career advice and skills for success in Consulting with BCG
41:10: Insight into challenging preconceptions and the analytical focus of consulting projects.
I sat down with Alex Merry, a public speaking coach and author of book "Make it Count."
Despite having been the COO of a 250-person company and the curator of TEDxClapham, Alex spent a significant proportion of his life avoiding public speaking like the plague!
We spoke about:
The impact of public speaking on career growth and personal development.
Overcoming public speaking anxiety.
Tips for delivering a successful TED talk
And so much more!
Enjoy :)
Adam Oxborrow, an immigration consultant talks us through the different types of visas for international workers and students in the UK. Including some "do's and don't" when applying for a sponsorship job and a visa.
Is Joe Binder living with the knowledge that he doesn't get to live forever? Find out, on this episode where he talks all about personal branding and starting a 4 businesses.
Ariel takes us through his journey from studying at Kings College London to founding Augment to now working with the world’s best founders!
Dec Penfold, chef, food consultant, ex-Deliveroo, and Founder among many more roles, comes to the Graduate Guide to tell us all about what it looks like to work in the food industry. From being a chef in restaurants to hotels to cooking at home, he gives us a behind-the-scenes story of his life and career.
The EasyA brothers tell us all about their emerging tech app that allows people to learn everything about the Web3 space with one single click on their phone. It's what they like to call "Duolingo" for tech. They take us through their journey creating the app, launching it, and how their educational background and career got them both to this point.
Oyinkro takes us through his journey of building and creating his video production company K.OS Visuals. Narrating hilarious "hiccups" he has encountered throughout his career and how he went from not knowing how to edit to creating video content for successful and known brands.
Meet Ellis Platten - the YouTuber who just went shirt shopping with DAVID BECKHA. Ellis is the founder of the YouTube channel AwayDays.AwayDays is the biggest football channel on YouTube and features the Sidemen and Premier League footballers. This was one of my favourite episodes to date.Ellis’s career embodies what I am trying to achieve with The Graduate Guide… Shining a light on alternate ways to achieve a fulfilling and successful career. He is not only hilarious, charismatic and good in front of camera.But ALSO an extremely competent (self-taught) businessman who has landed work with the likes of Classic Football Company Ltd.In the episode itself we take a deep dive into:
The highs and lows of being a creator.
Understanding the YouTube algorithm.
How to keep your content authentic.
From the founder of GymShark to Rishi Sunak - meet the ex-downing street minister who is interviewing Britain’s leading entrepreneurs.
I sat down with Jimmy who set up Jimmy's Jobs to explore the future of the economy with Britain’s leading entrepreneurs.
This is HUGE episode for The Graduate Guide to have someone of this pedigree in worlds of business and politics.
We discuss topics such as:
How to tackle unemployment
Expanding your network
Overcoming social pressures
What is Jimmy’s definition of success?
“Having the time and space to have your curiosity fulfilled”.
Check out the episode on YouTube or Spotify
Jimmy is even a very talented stand up comedian!
Meet James Collier and find out how Huel became the world’s BEST-SELLING complete nutrition brand 👇
In this episode, James shares his career journey from being a clinical dietitian in the NHS to building Huel with Julian Hearn.
KEY TALKING POINTS
📈Using Nutrition to optimise productivity and performance
🎓How to stay healthy as a student.
🪜James' delegation journey.
❓Getting into a career at Huel.
James' definition of success?
"Live your life as if you want to leave a legacy, because then you can do good in the world, right?"
Check out the episode now on YouTube or Spotify!
In this episode, Harry shares his career journey and how he became the Head of Partnerships at Thursday, a unique dating app. He discusses the different roles he has had in the past and his promotion within the company. He also provide insights into what Thursday is and why it stands out among other dating apps. Tune in to learn more about his experience and the innovative approach of Thursday.
.Find out how to navigate work visa challenges as an international student in the UK👇
From my experience, international students are not only the most passionate people about careers…
But also the most deserving of employment in the UK!
HOWEVER
There are so many challenges international students have to face in order to land their dream job.
In this episode the brilliant Sakshi talks me through how any international student can land a job in the UK.
The main topics we cover in this episode are👇
- Work Visa Restrictions
- Post-Study Work Opportunities
- Language Barriers
- Networking Challenges
- Knowing your worth
Check out @sa website here 👉 https://sakshibansal.com
In this episode, Victoria shares her journey in the marketing industry, from consulting to working for Nestle and Google. She discusses her passion for influencer marketing and the greater economy. Victoria also reveals how she discovered her interest in marketing through a marketing internship and why she decided to pursue it as a career. Tune in to learn more about her experiences and insights in the field of marketing.
In this podcast, Harry, the COO of a company called Homebox, discusses the company's role as a bill bundling company. Homebox manages and bundles all of the utilities for tenants in households, such as energy, council tax, water, TV license, and broadband. Harry also talks about the future of the company in the realm of banking and how they aim to provide better tailored financial solutions than traditional banks through embedded finance and open banking. He explains his decision to work for a startup instead of a big bank, citing a desire to be part of something disruptive and different.
Meet Nick Paine - the man who provides the likes of Five Guys, Popeyes and Pizza Hut with 5+ returns on investment every single month!For example - Tortilla saved Over $18k, across all stores, in one month.How does it work?Online delivery has redefined dining. As fraudulent claims roll in from customers, OpSpot’s no-touch, low-cost and data-light operations management platform transforms a time-intensive refunds process into pure profit for any restaurant, in any location. The company’s proprietary technology frees up management to focus on what really mattersStaff and CustomersThis improves employee and delivery platform relationships, and the customer’s delivery experience. By tracking refund trends and aggregating relevant data, restaurants improve operations to prevent mistakes, and safeguard against future claims.
Meet Reese Wong… the 20 year old award-winning, community builder and speaker! At age 16, he founded ISSIA, Hong Kong's largest youth-led nonprofit. Since 2019, ISSIA has involved 300+ volunteers from 80+ schools, launching 30+ projects; featured on 15+ platforms. As an international speaker, he has spoken to 3000+ attendees at 60+ engagements, including global conferences and schools. He have been recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Future Minds 25 Under 25 Awardee among other accolades. He is now supporting the U.S. State Department as a Tech Policy Intern and catalysing the London university entrepreneurial ecosystem as President of LSE Entrepreneurs. Watch my episode with Reese here.
Joe Seddon is the Founder & CEO of Zero Gravity, a mission-driven business that unlocks potential by mentoring talented students from low-opportunity backgrounds into university, work, and life. Since launch, Zero Gravity has mentored 8,000+ students into top universities, and our success stories have been featured in BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4, and The Times, amongst others. This was truly an amazing episode and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording this!
❗️The Uber for last minute bookings❗️ As a student living in London there we countless evenings where my friends and I would be like… “Let’s just go out” But then you end up going to the same late night bar having experienced nothing new. Ambl. is on a mission to solve the inability to find anywhere good to eat, drink, watch sport and socialise spontaneously. I had the co-founder, Aaron Solomon on The Graduate Guide this week where explained his leap from corporate to startup. Aaron provides a comprehensive guide for anyone that feels like education is not for them, but desires to be more successful than anyone.
What does the death of Facebook mean for students? There is no longer ONE single app that all young students use which allows you to organise events The damaging impacts of this is include👇 1. Societies find it hard to put on events and students find it hard to join societies. 2. You spend less time doing the hobbies you love and more time working or drinking. 3. You don’t know who is going to an event… so you just DON’T GO! This was until Georgia and Omar decided to build Youni✅ Born out of the University of Oxford, team Youni are on a mission to get people spending less time scrolling and more time doing! This weeks episode of The Graduate Guide showcases why there is no one better to solve this problem than Georgia and Omar…
The Graduate Guide has a new SPONSOR and a new STUDIO‼️ I’m so proud to announce that Tom's Trunks is the new sponsor of my podcast and I couldn’t think of a more fitting brand. Tom Holmes started his company when he was 14 and has gradually built it into one of the biggest beachwear brands in the world. The Graduate Guide is all about challenging yourself to seek the career you are most passionate about and Tom is the perfect ambassador of this message. In the episode Tom explains why he did not go to university, what he took from his corporate career and his inevitable return to his ‘passion project’ - Toms Trunks There is no RIGHT way to do your career… But to both enjoy and excel in your career you need to have passion. Check out Toms Trunks - https://tomstrunks.com/
This week we are joined by Simmy Dhillon, who started Simmer, a food business offering easy, tasty meals for busy people, at university, with his mum and brother. He walks us through his time at the University of Bristol, internships at Google and banking and his path to freedom from corporate life.- the benefits of starting a business young (20:00)- building accountability for yourself (23:00)- what standout candidates look like to him (29:00)Connect with Simmy on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/simmydhillon/?originalSubdomain=ukCheck out Simmer:https://simmereats.com/Follow us on Instagram:http://bitly.ws/Ex9rFollow us on Linkedin:http://bitly.ws/Ex9HFollow Peter and Nelith on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-wood-893812191/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelith-bandularatneBuy Water2:https://water2.com/
Ian McKenzie is a personal branding expert. He has previously worked for companies such as Unilever and Sports Interactive, before pivoting towards helping to grow people’s brands, becoming self-employed. Ian opens up about his journey, exposing low points such as unfavourable GCSE results, the struggles of self-employment and, as with all guests, his interesting, family-based idea of success.In this conversation, Ian, Nelith and Peter discuss topics, such as:- Improving your personal brand as a student (22:40)- Share why you are special: growing yourself on LinkedIn (25:19)- How to maintain authenticity in our automated world (39:15)- Take control of your own life (45:30)Connect with Ian on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/iandavidmckenzie/Follow us on Instagram:http://bitly.ws/Ex9rFollow us on Linkedin:http://bitly.ws/Ex9HFollow Peter and Nelith on LinkedIn:http://bitly.ws/Ex9Rhttp://bitly.ws/Ex9LBuy Water2:https://water2.com/
Hashim Syed is a Regional Product Lead at Google, having previously worked at Meta and Microsoft too. Whilst at the University of York (grad. 2018), Hash started his own consulting business, and is now heavily involved in the startup world, in industries such as health and fitness.
In this conversation, Hash and Peter discuss topics, such as:
- ‘We regret to inform you…’: The perils of student job hunting (05:45)
- Navigating your first step out of uni (29:10)
- Identifying gaps in your skillset: how to enact your business idea (37:30)
- YOUR future is YOURS to define (39:54)
Connect with Hashim on LinkedIn:http://bitly.ws/Ex9k
‘Unlocking Your Inner Leader’: Hashim’s TED Talk:http://bitly.ws/Ex9t
Atomic Habits, recommended reading from Hashim:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/1847941834
Follow us on Instagram:http://bitly.ws/Ex9
Follow us on Linkedin:http://bitly.ws/Ex9H
Follow Peter and Nelith on LinkedIn:http://bitly.ws/Ex9Rhttp://bitly.ws/Ex9L
Buy Water2:https://water2.com/
Navjot Sawhney is the Founder of The Washing Machine Project, who are pioneers in the global manual washing machine space, and solving a problem for thousands of people worldwide. After university, Navjot was in a seemingly ideal situation, having been accepted onto the Dyson graduate scheme: one of the most prestigious around. Yet, Navjot grew disillusioned with the nature of his work and who it was designed to serve, so moved to India, where he gained inspiration for The Project.
Since then, he has received recognition from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and shows no sign of stopping!
In this conversation, Navjot and Peter discuss topics, such as:
- The importance of work ethic from a young age
- How he went from failing uni to landing a top graduate job
- The riskiness of social entrepreneurship
Connect with Navjot on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/navsawhney
The Washing Machine Project: https://www.thewashingmachineproject.org/
Follow us on Instagram:http://bitly.ws/Ex9r
Follow us on LinkedIn: http://bitly.ws/Ex9H
Follow Peter and Nelith on LinkedIn: http://bitly.ws/Ex9R http://bitly.ws/Ex9L
Buy Water2: https://water2.com/
Sam Hörbye is the Co-Founder of Olsam Group, who grow Amazon ‘side-hustle’ businesses, identifying and acquiring them in a unique private equity model. Sam’s path to entrepreneurship was far from conventional, having run his own stationery side-hustle whilst working at Amazon himself. Olsam has since raised $170m in VC funding led by Elevat3 Capital which boasts Peter Thiel, one of Facebook’s first investors, as a strategic partner.
In this conversation, Sam, Nelith and Peter discuss topics, such as:
- Advice for graduates in the job market, from the perspective of an employer (04:39)
- Navigating no’s and saying goodbye to structure (15:38)
- Timing entrepreneurship: WHEN to take the plunge (33:40)
- How to stop hating networking events (39:00)
- Working abroad and why everyone should do it (46:00)
Connect with Sam on
LinkedIn:http://bitly.ws/Ex9k
Olsam Group:http://bitly.ws/Ex9t
Follow us on Instagram:http://bitly.ws/Ex9r
Follow us on LinkedIn:http://bitly.ws/Ex9H
Follow Peter and Nelith on LinkedIn:http://bitly.ws/Ex9Rhttp://bitly.ws/Ex9L
Buy Water2:https://water2.com/
In this episode we look back at Peter and Nelith's favourite moments from Season 1 of The Graduate Guide.DJ Priya (Boiler Room DJ) - Avoiding burnout on an upward trajectory00:00 - 2:35 Tessa Clarke (Founder of Olio) - Her journey in sustainability and the problem we all face2:35 - 8:55 Kabir Bali (Founder of Jumpstart) - Entrepreneurship is less risky than ever8:55 - 11:55 Charles Robinson (Founder of Water2) - Bela Hadid endorsement and seeing it for what it is11:55 - 14:05 Kate Joseph (UCL Counsellor) - Treating yourself as your own best friend14:05 - 15:25 Sam Nicklin (McKinsey Graduate) - How to live your happiest life while boosting your CV15:25 - 18:25 Craig Fenton (MD & Head of Strategy at Google) - The industries that will shape our future18:25 - 23:45 Shanil Modi (Head of Strategy at Moove) - How to view your career while at university23:45 - 25:30 Leone Baron (Community Lead at MCJ Collective) - Navigating the feeling of being lost as a graduate25:30 - 30:35 Freddy Clode (Producer & Host of The Rugby Pod) - Do not be afraid to ask the awkward questions30:35 - 33:50 James Campion (Founder of Staxy) - Balancing your degree and career while at university33:50 - 36:20 Amelia Hitchcock (Founder of Bjoux de Mimi) - Differentiating your CV from others36:20 - 38:45 Karishma Gupta (Founder of Satatland) - Biases and not being defined by them38:45 - 41:30 Latimer King (CDO at Esports Global) - How to get into the Esports industry41:30 - 44:10 Cristina Munoz (Co-Founder of Bound4Blue) - Maintaining self-esteem when running a company44:10 - 48:15
In this episode, we sit down with Kabir Bali, the co-founder of Jumpstart. Kabir shares his journey from being disillusioned with consulting at Deloitte Monitor to co-founding Jumpstart, a platform that connects graduates and career-changers with some of the most promising startups around. He speaks candidly about his struggles trying to find a job in the startup space and how that led him to create Jumpstart, with the aim of helping others in similar situations.
Kabir's experience working in both consulting and startups has given him unique insights into the advantages and disadvantages of both fields. He shares his experiences and opinions on what it takes to succeed in these different environments. Kabir also talks about the Jumpstart process and the various levels of support it provides to its cohorts.
As someone who believes in the importance of being a self-starter, Kabir shares tips on how to cultivate this mindset while still in university and having a growth mindset. He draws from his experience at the prestigious University of Oxford, and his takeaways from that.
Kabir's story is an inspiration to anyone who is looking to make a change in their career or pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Join us as we hear from a pioneer in the startup world and learn about his unique perspective on consulting, startups, and his exciting programme!
In this episode, the Chief Development Officer of Esports Global Fund, Latimer King, explains all things esports. We dive into the endless opportunities available for a career in esports that many would not be aware of. Lat's mission is to grow the British esports industry and he provides invaluable insight into how people still in education, recent graduates or anyone looking for new direction in their career can transition into the fruitful and growing industry of esports.
Lat encourages anyone who is interested by this episode to reach out to him via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/latimer-king-28342880/ or to check out the British Esports website https://britishesports.org/
(It is worth noting that Excel esports partnered with with BT and EE as opposed to Guild esports who are now partnered with Sky)
In this episode, we sit down with Karishma Gupta, a rising star in the fashion industry. Karishma shares her inspiring story of how she pursued her dreams of fashion entrepreneurship, moving from India to London to establish her own business as a woman and person of colour. Despite facing biases from others, Karishma never let those affect how she viewed herself, and she speaks passionately about the importance of surrounding herself with a great team.
As the founder of Satatland Fashion, Karishma is leading the charge for sustainability in the fashion world. She shares her journey of creating a circular fashion model, in which the clothes are designed to be reused and repurposed, instead of ending up in landfills. Her passion for sustainability is deep-rooted, stemming from her early hatred of waste and her desire to make a difference in the world.
Karishma's story is an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt held back by their background or faced obstacles on their path to success. Join us as we hear from one of the fashion industry's rising stars and learn about her unique journey in this ever-changing industry.
In this episode, we sit down with Craig Fenton, the Managing Director of Strategy and Operations at Google. Craig's journey is an inspiring one, and he shares with us his incredible story of how he got to where he is today. After leaving university, Craig trained in law before realizing his passion lay elsewhere. He went on to earn an MBA, graduating top of his class at the London Business School. Leaving his home country of New Zealand, Craig embarked on a series of personal endeavours that included training to become a pilot and starting his own YouTube channel.
Craig's approach to life and work is a unique one, and he shares his philosophy of embracing the feeling of being "comfortably uncomfortable" to gauge whether or not he is in the right place at any given time. He also speaks on the role of purpose in driving his ambition, and how it has been a guiding force throughout his life.
As the Managing Director of Strategy and Operations at Google, Craig has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share, and this episode is not one to be missed. Join us as we delve into the mind of one of the most successful business leaders of our time and learn about his incredible journey from law student to Google executive.
Leone Baron is a young leader in the sustainability space. Having graduated from UCL in 2019, she has gone on to found Following the Footprint, which informs on sustainability in consumer goods. This has led to many opportunities, including her current role as Community Lead at MCJ Collective, one of the largest climate communities in the world. She tells us how every job can be in climate, how she secured a career in the space and how she balances her multiple endeavours.
https://read.followingthefootprints.com/
This week we spoke to Tessa Clarke, the CEO and co-founder of Olio, a mobile app pioneering ‘sharing’ culture and championing sustainability. We spoke to her about her storied career, where she has worked at BCG, Dyson and other organisations after graduating from her Bachelor’s at Cambridge. She offered advice about leaping into entrepreneurship and navigating the corporate world, whilst educating us on pressing matters in the world of sustainability: including the three problems our world faces today.
https://olioex.com/
Charles has had immense success as a businessman since dropping out of UCL with his companies Gelcard and Water2. Having started Gelcard during the pandemic, his lone success with this venture led him to coverage on BBC and Sky News. In this episode, Charles discusses the highs and lows of entrepreneurship at a young age and gives invaluable advice on how to navigate this unique career path. Charles is very happy for any members of our community to reach out to him with any questions. Check out his LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-a-robinson/
Joining us today is a different kind of guest to usual. We had the privilege of talking to UCL councillor, Kate Joseph, who shared her wisdom on how to improve your mental health as a worried student or a lost graduate. Her extensive experience as a therapist meant she was a perfect guest to cover this career path and both Nelith and I really felt we took a lot from this episode.
Cristina is an engineer by trade but has found herself working as the COO at the company she co-founded, Bound4Blue. Her accolades include selection as one of Europe’s Top 50 most promising entrepreneurs in 2017 , she received the 2019 edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Award, in 2020 she won the FEDEPE’s Innovation and Female Entrepreneurship Award and the EIT Woman Award, in 2021 she received the Women in Tech Start-Up Award. In this episode Cristina discusses the importance of women and sustainability in business as well as giving inspirational advice on how to become an entrepreneur even if you do not see yourself as one. A link to her company is attached below.
https://bound4blue.com/en/
DJ Priya is one of the bright lights of the British electronic music scene. Having only picked up the decks for the first time five years ago, her meteoric rise has led her to play at events that many can only dream of: working with established names in the scene (such as The Warehouse Project and Boiler Room) and beyond (Adidas). In this episode, she sheds light on this highly opaque industry and her journey through it thus far, whilst candidly speaking about her past and how formative it has been. Importantly, she focuses on prioritising happiness, health and awareness for others when determining success. We, personally, are huge fans of her sets and I strongly encourage you all to check out her recent viral Boiler Room appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KY8B0cbDLI&t=1490s&ab_channel=BoilerRoom
Freddy is a podcast host, producer and editor of some of the biggest sports podcasts worldwide, including The Rugby Pod, Around the Wicket and The RigBiz Podcast. Since graduating from Kings College London in Politics, he has found himself working in an eclectic mix of career paths within the corporate and arts world. In this episode, Freddy shares advice on fulfilling your own idea of success, the importance of not settling in your career and the benefits you can gain from confronting uncomfortable situations.
Sam is a final year student at LSE studying Mathematics and Economics. While completing his studies, he has been about as successful as you can be in preparing himself for a fruitful career. He has ultimately decided that a career in consulting is what he wants to do as a postgraduate with one of the 'Top 4' consulting firms, McKinsey. However, despite not making it his career, in this episode he speaks about the value of founding a successful start up while at university and how the experience and skills gained from entrepreneurship can be transferable to any career. For me, as someone in the exact same stage of life, I found this conversation particularly enlightening as to how I can best prepare myself for my career while staying happy by using his exclusive 'career hacks'. The website 80,000 Hours is linked below.
https://80000hours.org/
Shanil is an ex BARCAP and KPMG employee and having decided to follow his passion of entrepreneurship has now landed a job as one of Moove's senior strategy associates. In this episode, he gives an honest account on what to expect from investment banking and consultancy as well as advice on how to land a job in this extremely competitive industry. He has also started an app on the Shopify platform called GreenKart which offers you built-in, consumer driven ESG, resulting in a broader and more loyal customer base that returns to your store more often and spends more money on average. Please check this out as it really is a great idea! A link to the website is attached below.
https://buywithgreenkart.com/
Amelia is the CEO and Founder of Bijoux De Mimi, which is one of the fastest growing UK jewellery brands, winning the highly commended brand of the year award in 2021 and contributed to Amelia earning a runners up spot for the young entrepreneur of the year award 2022. Whether you want to pursue a career in fashion, start your own company or are struggling to find a career out of your talents, Amelia's open and honest advice is definitely worth a listen. Even as someone who doesn't wish to have a career in fashion or jewellery, I found this conversation immensely inspiring to undertake new ventures and just see what comes of it.
A link to her website is attached below. https://bijouxdemimi.com/
James graduated from the University of Exeter in 2020 with a degree in Economics, Politics and International Relations. Initially planning to graduate into a top consultancy firm, he instead jumped on the opportunity to join the core team of a start up which would go on to be acquired by GoPuff. Since then he has founded his own start up, Staxy, which is a community driven carpooling app. On the podcast he shares his wisdom on postgraduate life and gives invaluable lessons on how to be successful through reflecting on his time at university.
James’ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-c-800392b5