The Careers Podcast

Silje Howes of LMI UK is a great authority on any number of skills, attributes and best practice around us being the best version of ourselves.

She's also a fantastic trainer, facilitator and mentor.

Self awareness, how we view and use time and moving out of our comfort zone will be some of the themes that we explore in this episode.

Enjoy!

Clive Owen LLP are chartered accountants and business advisers and you can hear huge amounts of their careers wisdom on this episode that ties in with National Careers Week 2024.

Joe Vera-Sanso loves to be client focused and really enjoys grant work and finding the narrative of a business through its numbers.

Let him tell you his career story and give you advice on how to do what he does.

Beam Development is the company formed by Dan Grimshaw.

With a wide range of specialisms, Dan and his team are at the vanguard of great design in house building.

Listen to Dan tell his career story, his thoughts and opinions on failure and hard work and what the opportunities are for a role like his.

Want to work in this sector?

Start with this podcast.

Managing partner relations for Unity Technologies he's highly experienced in this tech and creativity led sector and is here to walk you through his career path.

From drama graduate to architectural fly throughs to VR for a castle that long disappeared from the Northamptonshire landscape, Tom is now involved in leading edge developments like the latest infotainment system for Mercedes Benz.

Maybe you'll be surprised at the parallels between dissecting a text or play and what it takes to do Tom's job!

Is this the job for you? Have a listen.

Tom Palmer is a highly respected and acclaimed author of ( primarily ) children's books.

To date he's written 57 titles and that includes 6 award winning historical titles and 3 Puffin football series.

Listen as Tom lays out the steps he took to achieve his ambition.

If you aspire to be a writer, this is the episode for you.

One of the job search engines has published a top 20 soft skills chart of 2023 and it's thanks to careers consulting specialist Janet Colledge that this was brought to our attention.

We're happy to say that Janet explains her take on this, through this prism of her vast experience in this sector.

Jessica Shailes, who heads up the Ideal Marketing agency is also with us; she talks through the skill that's been valuable to her and how it's often undervalued.

There's also Will, a secondary school teacher from Wiltshire and he picks out a different soft skill to pick over. What works for teaching? Will brings his insight.

As ever, Nick Howes brings to bear his eloquent and vital analysis.

There's some great pointers and resources at Spin Up's website.

Imogen hasn't yet taken her A Levels, yet already she's been to a prestigious healthtech event at Google HQ in the UK and hosts her own podcast Medisynergy.

Guests from hugely varied and fascinating branches of the medical profession are helping not only Imogen, but her listeners find the most effective way into this highly competitive field and along the way discover the right med school.

Imogen discusses her motivation, how she is looking to stand out and shares advice on study, networking and methods of setting yourself apart.

It's an invaluable listen.

One of the foundations of LMI UK is a belief in regular goal setting. Vital to the Making of a Champion programme, it recognises that success is not the result of luck or random chance. Success never just “happens” to the fortunate few. Instead, achievers make their own luck.

Hear Nick Howes run through the philosophy and practical steps that will get you not only planning but achieving meaningful and realistic goals.

High achievement and high performance are well within your grasp.

Nichola Haysey is an experienced and highly talented interior designer with an established business of her own. She brings some really useful pointers and wisdom to this careers conversation, as we discuss what it takes to do her job. 

There's a look at the kinds of qualifications that are available, what's expected of you when you study for them and how best to approach the brief stage and the challenges of clients whose taste may differ from yours as the designer!

A love of learning, the places where inspiration comes from and the good attitudes and attributes to have are all here in the chat with Nichola.

Green Careers Week runs 7th - 12th November and is yet another powerhouse of an idea from Nick Newman and the team responsible for the well established National Careers Week.

With so many hugely rewarding and innovative careers emerging in the areas of sustainability, renewables and tech that will help to protect out planet, it's a week vital to bringing about further awareness to these sectors.

Alex Brown is the STEM Support Programme Manager for STEM Learning ( a great advocate of GCW ) and we're incredibly pleased to have him on the podcast, with a conversation around Green Careers and the importance of STEM in all its forms.

LMI UK are fervent supporters and promoters of apprenticeships and mentoring young leaders and their MD Nick Howes co-presents this podcast, bringing his redoubtable expertise and experience to the conversation.

Russell Whitehead is a professional wedding photographer  who speaks so fluently and keenly about his artistry. If you need to get a sense of how to approach this discipline with a view to taking it up as a career, this is a great conversation to be across.

Hear about the adjustments he made to his approach, the effect being in those new situations had on him and the emotional connection that a photographer gets to experience with their work.

Nick Howes from LMI UK examines the key points of Russell's account and joins it up to the Making of a Champion program. 

We hear from Susan Bradley and James Wright of Sue Ryder  the Products and Campaigns Development Manager and Head of Public Fundraising respectively, who tell a passionate story about their drive and commitment and what it takes to do the jobs they do.

Sounds like a fantastic career.

Sgt Rod Williams of Northants Police has been at the sharp end of policing for over 2 decades. If anyone knows what it takes to be a successful and respected officer, Rod does. He speaks eloquently and powerfully about community engagement, treating everyone with respect, no matter what their circumstances and has some amazing guidance for you if policing looks like the career for you.

He certainly pulls no punches about the hours, the exams for promotion and the rewards of the work.

Nick and John then unpick the key points, what police forces will be looking for in the national uplift of May 2022 and how you can identify and use the strengths and potential you have to achieve that dream job.

If you're into careers or produce a podcast ( err hello, that's us! ) then this is the dream interview. No holds barred devotion to all things careers is one of many labels we could put on the tremendous Nick Newman. Nick is the founder and CEO of National Careers Week which this year runs from 7th - 12th March.

It started as a social media campaign and has now become a leviathan that pushes for great careers education in schools and colleges.The week #NCW2022 imbues so many with a great energy and dynamism and shows (thankfully) that there's no place in 2022 for the careers "test". Hear Nick talk about the way he and his colleagues champion careers best practice, tying it in with the curriculum and what it is that fuels his own personal mission.

The relationship between courses, skills and the right pathways open up in this entertaining conversation, once again proving "there isn't just one path" and the immense value of doing something you love.

In a sector that needs to recruit on a wide scale, this is a tremendously useful account of the role and then you'll hear Nick and John pull out the key points and how it all dovetails into the LMI UK Making of a Champion programme.

" I want to produce a show and I'd like to use your theatre for free." These bold and tenacious words were from a 12 year old called Dean Johnson. It was a staging post in his love of telling stories and finding innovative and eye catching ways to do that. He's now a hugely well respected and successful director of musical theatre and film. 

Spend some time with Dean as he sets out the characteristics, motivations and qualities that are necessary for this fascinating and hugely creative role. The part that teaching plays is pivotal - you can pick up some tremendously useful pointers from the way he has passed on wisdom and advice to others.

A great advocate for the exposure of new work in the theatre, he's also directed Godspell in the West End, In The Heights, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd and much more. Noted too for being a tour de force in the work of the British Theatre Academy, Dean is all about making sure young people get a chance to express themselves artistically and that live theatre isn't out of anyone's reach.

Dean's got some wonderful anecdotes, talks with such insight and eloquence that if you want to be a Director, listen to this podcast.

Isabella Lawson is a Policy Executive at the Railway Industry Association and has a job where it's completely accurate to say "no two days are the same". She talks about having found a role that keeps her interest and enthusiasm with its variety of work, travel and events and gives a unmissable tip about career progression. 

It really is a great tip. So many people let this one go by.

Not only is Isabella's story a great example of hard work and focus, but there's some ultra useful knowledge in there about developing facets of your character that help with efficiency at work.

Isabella partnered up with a recruiter just before getting the job she's in now, so listen out for guidance on a process that can really help you win that job you've been chasing. 

Nick and John look at the pivotal points made in this careers conversation and distill the things that will make a difference as you look for work.

Warning : There may be steam train anecdotes and sound effects!

Charlotte is a wedding and special events co ordinator for The Granary in Fawsley ( Northamptonshire ) and her reasons for going into this line of work were really personal, yet really selfless at the same time. There's some indispensable advice here about the right attitude to take when forging a career in this part of the hospitality industry.

An appreciation for the work of colleagues, mucking in and adapting at the last minute are all key elements of doing what Charlotte does.

She also talks about the value of apprenticeships, learning essential sales skills in a consultative way and meeting and exceeding a customer's expectations. Nick Howes from LMI UK and presenter and producer John Rose bring together all the elements of this monthly podcast and chat about the lessons you can take home.

 If you're at the point right now where careers choices feel unclear, or you'd like to change jobs, this is the podcast you need.

Elon Musk has called them "a world leader" in their remarkable and hugely innovative sector. They are Surrey Satellite Technology who have a fantastic and awe inspiring pedigree in new technologies on satellite products and services. Their earth observation spacecraft are capable of some staggering and highly educational functions like humanitarian and disaster management, national security and infrastructure and asset monitoring.

Kishan is an Aerospace Engineer and works for SSTL in Assembly, Integration and Testing. His is an inspiring story of being fascinated by space and applying determination and tenacity to secure a position in this unique and highly rewarding sector.

Hear him talk to the careers podcast about his route in, how he feels about his work being launched into space and the rewards of this exciting role.

Dale Willis has such an impressive back story and track record around the mentoring and coaching of young people; they want to start off their career as strongly as possible and he provides the essential elements that make it happen.

We were fascinated to hear his advice around the type of question a candidate needs to ask in the job interview; personal branding and the use of social media.

This is the episode for you if you're out of practice when it comes to putting your CV together and getting yourself "in the room".

Kayleigh's story and experience show just how there isn't only one path. Starting out as a physiotherapist and then moving into what she does now, you'll discover what it takes to make that kind of switch and how working collaboratively pays off.

Listen this episode and get yourself up to speed with how you get to be an e-learning designer and developer and what it's actually like to do the job.

Nick Howes from LMI UK and John Rose, freelance podcast and video producer assess and break down the steps Lauren took and how that can work for your own personal career path.

Marie who works at Poppy Design Studio in Northamptonshire tells her own inspirational story of how you can take up a career that you never thought possible. Following a diagnosis of epilepsy, no one would give Marie a job. What happened next is pure determination, grit and goal-setting. It's in this podcast that she tells how you can achieve your ambition with a hugely rewarding career.

As ever, Nick and John look at the lessons you can draw from this story and the place that the Making of a Champion programme can play in giving you direction in the quest for a career. It asks these 3 vital questions :

1. What am I good at?
2. What do I love doing?
3. What do I care about?

A V Dawson are a family business with a unique and much prized set of values. Running the Port of Middlesborough, they provide full freight logistics across a number of sectors including energy and renewables, construction, agriculture, automative and waste.

Mark Wells is their Head of Engineering and his account of growing up around heavy industry and then studying to do the job he does, is such a compelling and inspiring one.

We're very grateful to the company for letting Mark tell us his story and to Charlie Nettle for explaining why the area means so much to them all and what the business does to bring positivity to schools, colleges and other organisations there.

Josh Young owns and runs Fetcham Construction who are based in Surrey. Josh tells the Careers Podcast all about his story, from realising at school that he wanted to learn practical skills right to employing 8 people and building whole houses !

You'll hear of his firm belief in apprenticeships, mentoring people and picking up the leadership skills needed to establish and grow a business. 

As ever, Nick and John talk through the way these qualities are identified and enhanced through LMI's Making Of A Champion programme.

As ever, we've the best inside info and some cracking pointers from Nick Howes from LMI UK on the habits that will help you progress.

Nick mentions the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education; their website is here.

* Disclaimer * The Murray Walker impressions may not be entirely accurate.

Jo Gilbert works for GSMA and has a career that's so interesting and rewarding. Here, she talks about the way in to this kind of work and the kinds of qualities you'll need. She's worked on some fascinating projects with leading technical architects and gets to see what goes on "under the bonnet" of a product.

Nick and John pick over the Making of a Champion programme and hear another really inventive bit of a goal setting. You'll also get pointers on what really gets you prepared for a job interview in the only careers podcast of its kind.