What Do You Actually Do?

From Biology Degree to NHS Scientist with Olivia Rhodes Apr 29, 2026 00:29:35 This episode of What Do You Actually Do? features Olivia Rhodes. After completing her degree in Biology at the University of York, she joined the NHS Scientist Training Programme as a trainee Clinical Scientist. She shares what it’s like to work in healthcare science, explaining her rotations across areas such as Aseptics, Quality Assurance, and Radiopharmacy, and how these roles contribute to pat

Finance in International Development with Adrian Poffley Apr 15, 2026 00:46:15 In this episode Kate speaks with Adrian Poffley, a Chief Administrative Officer at the World Bank Group, about the realities of working in finance within international development. Find out what the World Bank does, how financial decisions translate into global impact, and what a senior finance role looks like day-to-day. Adrian also shares his career journey from private sector accounting to glob

A Career in Cyber Security with Phil Venables Mar 18, 2026 00:23:01 In this episode, Phil Venables, Partner at Ballistic Ventures, explains how early-stage venture capital supports cybersecurity startups. His firm invests in new companies and works closely with founders to develop ideas, build teams, and grow successful businesses. Drawing on his career—from software engineering to senior cybersecurity roles at major organisations including Google—Phil highlights

Social Research in the Civil Service with Matt Smith Mar 4, 2026 00:29:01 In this episode, Kate chats with Matt Smith, Senior Research Officer at HMRC, about his role in social research within the Civil Service. From interviewing members of the public about tax changes to managing large-scale research projects, Matt explains how social researchers help shape real-world policy decisions. He talks about the day-to-day realities of civil service careers, the value of curio

What Do You Actually Do? Unearthing Careers in Heritage with Isabelle Diggle Dec 5, 2025 00:22:20 In this episode, Finds Liaison Officer Isabelle Diggle explains her role in the Portable Antiquities Scheme, where she records archaeological objects found by the public, manages Treasure Act cases, and conducts heritage outreach. She talks about career paths in archaeology, the skills that matter and gives great advice for anyone hoping to break into the heritage sector. Useful links and transcri

What Do You Actually Do? Indie Games and XR Design with Yasmina Fadel Nov 21, 2025 00:31:25 In this episode Kate chats to Yasmina Fadel, Co-director of XR studio Maximalist, about working in immersive tech and being an entrepreneur. She shares insights on the future of XR and AI, and her top advice for students breaking into the sector. Yasmina's BioI am Yasmina Fadel, a games producer with a proven track record in fostering connectivity and focus within remote teams. Over the course

Entrepreneurship and working in direct marketing with Tom Kelton Oct 15, 2025 00:21:03 In this episode Kate chats to Tom Kelton, CEO and Co-founder of Pentaro, a telemarketing and business development agency.Tom discusses how he co-founded Pentaro and explains the company’s rapid growth, the skills and mindset required to run a business, and the impact of his university studies. The conversation also touches on the challenges and opportunities in the telemarketing industry, includin

Working in Heritage and Education at The Rowntree Society Oct 1, 2025 00:23:01 This week Kate chats with Nick Smith, Executive Director of The Rowntree Society.Nick talks about how The Rowntree Society shares it's history and connects it to today’s issues plus he touches on the realities of running a nonprofit including funding, volunteers, and digital storytelling.Listen for top advice for students & graduates wanting to break into this sector and why transferable s

Art appraisal with Leah Tharpe Apr 30, 2025 00:22:52 In this episode, Kate is joined by Leah Tharpe, who works as an independent Art Appraiser with Tharpe and Fairchild LLC. As well as a fine art specialist with Copley Fine Art Auctions and is also currently undertaking a PhD.Leah explains what the day to day role looks like, the key skills that are required and the joys and challenges of her work.Leah's BioLeah C. Tharpe is a third-year PhD res

Flora Palmer - Production & Operations at The Walt Disney Company Mar 28, 2025 00:18:55 In this episode, Kate meets Flora Palmer. Flora is a current University of York student who is on placement year at the Walt Disney Company, working on production and operations for National Geographic.Flora describes her role, the skills and qualities she has developed and how this experience has helped her shape her future career ideas. Kate and Flora also discuss taking the initiative and going

Working in International Development with Juany Murphy Mar 25, 2025 00:32:35 Kate is joined by Juany Murphy, who is Director of International Relations at the Otra Cosa Network, an International Development charity and alongside her, is one of her volunteers, Kate Geraghty. They discuss the satisfaction of making an impact with their work coupled against the precarious nature of funding for international development. Juany and Kate also share their tips and advice for bre

Facilititating the recovery of lost and stolen art with the Art Loss Register Feb 25, 2025 00:47:56 The Art Loss Register is the world's largest private database of stolen, missing and looted art, antiques and collectables. It currently lists over 700,000 items.In this episode Kate chats to Charlotte Chambers Farah who works as the Global Art Fair and Auction House Manager. We've got Lucy O'Meara, the Recoveries and Art Finance Manager and James Ratcliffe, who is Mediator, General Counsel and Di

What do you actually do if you're graduating with a disability Nov 20, 2024 00:38:16 In this episode, Kate chats to George Young. George graduated in History and undertook the Change 100 internship programme which matches graduates with any disability or long term condition with progressive employers. Through the programme, George secured an internship with the NHS Confederation working in the People and Culture department. George and Kate discuss the process of applying for the p

A career in International Development with Laura Gravini-Rodriguez Nov 6, 2024 00:27:25 Kate chats to Laura Gravini-Rodriguez who is a senior associate with DAI, a large employee owned International Development company. Laura gives us an insight into her role and the many routes into International Development work. She explains the personal qualities she feels are key to her work and the skills she developed as an international student in the UK. Laura and Kate also discuss the evo

Working at the UK Space Agency with Faz Kazmi Oct 23, 2024 00:33:08 Kate is joined today by Faz Kazmi. Faz graduated in Economics and Finance and now works as a Vertical Launch Grants Manager at the UK Space Agency. Listen as Faz reveals what his day to day looks like. He also talks about the breadth of roles within this sector for graduates from all degree disciplines plus his tips on how to develop your skills and gain insights to help you break into the Space s

Engineering in the Nuclear Industry with Cezara Jalba Oct 9, 2024 00:38:48 Kate chats to York graduate Cezara Jalba about her role as a Control, Electrical & Instrumentation Design Engineer at the Sellafield site, which is part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. They discuss what her role entails, key skills, how Cezara's degree helped to prepare her for this role and what she loves about her job and the bits that she doesn't love quite so much. Cezara's Bio I

Media and Communications with Molly Watson May 1, 2024 00:31:50 Listen as Kate chats to Molly Watson about her past life working as a BBC News Journalist and her recent career change. She currently works as a Media and Communications Officer focusing on the impact of food on climate change. In this conversation, they discuss the similarities and differences between journalism and a communications role, leaving your comfort zone to make a career change and also

The Civil Service Science and Engineering Fast Stream with James Halpin Apr 17, 2024 00:46:00 James Halpin is a York graduate who is currently on the science and engineering stream of the Civil Service Fast Stream programme. Listen as Kate gets to the bottom of what James's job looks like. They cover the variety of postings James has undertaken on the Science and Engineering Fast Stream, the transferable skills that have helped him in his role and the future challenges for the Civil Se

Client Account Management in Advertising with Izi Hutchinson Mar 20, 2024 00:31:20 Izi Hutchinson is Senior Account Director at VCCP, an international integrated communications agency. Listen as Kate gets to the bottom of what Izi's job looks like. They cover the breadth of roles within advertising, the highs and lows of account management, the importance of mindset and attitude and what the future of advertising could look like. Izi's Bio Izi's most recent piece o

English grad to junior doctor: Graduate medicine and beyond, with Ian Henderson Mar 6, 2024 00:18:39 Ian is an Academic Clinical Fellow and junior doctor in Obstetrics & Gynaecology. After graduating in English during the 2008 credit crunch, he pursued Graduate Entry Medicine and an MSc in Global Health Science. He divides his time between clinical work and research into complications of pregnancy. Transcript and useful links This is a re-released episode which was first published in March 20

Flirting with Algorithms with Harpal Sahota Feb 21, 2024 00:12:27 Harpal Sahota is a data scientist at MagicLab, who operate a number of dating apps, including Bumble & Lumen. He studied an MA in Computational Biology at the University of York, and went on to take a PhD in Computational Biology at University of London, before entering the job market, working for the likes of YouGov before settling at MagicLab, where he has worked since January 2020. This is

Human-centred design in the cultural sector Dec 6, 2023 00:28:44 Alyson Webb is a Director at Frankly Green + Webb, an agency specialising in human-centred design to improve digital experiences in the cultural sector. Listen as Kate gets to the bottom of what Alyson's job looks like. They cover working in the cultural sector, digital experiences, human-centred design thinking, consultancy and more! Alyson's bio: Alyson has worked in the cultural sector

Service Designer Nov 22, 2023 00:27:58 Kate Every works as a Service Design Practice Lead for global digital transformation company Mastek. Service design is a really interesting area of work that's getting more and more attention. Find out what this job actually involves and how you can get a job in this exciting area! Kate's bio: Kate is a Lead Service Designer specialising in inclusive and ethical design and delivery. She c

Engineer at National Grid Nov 8, 2023 00:26:41 Dan is a York graduate and works at National Grid where he completed a year in industry before becoming a Transmission Engineer. Dan tells us what his day to day job looks like as well as what you need to know if you're thinking about a career in this area. Dan's bio: I am a Transmission Engineer at National Grid working on design assurance of the protection and control system. I attende

Consultant in the heritage industry: helping galleries, theatres and museums Oct 18, 2023 00:21:13 Elizabeth studied History of Art and thought she'd go into museum curation, until she discovered the amazing world of consultancy in the heritage sector! She helps museums, theatres and galleries solve problems... everything from how to boost visitor numbers to launching new learning programmes. If you have always wanted to work in heritage and you're interested in what makes people tick,

Placement year in recruitment 🧑‍💼 Oct 4, 2023 00:26:45 Pretty much any student at York can do a placement year or year in industry! And right now second/middle year students can register for the programme. With that in mind, we thought it would make sense to speak to a York student just back from a year out in the world of work. Toby studies History and spent his placement year working in recruitment for Reed. It sounded like a lot of fun. In this ep

Climate Communications Consultant Jun 7, 2023 00:33:28 Cass is a freelance climate communications consultant in Belgium, working with NGOs, charities and ethical organisations to help them improve their communications and translate the good work they are doing into words the public and policymakers understand. This is a fascinating conversation for anyone interested in: freelancing, working in comms and making a career in climate activism. Cass has s

Working in rail industry: life as an engineer at Network Rail May 24, 2023 00:25:15 Lots of people want to work in the rail industry and York graduate Laura has made it happen. She is Technical Head of System Safety at Network Rail, which means it's her job to make sure the railways are safe. Get an insight into what's going on in the sector and what this kind of work is actually like. Laura's bio: I gained a Masters of Engineering at the University of York before s

Senior Estate Manager - English Heritage May 10, 2023 00:21:08 For grads interested in heritage, Rebecca Thompson might just have the dream job (she describes it as 'one of the best jobs in the world'): Senior Estate Manager at English Heritage, where she cares for over 400 buildings and monuments in England. She has lots of info to help people wanting to get into the sector, including how to network, skills shortages and the impact of climate change.

Investigative journalist Apr 26, 2023 00:33:33 What does an investigative journalist actually do?? Sam Bright studied History at York while running a politics blog in his spare time. He's now the UK Deputy Editor at DeSmog and has written two books. Sam tells Kate what his day looks like and shares his tips for students interested in this kind of work. Sam's bio: Sam Bright is a journalist and author who has written two books: Fort

Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) Mar 1, 2023 00:26:34 We get a lot of questions about Speech and Language Therapy careers. It's a hugely rewarding area of work where you support and care for people of all ages who have difficulties with speech, language, communication, eating, drinking and swallowing. York graduate Jess is a Speech and Language Therapist working with adults with learning disabilities. Find out about what she does each day and how she

Executive producer in TV Feb 15, 2023 00:25:15 Want to work in the television industry? Tim Dean knows how to make it happen! He graduated from York with a degree in Social Policy and now has 20 years' experience in TV. Tim and Kate talk about how he got into the industry, why you don't need a media degree and what it's actually like producing TV every day. Transcript and useful links on the blog. Tim's bio: BAFTA and RTS award winning Ex

Barrister Feb 1, 2023 00:19:30 Kate talks to York graduate Jack about training to be a barrister. Jack studied History and decided to train as a barrister after completing the Teach First Programme. Jack explains what skills you need, what he does each day and how you shouldn't be put off by thinking it isn't a career for you. Full transcript and useful links on the blog. Jack's bio: Hi, I'm Jack, a graduate of the University o

Imposter syndrome: how to deal with it in university, work and everyday life Jan 18, 2023 00:49:21 Something a bit different in this episode - Kate speaks to two Uni of York colleagues about imposter syndrome. What is it? Why does it happen? How can you deal with it? What support is out there for you? In Careers we hear a lot of students mentioning impostor syndrome in relation to their studies and career planning. We also hear it from graduates - and it's come up on the podcast a lot! - so we

Digital archaeologist and entrepreneur Nov 16, 2022 00:23:08 Bethany is a York graduate and director of Experience Heritage, where she uses her expertise in archaeology and interest in digital storytelling to bring history to live in innovative ways. That could mean augmented reality experiences, interactive heritage apps and digital animation. Bethany tells us how she started her own company after realising there was a gap in the market where she could com

Running a startup Nov 2, 2022 00:24:57 Interested in startups or working for yourself? That's what this episode is all about. Toby Cannon graduated from York in 2019 with a degree in Computer Science. He now runs Myles, a startup that began as an app allowing people to complete virtual challenges by tracking their fitness activity. He explains what his day looks like, what it takes to work in a startup and what students can do to follo

Placement Year in the NHS Oct 19, 2022 00:23:14 Vinusha is a York History student who completed a placement year in the NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group as a Quality and Safeguarding Support Officer. Vinusha explains what she got out of her placement and has tips for current students starting their placement or work experience search. Full transcript and useful links on our blog. Vinusha's bio: I am currently a History undergraduate st

Journalism researcher at the BBC Oct 5, 2022 00:27:10 Want a job in research? Or interested in working in the media? This episode is for you. Today Kate talks to Lucy, York grad and current Journalism Researcher at BBC News, about what her job is actually like. There's a full transcript and useful links on our blog. Lucy's Bio: Lucy is a Journalism Researcher at BBC News, specialising in home and social affairs. Before joining the BBC, she worked as

Life as a CEO: running Cafédirect Jun 8, 2022 00:21:29 Think you want to be a CEO? Interested in marketing, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) or the world of ethical business? This episode is for you. John Steel is the CEO of Cafédirect and has worked his way up through a number of FMCG businesses after beginning his career in a marketing grad scheme. Even if you're not interested in this area of work, it's worth listening for John's insights into fin

Financial services May 25, 2022 00:33:07 Ben graduated from York with a degree in Philosophy and after a few years found himself working in the financial services sector for Deloitte. It wasn't something he planned. In the episode Ben explains how his first impressions of the sector were wrong, how you don't need a 'big summer internship' to get into finance and how he's found a job that's a perfect fit for his strengths and skills. His

Working in international development May 11, 2022 00:22:45 This episode is for anyone interested in international development or the humanitarian sector. Rob Simmons works in Somalia for Committed to Good and was speaking to Kate from a shipping container at the airport in Mogadishu. Rob tells us what you need to get into this kind of work, the best bits and the worst bits. He also shares his advice on how students can approach people working in the secto

Student Internship Bureau special Apr 27, 2022 00:17:56 Did you know that each summer loads of York students do an internship through the Student Internship Bureau (SIB)? SIB advertises paid, project-based internships in and around York that are exclusively for York students. In this episode Kate talks to Ashley, an Interactive Media student who recently completed an internship as a graphic designer at Experience Heritage. She talks about what it's lik

What do you actually do if you're graduating in a global pandemic?!: 2022 edition Mar 16, 2022 00:42:09 The worst of the pandemic might (hopefully) be behind us but the world of work has permanently changed because of Covid-19. Remote working is here to stay for many people and some sectors hit hard by the pandemic are still to properly recover. For our students, you may have had fewer chances to build up work experience. What does all this mean for your graduate job search? In this episode we hear

Environmental Consultant Mar 2, 2022 00:22:31 Kadi is an environmental consultant who coordinates and project manages the environmental inputs for big infrastructure projects. She's also a York Environmental Science graduate. In this episode Kadi and Kate talk about what she does each day, the parts of the job she likes the most, and what York students interested in environmental consulting can do right now to prepare for their future careers

University widening participation officer Feb 16, 2022 00:20:08 Interested in a non-academic job in higher education? In this episode Kate talks to Victoria Brooks about her job as Widening Participation and Outreach Project Officer at the University of Liverpool. This is a really interesting area of higher education work. Read the blog for a transcript and some useful links. Victoria's bio: Victoria is currently working at a Russell Group University in Wideni

Engineer - European Space Agency Feb 2, 2022 00:24:49 Neil studied Physics with Philosophy at York and has been working at the European Space Agency since 2002. His full job title is Parabolic Flight and Drop Tower Coordinator and Payload Systems Engineer. Listen to the episode to find out more about exactly what he does, how he managed to get the job and his advice for students wanting a similar career. The transcript and useful links are on our blo

Prison Officer (Unlocked Graduate scheme) Jan 19, 2022 00:32:37 In this episode Kate talks to Dan, a York graduate working as a prison officer on the Unlocked grad scheme. Find related links and a transcript of this episode on our blog. Dan's bio: Dan is a 2019 graduate from the University of York and currently a band three prison officer in a category B local remand men’s prison. He was placed and supported by Unlocked Graduates, a graduate leadership develop

Thanks for listening this autumn - here's what's coming up in Spring term Dec 1, 2021 00:01:58 Thanks for listening this autumn. Here's a preview of what's coming up in Spring Term. If you haven't already, follow us on your chosen podcast platform so you don't miss them.  In the meantime, enjoy your vacation. If you're planning to do some career research or job hunting during the break, don't forget that the podcast is one of many resources you can access as a University of York Studen

Management Consultant Nov 17, 2021 00:28:58 Management consultancy is always a popular job area with our students, but do you actually know what the job is like? Today Kate chats to Jo Auger about what she does all day, the skills she uses, and the best and worst bits. Jo has been a Management Consultant since graduating in 2006.  She started her career on Capgemini's graduate scheme, moved to EY in 2015 and has been at Gate One since

Film composer Nov 3, 2021 00:33:08 Attention music students! In this episode Benji Merrison explains how he created a career for himself as a composer for film and television after graduating from York. He takes us through what his job is like day-to-day and how he got there.  Benji Merrison is an award winning composer providing bespoke music for Film and Television. He has devoted his life to music.  He was recognised a

Aldi Graduate Area Manager Programme Oct 20, 2021 00:17:21 The Aldi grad scheme has a reputation for being challenging, giving its grads a lot of responsibility and having great benefits. After 15 weeks on the scheme you'll be put in charge of a store and after a year you'll be an Area Manager. In this episode Heather Wilkinson tells us about how she got on the scheme and what it's actually like. Heather spent five years as an Area Manager with Aldi after

Civil Service Fast Stream Oct 6, 2021 00:23:15 The Civil Service Fast Stream is one of the most popular grad schemes in the country and the Times Top 100 number 1 graduate employer. In this episode, Kate talks to Will Simpson, a current Fast Streamer, about what he actually does all day, the best and worst bits, and his advice for students applying to the scheme. Will graduated from York in 2020 with a BA in Politics and is currently on the Ci

Six key questions you need to know the answers to if you’re graduating in 2021 Aug 23, 2021 00:42:09 To celebrate graduation week here in York we have a special episode covering the key things you need to know about graduating in 2021 in the middle of a global pandemic. We cover how to start a new job from home, what to do if Covid stopped you from getting work experience, how to future-proof your career, and more! We listen back to podcast highlights from our year of lockdown episodes and Kate c

That's it for another season - but stay tuned for a graduation special in August! Jun 23, 2021 00:00:41 Thanks for listening this term. We'll be back later in the summer with a special graduation episode for those of you leaving York this year. In the meantime, follow us/subscribe on your chosen podcast platform so you don't miss it. You can listen back to the rest of our episodes and find more resources to help your career planning on the Careers and Placements website including our support for stu

Training to be a lawyer, with Alex Stewart-Moreno Jun 9, 2021 00:38:37 Alex graduated from York a couple of years ago. He studied Law and is now a trainee at Norton Rose Fulbright. He tells us about the reality of being a trainee, the best and worse bits, and what it’s like doing your training from home during a pandemic. He has some good tips for future trainees. Alex is a trainee solicitor in the Project Finance Team of Norton Rose Fulbright's Banking Department. H

How to make a portfolio career work May 26, 2021 00:42:55 Our guest today is Dan Rutstein, whose career history is proof that you definitely don’t have to pick one job and stick to it. Dan graduated from York and his career (so far) has included journalism, diplomacy, consultancy and podcasting. Kate and Dan talk about taking opportunities, transferable skills, the importance of networking and how to make a ‘portfolio career’ work. Dan's first career was

Changing careers: switching heritage for accounting, with Alice Yevko May 12, 2021 00:28:51 When you’re looking for your first job after graduation it can sometimes feel like you’re picking a career for life, but that’s far from true. In this episode we chat to York grad Alice who started working in the heritage sector before switching to accounting. Alice is a year 1 trainee chartered accountant at Godfrey Wilson Limited, a small, charity-specialist practice. Her day-to-day brings her i

Working in heritage: In the archive in lockdown Apr 28, 2021 00:30:33 We’re back for a new season! In this episode Kate talks to Paul Backhouse, Head of the Historic England Archive. They cover tech skills in the heritage sector, imposter syndrome, the pandemic and a lot more. Paul is an archaeologist at heart, whose accidental career has spanned roles in graphics, publications, survey, archive, IT and telecoms. His projects include the complete 3D laser-scan survey

Changing fast: working in agile project management, with Alison Critchley Mar 17, 2021 00:31:43 After graduating from York in 2011, Alison started her working life in account management before taking a short career break to figure out what she actually wanted to do. She now works for the Co-op's start up Health business in Manchester as a Technology Delivery Manager but has done a variety of roles in 5 years with Co-op. She is also a Big Sister for the Girls Out Loud mentoring programme. Ali

English grad to junior doctor: Graduate medicine and beyond, with Ian Henderson Mar 3, 2021 00:19:03 Ian is an Academic Clinical Fellow and junior doctor in Obstetrics & Gynaecology. After graduating in English during the 2008 credit crunch, he pursued Graduate Entry Medicine and an MSc in Global Health Science. He divides his time between clinical work and research into complications of pregnancy. Find a full transcript and the links mentioned in this episode on our blog.

Running an advertising firm, with Luke D'Arcy Feb 17, 2021 00:37:46 Luke is President at Momentum Worldwide, the most awarded global experiential agency in the world. With offices in over 30 countries the agency works for clients such as Samsung, Verizon, American Express, Microsoft, Coca Cola and Nike. He is a Harvard Business School alumni and has previously worked across numerous global marketing networks as well as client side for Richard Branson leading the l

Exploring clinical science, with John Filby Feb 3, 2021 00:23:19 John is a clinical scientist at Congenica, a digital health company specialising in genomic medicine. Before that he worked in the genomics service in the NHS and completed the NHS Scientist Training Programme. He graduated from York in 2012. In this episode, John and Kate talk about the opportunities in clinical sciences, his tips for current students, and how the pandemic has changed his working

Talking census: a career in genealogy, with Christina Copland Jan 20, 2021 00:30:17 Christina works for the family history company Ancestry, where she researches client families in the U.S, Canada, U.K, Ireland and the Caribbean. She gained a PhD in History from the University of Southern California in 2018, and before that an MA in Modern History from the University of York. Her research focused on the relationship between capitalism, education and fundamentalist Christianity in

Leading innovation in the legal sector, with Alexander Malt Dec 2, 2020 00:20:15 Alex is the Innovation Manager at Norton Rose Fulbright’s Newcastle Hub, where he works at the forefront of technological innovation in the legal sector.  He graduated with a PhD in Philosophy, with overlapping interests in linguistics, cognitive science and economics. In this episode, Alex and Kate talk about what exactly he does each day, how he got the job and how his PhD helped him. Find

Making a splash, with Tom Pagett Dec 2, 2020 00:18:52 Tom has worked at the Environment Agency for the last 10 years, in a range of roles from planning to environmental regulation, flood risk, and biodiversity. He is currently managing the largest river restoration project in the North, creating new habitat and re-naturalising the River Derwent, one of the most important lowland rivers in Europe. Find the links mentioned in this episode and a full tr

From TV to tech, with Vivien Chung Nov 4, 2020 00:28:28 Vivien graduated from York with a degree in English and Education, and spent three years working in the TV industry at institutions like the BBC before deciding she wanted a career change. Four years later, she now works in the business technology industry, managing complex systems implementations for companies in the retail, manufacturing and service sectors to enable them to refine and better th

Life as a social worker, with Bethany Pease Oct 21, 2020 00:20:49 Bethany graduated from York three years ago with a degree in Social Work. She now works in the fostering team in a local authority, and previously worked in child protection. In this episode Bethany and Kate talk about what the job is like, the key skills you need and tips for getting into the sector. Find the links mentioned in this episode and a full transcript on our blog.

A career in corporate social responsibility, with Daniel Arda Oct 7, 2020 00:30:00 Daniel is Sustainability Assistant Manager at Grant Thornton UK LLP. During six years in professional services, he has inspired colleagues to get involved with initiatives aligned around education, employability and enterprise as well as the environment, mental health and microfinance. Prior to that he spent seven years in the charity sector, primarily in internal communications. Daniel graduated

What do you actually do if you're graduating in a global pandemic?!, with Tom Banham Jun 17, 2020 00:31:19 Today's episode of What Do You Actually Do!? is a bit different.  Recorded during the lockdown, Kate and Tom, Director of Employability and Careers at the University of York, chat about what it's going to be like for graduates going into the job market in the middle of a global pandemic. They look at how the job market was hit in previous recessions and what might be different this time. Find

Making Medicine, with Tom Ronson Jun 3, 2020 00:19:30 Tom works as a process development chemist at the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. He is part of the Chemical Development department, which is responsible for developing efficient and robust manufacturing processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients. He holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of York.

Flirting with Algorithms, with Harpal Sahota May 20, 2020 00:12:27 Harpal Sahota is a data scientist at MagicLab, who operate a number of dating apps, including Bumble & Lumen. He studied an MA in Computational Biology at the University of York, and went on to take a PhD in Computational Biology at University of London, before entering the job market, working for the likes of YouGov before settling at MagicLab, where he has worked since January 2020.

Starting a Startup, with Phil Daneshyar May 6, 2020 00:26:05 Phil Daneshyar is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Kanda (formerly TradeSmart), which is a payment system for tradespeople.  He appeared on Dragons' Den in 2017, with his idea 'Thirsti.' Phil studied PPE at the University of York.

Managing a University, with Charlie Jeffery Apr 22, 2020 00:19:55 Charlie Jeffery is Vice Chancellor and President of the University of York. He is a political scientist whose main work in the last years has been constitutional politics in the UK. He joined York from the University of Edinburgh where he had been Senior Vice-Principal since 2014. Prior to that, he was Vice-Principal (Public Policy) having been Professor of Politics at Edinburgh since 2004.

Writing for a living, with Lewis Lansford Mar 11, 2020 00:27:42 After getting a BA in English Lit at the University of Colorado, Lewis initially worked at a proofreader at the University of Arizona Press in Tucson, then spent about six months teaching English in Barcelona. After that, he earned an MA in teaching English to speakers of other languages, then taught at a US university and then a manufacturing company in Japan. In 1995, Lewis took an editorial job

Pollution is in the air, with Aiden Heeley-Hill Feb 26, 2020 00:17:40 Aiden is a PhD candidate in atmospheric chemistry at the University of York, currently researching indoor air pollutants and, more widely, characterising indoor environments. He holds a BSc and MSc in environmental science and is a keen science communicator, covering a range of interdisciplinary topics pertinent to his research area.

A day in the life of a BBC journalist, with Lucy Vladev Feb 12, 2020 00:20:25 Lucy is a TV reporter, producer and presenter for the BBC. In this episode, we talked about the skills that are required to go into journalism and how Lucy got to where she is today, from studying Bioarchaeology at York. Lucy provides students with advice on what to do at university in order to develop their career in media.

On the beat, with Ross Gehnich Jan 29, 2020 00:24:46 Ross has worked for Thames Valley Police since graduating in 2010, undertaking a variety of different and challenging roles. Currently, he works as a Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant, leading a team of 6 Police Officers and 12 Police Community Support Officers covering a diverse community. Additionally, he is accredited as a Public Order Officer and oversees a Volunteer Police Cadet Unit

Placement year in a political think tank, with Andrew Gloag Jan 15, 2020 00:15:17 Andrew is a final year Politics student at York. He has just returned from a placement year with London based think tank Demos. As a research assistant, Andrew was involved in conducting qualitative and quantitative research, including gathering, preparing and analysing data, organising and conducting focus groups and interviews and designing research materials.

Calling the Midwife, with Jessica Allason Dec 4, 2019 00:17:52 Jess Allason has been a midwife for six years and recently trained as a private hypnobirth teacher. She is passionate about informing and empowering women in their choices around childbirth, because a woman will never forget how she felt on the day of her birth and may impact her for the rest of her life! Jess has worked in all settings of midwifery, including a busy delivery suite, postnatal ward

Making people's lives healthier, with Sam Thomas Nov 20, 2019 00:34:08 Sam Thomas leads funding programmes for the Health Foundation, an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and healthcare for people across the UK. He previously led policy influencing work for a coalition of national charities focused on social issues including homelessness, substance misuse and mental ill health. He is a graduate of the University of York.

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