A STUDENT in IT from Welshpool is the latest guest on a brand-new podcast hosted by presenter Gemma Cairney.

'Life … On Our Terms' is an eight-episode podcast series from The Open University (OU) discussing a range of topics about life and the inspiring routes to success taken by some famous names. The series also hears directly from young undergraduate students of the OU, who each have a fascinating story to share.

Daniel Stanton started his course in February 2020. He lives in rural Powys, so when a careers advisor told him about the OU, he realised it was the perfect choice for him.

He said: “I wanted to work in technology but was overwhelmed with how much there was to learn. I wanted to find a program that was well structured and started with the basics but lead to an industry recognised qualification.”

“My employers were really impressed with how passionate I was for the industry and the fact I was putting myself through an Open University degree. They recognised the commitment and dedication it required.”

He talks to Gemma about his career in IT, and how studying has opened up an exciting new career in tech. He currently works as a junior network architect and his ambition is to continue in telecommunications or software engineering.

Daniel added: “I had limited knowledge about networking before I started at The Open University, so through studying the course and doing some learning in my own time, I was offered a job as a junior network engineer. In work, they teach me new things and it’s very hands on.”

Each week on the series, Gemma is joined by another well-known guest who has forged their own, very successful path in life. This time, it was Sharmadean Reid – founder of WAH nails and Beautystack, the social network where businesses post pictures of their treatments and users can book with them directly.

In the episode, Sharmadean talks to Gemma about her journey as an entrepreneur and using tech to develop her ideas. She also discusses lifelong learning, and some of the interesting courses she’s enrolled on to give herself a competitive edge, from business studies to philosophy.

To hear Gemma talking to Daniel and Shamadean Reid listen to the podcast here: https://podfollow.com/life-on-our-terms