Episode Guest

Sam Walley

Sam is a Commercial Graduate at Compare the Market, currently rotating through teams as part of the company’s graduate scheme. He’s passionate about taking opportunities outside his comfort zone and building a successful career in the commercial world.

Kelly Howes

Kelly is a Software Engineer Apprentice at Compare the Market, having transitioned into tech through coding bootcamps and hands-on learning. She’s passionate about inclusive workplaces, lifelong learning, and building software that makes a real impact.

George Owens

George is a Risk and Compliance Apprentice at Compare the Market, where he works across the business supporting governance, risk, and regulatory understanding. He enjoys the variety of the role and developing confidence by getting involved from day one.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Meet the apprentices and graduates at Compare the Market

0:28 First impressions of the interview process

1:27 Advice for young people applying for apprenticeships and grad roles

1:53 Welcome to My Duvet Flip with Sam, Kelly and George

2:06 Sam’s background and education journey

2:48 Stepping outside your comfort zone at university

3:38 Growing up on a dairy farm and learning hard work

4:29 Discovering commercial work and internships

5:43 Finding the Compare the Market graduate scheme

6:26 What the commercial graduate scheme looks like

6:38 Life two months into the grad role

7:23 Preparing properly for interviews

7:33 Skills learned so far and financial confidence

8:15 Sam’s first week at Compare the Market

8:52 Company-wide events and culture

11:42 Kelly’s non-traditional career journey

13:12 Running a dance school and learning leadership

14:47 Discovering coding during the pandemic

15:53 Applying for the software engineering apprenticeship

16:56 Feeling welcomed during the interview process

17:26 What a software engineer apprenticeship involves

18:46 Learning while working in a real tech team

19:23 Why apprenticeships are a powerful route into tech

19:39 Supportive and inclusive culture at Compare the Market

20:18 Kelly’s advice for future apprentices

21:04 George’s university experience and career thinking

22:14 Adapting to change during COVID

22:36 Finding the risk and compliance apprenticeship

23:16 What risk and compliance work really looks like

24:16 Surprises in the workplace and flat hierarchy

25:26 Learning by being trusted early

26:19 Personal development and the Talent Academy

26:44 Advice for anyone applying to Compare the Market

27:36 What gets Sam, Kelly and George out of bed each morning

28:34 Final thanks and closing thoughts

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Niamh Savill is a Senior Solutions Architect at Halo CRM, where she works across consultancy, product development, and customer solutions. With a background in languages, she brings a people-first, curious approach to solving complex technical challenges.

Episode Timestamps

0:00 Introduction

0:33 Meet Niamh and Why She Said Yes to My Duvet Flip

1:31 Niamh’s First Jobs and Early Lessons About Work

2:42 What Early Roles Teach You About Communication

3:10 How to Communicate Better at Work

3:52 Finding Halo Through Indeed

4:33 From Language Degree to a Tech Career

5:01 Niamh’s Journey at Halo CRM

6:49 Building Confidence and Putting Your Hand Up

7:47 Learning on the Job and Asking Questions

8:02 Niamh’s Best Day at Halo and Travelling for Work

8:58 What Halo Taught Niamh About Being Yourself

9:42 How Niamh Describes Halo’s Culture

10:34 Being a Woman in Tech

11:22 Advice to Young Women Applying for Tech Roles

12:08 Do You Need a Tech Background to Work in Tech?

12:58 A Day in the Life of a Senior Solutions Architect

13:51 Why Relationships Matter at Work

14:31 Dealing With Imposter Syndrome

15:36 Finding Best Friends at Work

16:27 Paul’s Leadership Style at Halo

17:44 Can Ambition and Drive Be Trained?

18:53 Niamh’s Advice to Anyone Applying to Halo

19:12 What Gets Niamh Out of Bed in the Morning

Episode Partners

Check out the latest from Halo:

https://halograduates.com and https://www.instagram.com/halonextgen/

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Sam Schlimper is Managing Director at Randstad Enterprise, where she works with global organisations to redesign work, unlock human potential, and build future-ready talent strategies. With deep experience across recruitment, financial services, and advisory, Sam is passionate about creating meaningful work that energises people and organisations.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:23 What gives you energy and what drains it at work

1:17 Sam’s duvet flip and why self-reflection matters

2:09 First job lessons and learning what you don’t want to do

3:04 Why trying things is essential early in your career

3:39 How Sam fell into recruitment and talent without a plan

4:12 Confidence, training, and learning on the job

4:46 Building confidence in a hybrid and remote world

5:47 Why job descriptions don’t reflect how work really happens

6:33 Do remote workers really miss out on promotions?

7:39 How to know who you are (and why it’s a lifelong job)

8:16 Being good at something that slowly drains you

9:10 Why fun, energy, and people keep you in a job

10:05 What makes a great recruiter today

11:40 How people really get jobs beyond their CV

12:44 Understanding human potential at its core

14:13 Simple ways to identify your own potential

15:36 Are you stuck in the ‘frozen middle’?

16:29 What it feels like when work slowly erodes you

17:36 Mucky ducks and how bad culture spreads

18:57 What to do if you are the mucky duck

20:04 Knowing when it’s time to leave an environment

22:13 Why human connection matters more than ever

23:14 AI, young people, and the future of work

24:45 Why early careers need new, non-traditional routes

25:46 The beehive analogy and problem-solving talent

26:47 Why AI should be treated like a colleague, not a tool

28:37 The danger of cognitively offloading your thinking

30:08 How to work with AI without losing your edge

32:43 Psychological safety and AI adoption at work

35:40 Confidence, power, and who embraces AI first

38:38 Lessons from Sam’s time at Barclays

40:33 What Randstad Enterprise does and why Sam loves her work

43:49 The red folder quick-fire questions

48:24 Sam’s duvet flip and what really gets her out of bed

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/