Show notes
Young Professionals in EU Funding – Careers, Challenges & Growth w/Oliver Cressall from VenturenomixCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode I’m joined by Oliver Cressall from Venturenomix to talk about young professionals in EU funding. Oliver shares what it feels like to enter the field from the proposal support side — helping with consortium building, partner coordination and the administrative backbone of bids — while still learning the language, structures and unwritten rules of the system. We talk about the invisible barriers juniors face: feeling “not experienced enough”, struggling with jargon, and assuming that everyone else in the room understands far more than they do. We then move into the bigger picture: where young people can actually enter this world, what they are looking for when they do, and what too many employers still get wrong. Oliver speaks very clearly about meaningful work, climate motivation, flexibility, mobility, autonomy and the need for managers who support rather than exploit young staff. We also talk about LinkedIn pressure, the lack of safe spaces to share doubts, and why this sector needs to take junior well-being and development much more seriously if it wants to keep good people. Time codes:02:12 Guest introduction and fly in09:05 The invisible barrier: “I’m not experienced enough”22:25 Entry points into EU funding: more paths than you think33:38 What young professionals are really looking for44:37 Safe spaces and communities: why they matter59:43 Advice to young professionals – and to the system01:05:31 The toughest challenge
