Favourite Positions

In this final episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex brings together the biggest lessons from the entire series.Across the previous nine episodes, Alex spoke to founders, researchers, coaches, creatives and business leaders about what it really takes to build a fulfilling and credible career in a world of constant change.At the end of every conversation, each guest was asked the same question:"If you could add one rule to the Modern Career Playbook, something that would help people build a more fulfilling and credible career today, what would it be?"This episode brings every answer together in one place. Alongside each guest's rule, Alex reflects on the practical lessons, the common themes that emerged across the series and how listeners can apply them in their own careers.In this episode, you'll hear from:Isabelle PantonLeah MeredithDr Hayley DawsonTeri ThomasAlice BenhamAnne-Sophie FluriJames PatesCharlotte DaviesJemima Carr-JoneKey takeaways:Build a career around your own values, not someone else's timeline.The relationships you build at work matter more than you think.Doing great work isn't enough if nobody knows about it.You don't have to feel 100% ready before taking action.Trust, curiosity and resilience are becoming some of the most valuable career skills.Technology will continue to evolve, but human skills will remain your greatest advantage.The best careers are rarely planned perfectly. They're built through action, experimentation and continuous learning.Follow Favourite Positions:InstagramLinkedInWebsiteAbout the series:The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.If you've enjoyed this series, I'd love it if you could follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who's building their career. And if one rule from this playbook has stayed with you, I'd love to hear which one.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with James Pates about career pivots, AI, automation and how technology can help people and businesses work more effectively.James is a software developer, automation specialist and founder of Solve Studio, where he builds internal tools, systems and automations for startups and SMEs. Before moving into tech, James worked in fashion and menswear buying, giving him a first-hand understanding of what it means to change direction, learn new skills and rebuild confidence in a completely different industry.This is a practical and honest conversation about what AI can actually do, where automation is most useful, why not everything should be automated and how people in non-technical roles can start using AI in a thoughtful and valuable way.In this episode, Alex and James discuss:James’s early career in fashion and menswear buyingwhat it felt like to pivot from fashion into techhow James taught himself to code and used AI to learn fasterthe reality of starting a business after redundancywhy transferable skills are not always obvious at firsthow James found his first clients through focused outreachthe types of problems early-stage businesses often need help solvingwhy the best automations usually start with repetitive, manual taskswhat businesses should avoid automating too earlythe role of trust, warmth and human connection in customer communicationhow AI can give teams more time for higher-value workwhere non-technical people can start if they want to use AI more confidentlywhy good writing and good prompting are closely connectedhow to use AI to improve processes, briefs, planning and decision-makingwhat makes an AI tool genuinely useful rather than just impressivethe launch of the Favourite Positions AI Career Coachwhy human-centred skills are becoming even more important as technology changes workKey takeaways:AI is most useful when it solves a real problem, not when it is used for novelty.The best place to start is often one repetitive task, manual process or recurring admin headache.Not every interaction should be automated, especially when trust and relationships matter.You do not need to be deeply technical to start using AI well.Strong writing, clear thinking and good questions make AI outputs much better.Technology can help people prepare, practise and build confidence, but it works best when it supports human judgement.As AI becomes more embedded in work, communication, relationships and critical thinking will matter more than ever.Connect with James:James’s websiteLinkedInBook an Automation AuditMentioned in this episode:Favourite Positions AI Career CoachFollow Favourite Positions:InstagramLinkedInWebsiteAbout the series:The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who is curious about AI, thinking about a career pivot or looking for more practical ways to use technology at work.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Jemima Carr-Jones about creative careers, personal branding, social media and what it really takes to build visibility around your work.Jemima is a creative strategist, photographer and founder of Loved Studios, helping brands and people grow through content, storytelling and personal branding. Alongside her role as Head of Content at The Cirkel, she works with luxury, fashion and start-up businesses in London and globally, helping them create online identities that connect with modern audiences.This is an open and energising conversation about saying yes before you feel ready, learning by doing, building confidence through action and using social media to create opportunities that would not have existed otherwise.In this episode, Alex and Jemima discuss:how Jemima found her way into creative workwhy she chose not to follow a traditional marketing routehow she got her first role in Steven Bartlett’s teamwhat she learnt from working in a high-performance creative environmentthe difference between self-improvement and self-trustwhy action matters more than overthinkinghow Loved Studios started and why love sits at the centre of her workwhat brands misunderstand about social mediahow The Cirkel built a following through fashion news and cultural commentarywhy personal branding is not performance, but clarityhow to start building your personal brand from where you arewhy social media can open unexpected personal and professional doorshow to build resilience when putting yourself onlinewhy confidence sometimes means acting before you fully feel itKey takeaways:You do not need to wait until you feel ready to start.Personal branding is not about performing online, it is about getting clear on who you are and what you stand for.Social media works best when it feels human, useful and connected to culture.The most interesting careers are often built through experimentation, not perfect planning.Confidence grows when you keep putting yourself in rooms, roles and situations that stretch you.Consistency, curiosity and action can create opportunities you could never have planned for.Connect with Jemima:InstagramLoved StudiosThe CirkelFollow Favourite Positions:InstagramLinkedInWebsiteAbout the series:The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone building something creative, putting themselves out there or learning to back themselves before they feel fully ready.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Charlotte Davies about the changing reality of early careers, the future of work and what it actually takes to build a career in today’s increasingly competitive and unpredictable job market.Charlotte leads Global Consumer Communications Programmes at LinkedIn and is also a LinkedIn Career Expert, advising professionals on career transitions, personal branding and how to use LinkedIn to unlock opportunity.Together, Alex and Charlotte unpack insights from LinkedIn’s 2026 Grad Guide and discuss why traditional career paths are becoming less linear, why networks matter more than ever and how young people are increasingly creating opportunities for themselves through side projects, portfolios and practical experience.This is a practical and reassuring conversation about adaptability, visibility, AI, confidence and building a career that feels future-relevant in a rapidly changing world of work.In this episode, Alex and Charlotte discuss:why success and credibility look very different to previous generationshow careers are becoming more fluid and less tied to traditional ladderswhy networks and visibility now matter so much in early careersthe growing importance of showing proof of skills, not just listing them on a CVhow Gen Z are creating opportunities through side hustles, projects and portfolioswhy comparison culture can make career uncertainty feel even harderthe role AI is beginning to play in productivity, communication and career developmentwhy adaptability and resilience are becoming essential workplace skillshow to approach networking if you find it intimidating or overwhelmingwhy curiosity and continuous learning matter more than having everything figured outKey statistics from LinkedIn’s 2026 Grad Guide:32% of Gen Z say not having the right network is the biggest barrier to landing an entry-level role26% are creating opportunities through side hustles, businesses or personal projects16% are building apps, websites or portfolios to showcase their skills24% are taking roles outside their field to gain practical, in-demand experience66% of young office workers are considering a switch into skilled tradesKey takeaways:Careers are becoming less linear and more skills-based.Networks are increasingly important in helping people access opportunity.Showing evidence of what you can do matters just as much as qualifications.AI is most powerful when used alongside human judgement, creativity and communication skills.Networking does not need to be performative to be valuable.Staying curious and adaptable is becoming one of the most important career advantages.Connect with Charlotte:LinkedInResources mentioned:LinkedIn’s 2026 Grad GuideFollow Favourite Positions:InstagramLinkedInWebsiteAbout the series:The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone navigating their next career step or trying to make sense of the future of work.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Alice Benham about strategy, messy action and what it really takes to turn a big vision into daily action.Alice is a business strategist, speaker, entrepreneur, founder of On Paper and host of the chart-topping podcast Starting The Conversation. She started her business at 17 and has spent the last decade helping entrepreneurs get clear on where they want to go, what needs to change and how to build businesses that support their lives as well as their ambitions.This is an honest and practical conversation about confidence, burnout, goal setting, slow growth and why building something meaningful often requires you to take action before you feel fully ready.In this episode, Alex and Alice discuss:how Alice started her business at 17 and found confidence through actionwhy naive optimism can be a powerful starting pointhow Alice’s definition of success, credibility and confidence has changed over timethe early burnout that reshaped how she thinks about sustainable growthwhy saying yes to everything is not always the best route to opportunityhow to know when to say no, even when something looks excitingthe difference between vision and goalswhy quarterly goals can help turn big ideas into practical actionthe importance of visible goals, imperfect implementation and bounce back ratewhy people often give up in the gap between taking action and seeing resultshow identity, structure and small wins can support meaningful changewhy ambitious people often overestimate what they can achieve in the short termhow to define success by looking honestly at what is not workingwhy external milestones do not always create internal fulfilmentthe importance of sharing both the highs and lows of businesswhy messy action is often the most important first stepKey takeaways:Confidence often comes through action, not before it.A vision is the destination, but goals are the practical steps that help you move towards it.Growth is easier to sustain when your plans are aligned with your actual capacity.Consistency matters, but your ability to bounce back matters too.The gap between taking new action and seeing results is often the hardest part of change.Success needs to feel good on the inside, not just look good from the outside.Messy action can create the momentum, clarity and confidence you are waiting for.Connect with Alice:WebsiteLinkedInYouTubeON ITInstagramStarting The Conversation podcastFollow Favourite Positions:InstagramLinkedInWebsiteAbout the series:The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who has a big idea, is navigating a period of growth or needs a reminder that they do not need to feel fully ready before taking the next step.