Jimmy's Jobs of the Future

Want to see how an episode gets made? We’ve just launched our Jimmy’s Jobs Slack channel for students, with opportunities to shadow our production team. Join us and tell us which part of the job you’d want to see firsthand → https://form.typeform.com/to/CdBAfNrp Why did Peter Kyle, former Business Secretary, want to light up Piccadilly Circus when a British company hired its 5,000th employee? Why is Salesforce giving Slack to six million UK students? How can AI give a ward nurse back an hour a day? We took Jimmy's Jobs of the Future to Salesforce's AIforce World Tour in London to find out. Can Britain build a trillion-dollar company? Peter and Salesforce's Kendall Collins, CEO of Missionforce and Government Cloud, join Jimmy to debate what it would take, from the role of government to a cultural mind shift around failure and AI as an economic growth driver. Zahra Bahrololoumi, Salesforce UKI CEO, makes the case for why students should get hands-on with Slack and the AI tools they’ll use at work before their first job, not after. Then the front line. Erika Bannerman talks through how an AI assistant at NHS Shared Business Services answers NHS staff questions instantly, cutting the admin that pulls nurses away from patients. And Colin Foley, Head of Consular Services at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, shares how his team is exploring AI to take routine work off their plate, so they can bring more judgment and empathy to Brits in trouble overseas. ********** Got an idea for our next episode? Drop us a line at hello@jobsofthefuture.co Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong Editor + Camera: Rhodri Beynon Social Producer: Alex Kularatnam

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The Budget is out. But will it actually make Britain a better place to start, build and grow a business?

Jimmy McLoughlin breaks down the biggest announcements from the Chancellor's Budget, with reactions from entrepreneur Alex Depledge and Jack Pardoe from Octopus Energy.

From the cost of hiring and scaling a business to energy bills, gas standing charges, electric vehicles and Britain's energy future, we ask what the announcements really mean for founders, employers and households.

Are the government's measures enough to kickstart growth? Will energy bills finally come down? And is Britain becoming a more competitive place to invest and create jobs?

In this episode:

•

What the Budget means for British founders and businesses

•

Whether the announcements will encourage investment and hiring

•

Why removing gas standing charges won't necessarily lower everyone's bills

•

The future of EVs, heat pumps and Britain's energy system

•

What needs to change to make Britain cheaper and easier to build in

Subscribe to Jimmy's Jobs of the Future for conversations with the people shaping Britain's economy, businesses and jobs.

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Pret a Manger CEO Pano Christou on why Pret is so expensive, Service Culture, and Creating Jobs

Join our Slack channel, for students only:

https://form.typeform.com/to/CdBAfNrp

You’ll get to shadow the team digitally + learn how we put the show together - how we find guests, do research + come up with up with topics.

------- Pret CEO Pano Christou recounts his 26-year rise from assistant manager to CEO at 41, including a short Harvard exec MBA that boosted his confidence after rapid promotion. He explains Pret’s management approach: short meetings, pre-reads, early-morning reflection, empowering smart teams, and a weekly mystery-shopper system that can trigger a 10% weekly bonus for all store staff based on service, speed, availability, and cleanliness. He discusses COVID’s disruption via hybrid working and Pret’s response through coffee subscriptions, delivery, and value initiatives like “Pick Your Pair” for £4.99 and 99p filter coffee. Addressing “why Pret is expensive,” he cites 2022–23 inflation (food inflation peaking around 20%), refusing shrinkflation, and then limiting price rises for about three years. He highlights expansion plans to open 100 UK stores, inclusive hiring (NEETs and people facing homelessness), training, pay (around £15/hour for baristas), and policy asks on VAT and national insurance support. Chapters 00:00 Why Pret Costs More 00:48 Panos Pret Journey 04:05 Fast Track To CEO 05:46 Leadership Mindset Shifts 12:35 Unusual CEO Habits 14:40 Post Covid Business Model 17:05 Value Deals And Pricing 21:05 Service Culture Joy 22:58 Hiring Growth And Homelessness 28:16 Behind The Counter 30:32 Pay Bonuses And Training 34:20 Menu Trends And Hiring 38:00 Government And VAT 40:54 Quickfire And Wrap Up ********** Got an idea for our next episode? Drop us a line at hello@jobsofthefuture.co Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong Editor: Rhodri Beynon Social Producer: Alex Kularatnam

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Octopus Energy’s Greg Jackson on Agile Tariffs, Standing Charges, and the Future of Electrification Jimmy interviews Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson about how Octopus’s Agile tariff mirrors half-hourly wholesale prices, sometimes going negative when supply exceeds demand, and how “powerdowns” and “powerups” pay customers to shift usage when electricity is expensive or cheap.

Greg says over four million customers have used these tools, saving over £1 billion, and argues smarter use of existing grid capacity could reduce the need for £100 – £200 billion in new infrastructure.

They discuss why standing charges are “out of control,” how fixed network costs now make up much of bills, and the growing cost of paying wind generators to turn off.

He highlights falling costs and benefits of EVs, home charging, batteries, and heat pumps, plus energy geopolitics, China’s clean-tech lead, and AI’s emerging impact on jobs. He calls for consistent policy focused on electrification.

Chapters:

00:00 Agile Tariff Explained 01:20 Negative Pricing Moments 02:15 Powerdowns and Powerups 04:07 Savings and System Efficiency 06:10 Standing Charge Breakdown 09:57 Where Your Bill Goes 12:02 Using Wind Power Better 12:45 Why Electricity Use Fell 15:00 EV Charging Cost Reality 17:33 Octopus EV Leasing Scale 18:45 Why UK Power Costs More 19:56 Cutting Energy Levies 20:30 Home Batteries Boom 21:36 Heat Pumps Data Edge 23:45 Energy Geopolitics Shock 26:50 China Tech Risk Reality 29:23 China Innovation Machine 34:35 AI Jobs Uncertainty 38:47 Raising Kids With AI 41:46 Budget Wish List Electrify 43:49 Closing Thoughts

This episode is powered by Octopus Energy.

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If AI can write code, why are companies hiring more software developers? And why are people starting their careers still struggling to get in?Financial Times columnist and chief data reporter John Burn-Murdoch joins Jimmy to unpack what the data actually tells us about AI, work and opportunity. Hiring for experienced software workers is recovering, while opportunities for new graduates remain flat. If AI can handle the tasks juniors once learned on, how do they gain the experience employers want?John explains why human judgement could become more valuable, how AI-generated applications could push recruitment back towards personal connections, and why predictions of mass unemployment may miss the bottlenecks that still require people.They also explore the forces making it harder to build an adult life: housing pressures, fewer young people forming relationships, falling birth rates and the appeal of better-paid work abroad.In this episode:00:00 AI layoffs reality check01:54 Where job losses show up03:42 Rate hikes vs AI effects05:47 Software jobs rebound06:36 Decide execute deliver08:55 Why juniors still matter11:48 Trainee pipeline dilemma13:42 Networks and meritocracy16:26 Recruitment goes old school18:17 Hiring at the FT20:14 Journalism identity shift24:13 Job titles and personal brand27:33 Computer science enrollment dip30:46 Deep knowledge beats tasks35:48 Jevons paradox and training37:34 AI and non AI assessments39:36 Bottlenecks and productivity41:07 AI Bottlenecks Need Humans42:58 Birth Rates Falling Everywhere45:09 Housing And Digital Media48:53 Social Media Gender Divide51:24 Dating Apps And Work Ties53:37 Why Low Birth Rates Matter57:40 UK Centralization And Housing59:05 Broken Jobs Data Problem01:03:15 UK Emigration And Pay Gaps01:07:58 Fixing Britains Growth Story01:09:18 UK Role In Global AI01:12:04 Will AI Cause Unemployment01:13:39 Iced Coffee Interview Debate01:15:09 Pink Socks And Dress Codes01:17:48 Favorite Chart And Wrap UpSubscribe to Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future for more conversations about work, technology and the changing economy.********** Got an idea for our next episode? Drop us a line at hello@jobsofthefuture.co Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong Social Producer: Alex Kularatnam

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Football, Power and Shirts: On China, FIFA and Fields of Power

In a wide-ranging conversation, journalist Joey D'Urso discusses how football and politics have always been intertwined, from FIFA’s unpopularity in the UK and World Cup expansion debates to historical links with regimes and soft power.

Drawing on his book More Than a Shirt, he explains China’s top-down push to become a football power, the use of football by the state, and figures like Li Tie amid opaque corruption allegations.

The discussion covers how national-team success depends on deep football ecosystems, France’s team as an immigrant story, and football’s roots in industrialization and natural resources.

Joey outlines his career from BBC Westminster and BuzzFeed to The Athletic and The Times, his shift to full-time writing, and monetization via Substack, social media, and freelance work. He previews his next book, Fields of Power, telling 20th-century history through 20 stadiums worldwide.

Chapters

00:00 FIFA Backlash

00:24 China Football Ambitions

01:58 Corruption And Control

03:24 Why Money Isnt Enough

05:35 France Culture And Ecosystems

07:32 Industry And Soft Power

08:55 From Politics To Football Writing

12:13 When Football Turned Political

15:37 Colombia Shirt Crime Story

18:46 New Book Fields Of Power

20:29 Breaking Into Football Journalism

22:20 Original Ideas In An AI Era

24:00 Making Money Plans

25:45 Nonlinear Growth Lessons

26:56 Football as Live Media

30:04 Stadiums and Tailgating

31:43 FIFA Revenue and Hosts

33:14 FIFA Criticism and Culture

35:14 New Book Story Teasers

37:03 More World Cups and AI

38:27 Data Driven Clubs

41:00 Attendances Up Atmosphere Down

44:02 Bigger World Cup Debate

45:33 Wrap Up and Thanks

********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong

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Jimmy interviews author Dan Wang about his book "Breakneck" and why the UK and other Western societies struggle to build infrastructure, contrasting Britain’s strengths in “sounding clever” industries (universities, finance, media) with weak construction capacity and rule-bound governance that stalls projects.

We discuss how “verbal cleverness,” PPE and law-heavy elites in the UK and US, and litigation-driven processes since the 1970s have reduced state capacity and deterred ambitious people from public service, versus China’s engineer-led political culture and legitimacy-through-building (dams, bridges, high-speed rail).

We also cover meritocracy and immigration in the US/UK, AI’s uncertain impact on software, legal, and “busy work” jobs, the value of embodied reporting, Singapore’s high-paid civil service model, lost manufacturing process knowledge in the US, and Apple’s intensive China supply-chain feedback loop.

00:00 Britain Talks Not Builds

04:05 Why The West Stopped Building

07:45 PPE Politics And Brexit

09:05 America The Lawyer Elite

14:08 Meritocracy And Immigration

17:27 Poetry Versus Engineering

20:06 China Engineer Leadership

27:21 AI Software Or Hardware

30:10 Work Stamina After AI

32:02 Writer Work And Travel

37:01 Restoring State Capacity

43:26 Process Knowledge Manufacturing

49:18 Generations And Opportunity

********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong

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Jimmy visits Gravity Industries in Somerset to meet founder Richard Browning, the inventor behind the real-life jet suit.

Richard takes Jimmy inside Gravity’s HQ, explains how an oil trader ended up building a flying suit, and shows what it takes to turn a seemingly impossible idea into a £100m business operating across 53 countries.

Jimmy also gets suited up to attempt his first hover. Watch him take off, and, well, mostly land, on our YouTube channel. Link below:

They discuss how Gravity trains jet suit pilots, the company’s work with Special Forces and emergency response teams, the world’s first jet suit race series, and why Richard believes Britain needs to get more comfortable with ambition, innovation and recoverable failure.

In this episode:

• How Richard Browning built a real-life Iron Man-style flying suit
• What it costs—and what it takes—to fly one
• Gravity’s work in entertainment, military mobility and medical response
• Building a 30-person company valued at around $100m
• Hiring for initiative, not just qualifications
• How to take big risks without betting the company

This episode is supported by Octopus Legacy. They’re offering Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future viewers a free simple will, plus money off a trust. Find out more via the link below:

octopuslegacy.com/free-will-jimmy

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Jack and Jill: AI Agents Rewiring Hiring and Job Search Jimmy interviews Matthew Wilson, founder of Jack and Jill, about how AI is worsening recruitment noise by automating mass applications and outbound recruiting, making traditional CV-based signaling less effective.

Matt explains Jack and Jill’s two AI agents: Jack helps individuals find and prepare for “dream jobs” through deep voice-based profiling, job matching, interview practice, and salary benchmarking (free for users), while Jill helps companies hire by capturing nuanced role needs and matching against Jack’s user network; the company has 350,000 users and thousands of companies, mainly across London, San Francisco, and New York.

Matt shares his background (Yorkshire Dales, Oxford, inspiration from a Batley-based startup), building Omnipresent (remote employment infrastructure later sold to Deel), and lessons on competitive advantage.

They discuss early-career guidance, AI tool literacy, major white-collar work changes, Jevons paradox, small high-talent teams, transparent high pay, and hiring via paid trial days and networks. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:27 AI Hiring Spam Problem 03:19 What Jack and Jill Builds 04:03 Why Job Search Feels Random 06:45 Jack the Career Agent 08:02 Jill the Hiring Agent 08:49 First Principles Recruiting 10:04 Advice for Early Careers 12:57 From Yorkshire to Startups 16:36 Building Omnipresent in COVID 19:47 Selling to Deel Lessons 24:22 Choosing the Next Venture 25:45 AI as Patient Career Coach 29:03 Why Work Changes Lives 31:00 Reimagining Recruitment 31:44 AI Tool Fluency 34:03 Career Catapult Mindset 34:29 White Collar Disruption 36:39 Jobs Change Not Vanish 38:41 Jevons Paradox Debate 40:05 Bureaucracy Versus Leverage 42:50 Building a Lean Team 42:59 Pay Transparency Hiring 48:52 Scaling Across Markets 51:39 Fast Hiring Playbook 53:56 Paid Trial Workdays 57:09 Early Hires Through Networks 59:30 First Employees Matter 59:58 Closing Thoughts

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Sara Davies on Changing Dragon’s Den, Building a Personal Brand, and Why Small Business Is Tougher Than Ever

Jimmy welcomes Sara Davies as the first “Dragon” guest on Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future, discussing how she brought a more empathetic, collaborative approach to Dragon’s Den by refusing to be “more dragon-y” and staying true to herself.

Sara explains how her confidence grew over six years on the show, how her investing prioritizes working with entrepreneurs and impact over pure returns, and the questions she asks founders about why an idea might not work and who their real competitors are.

She contrasts hiring versus investing criteria, emphasizing cultural fit, non-verbal communication, and surrounding yourself with complementary skills. Sara also shares her personal branding process, her approach to BHAGs and thinking time, and how she uses AI to condense her own ideas rather than generate generic posts.

She also covers content strategy, the challenges facing small businesses amid Brexit, the pandemic, and economic pressures, and highlights memorable Den deals and lessons.

********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong

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This is the second part of our interview with Ed Conway, Sky News Economics Editor, author of Trade World and Material World. The first part is out on all platforms.

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Ed Conway on Trade Wars, Bread Monocultures, and the Fragile Supply Chains Behind Modern Life Sky News Economics editor Ed Conway discusses his book Trade World, based on two years of research into how bread, cars, and textiles are made and traded, arguing globalization has made goods cheaper by concentrating production into a few places, creating dangerous vulnerabilities. He highlights monocultures in crops such as wheat and bananas, focusing on the wheat disease UG99 and how industrial bread relies on just one or two wheat varieties, drawing parallels to the Gros Michel banana collapse and risks to the Cavendish.

This is the first part of our interview with Ed. The second part drops later this week.

Watch the full interview on YouTube ⁠here⁠.

Chapters 00:00 Food Supply Sword 00:29 Meet Ed Conway 02:08 Will We Run Out 05:05 Bread Still Matters 06:44 Innovation Beats Doom 13:37 Writing Material World 18:32 Three Products Focus 22:43 AI And Conversation 24:17 UG99 Wheat Threat 24:54 Monocultures And Risk 33:29 Chokepoints And Stockpiles 40:56 Tracking Product Journeys 42:17 Russia Wheat Surge 42:47 Wheat as Power 44:30 Automation and Bakeries 48:25 Lights Out Mills 52:04 AI as Job Tool 53:51 Markets Need Work 56:31 Red Flag Lessons 01:03:22 Who Makes Cars 01:10:28 China EV Shock 01:17:24 The 80 Pound T Shirt 01:20:40 Blue Plaques for Industry 01:23:02 Humans in AI Age ********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong

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Ed Conway on Trade Wars, Bread Monocultures, and the Fragile Supply Chains Behind Modern Life Sky News Economics editor Ed Conway discusses his book Trade World, based on two years of research into how bread, cars, and textiles are made and traded, arguing globalization has made goods cheaper by concentrating production into a few places, creating dangerous vulnerabilities. He highlights monocultures in crops such as wheat and bananas, focusing on the wheat disease UG99 and how industrial bread relies on just one or two wheat varieties, drawing parallels to the Gros Michel banana collapse and risks to the Cavendish.

This is the first part of our interview with Ed. The second part drops later this week.

Watch the full interview on YouTube here.

Chapters 00:00 Food Supply Sword

00:29 Meet Ed Conway

02:08 Will We Run Out

05:05 Bread Still Matters

06:44 Innovation Beats Doom

13:37 Writing Material World

18:32 Three Products Focus

22:43 AI And Conversation

24:17 UG99 Wheat Threat

24:54 Monocultures And Risk

33:29 Chokepoints And Stockpiles

40:56 Tracking Product Journeys

42:17 Russia Wheat Surge

42:47 Wheat as Power

44:30 Automation and Bakeries

48:25 Lights Out Mills

52:04 AI as Job Tool

53:51 Markets Need Work ********** Follow us on socials!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture

Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/

Want to come on the show?

hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us:

hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits:

Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE

Producer: Thuy Dong

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Georgia Harrison on Revenge Porn, Changing the Law, and the Real Work Behind Being an Influencer This week, Georgia joins Jimmy to describe her work as a celebrity campaigner, author, and influencer, and explains why creating content is a real job that requires research, editing, trend awareness, and constant posting across platforms. She recounts how a former boyfriend filmed her without consent and sold the footage online, leading her to waive anonymity, take him to court, and campaign to remove the “intent to cause distress” loophole in the 2015 revenge porn law, work that earned her an MBE. Georgia says current rules still fail victims, calling for faster takedowns than 48 hours, a “kill switch” system, stronger enforcement on tech companies, and action on the rise of intimate image abuse and manosphere content. She and Jimmy also discuss motherhood, online trolling in politics, LinkedIn’s professional benefits, and taking risks despite embarrassment. 00:00 Intro 01:23 Influencer Life Explained 03:11 Reality TV Journey 03:55 Why She Became Activist 04:54 Abuse And Court Fight 08:47 Going Public For Evidence 11:26 Beyond Revenge Porn 12:32 Georgia’s Law Proposal 14:32 Tech Companies Accountability 15:55 Shame Empowerment Motherhood 19:20 Politics Like Reality TV 27:32 Trolling Bots And Safety 31:48 Receiving The MBE 34:20 Tackling The Manosphere 35:38 Manosphere Money Funnel 36:58 Creator Economy Explained 38:08 Trends Algorithms Workflow 40:56 Brand Deals And Campaigns 45:18 Styling Image Strategy 47:50 Fearless Mindset Failing 50:20 Why LinkedIn Works 54:25 Paying Mum For Childcare 56:53 Early Jobs Hustle 59:01 Love Island Leap 01:01:46 Mentor Boss Can Do 01:03:24 Reality TV Business Pitch ********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong

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What happens when Downing Street texts on a Sunday asking if you can interview the Prime Minister two days later?

In this special episode of Jimmy vs the Producers, Jimmy sits down with growth leads Aggie and Annabel, alongside producer Thuy, to unpack the whirlwind behind our Andy Burnham interview.

Aggie and Annabel ask Jimmy how the opportunity compared with interviewing Tony Blair and Keir Starmer, what went into preparing for the conversation in just 48 hours, and why this felt like an “Olympic medal moment” for the show.

Thuy then turns the tables on Jimmy to discuss how they first connected through LinkedIn, how a one-day-a-week university placement became a full-time producing role, and how relationships and social capital can compound into career-changing opportunities.

This episode is supported by LinkedIn.

Watch the full Andy Burnham interview: https://youtu.be/mXnO06QfnCM

Subscribe for more conversations about the people, businesses and ideas shaping the future of work.

********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co

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Inside Number 10: Jimmy on Tim Cook, getting a wedding letter from Theresa May, and Starting Jobs of the Future

We decided to swap the seats this week: Jimmy is the guest. He went on The Independent's In The Room to talk about the three years he spent deciding who got through the door of Number 10 and what that taught him about how people actually get hired.

Helen MacNamara, the former Deputy Cabinet Secretary, and Cleo Watson, former special adviser to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, run a summer series called Lessons from Number 10 - what it's really like to work behind that black door.

Jimmy worked with both of them. Which, given this show spent the last month asking how you get in the room when you know nobody, is a fairly on-the-nose demonstration of the answer.

In this conversation: what the Prime Minister's Business Director actually does all day, why Number 10 has no floor plan and what that does to a new starter, how he got entrepreneurs into the building instead of the companies with big lobbying teams, what business consistently misunderstands about government and the other way round, why bringing business leaders into politics so often doesn't work, the trade trips and the logistics of losing CEOs in foreign countries, and the day it all stopped being fun. Also: the origin story of this podcast. A question Theresa May asked him one morning about where jobs actually come from - and why he's been trying to answer it ever since. Thanks to Helen, Cleo and the team at In The Room for letting us play this here.

Their show is at @intheroom.pod, and it's part of The Independent Podcast Network, produced with Next Chapter Studios. Jimmy's Jobs of the Future is a show about work, careers and how people actually get hired - long-form interviews with the people who do the hiring.

Next week: Jimmy vs the Producers, on Andy Burnham interview.

You can read Jimmy's piece on the BTS of our Andy Burnham interview here: https://jimmysjobs.substack.com/p/did-i-like-andy-burnham

Follow us on socials at @jimmysjobs, and follow Jimmy on Instagram at @jimmymcjournal for more content.

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AI, Sovereign Compute, and the Future of Family Business in the UK | Steve Rigby on Jobs of the Future In 2026, Steve Rigby joins Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future to discuss why AI adoption in large companies will be slower than hype suggests because it requires difficult process transformation plus governance and security, while SMEs can move faster with low barriers to entry. He argues the UK is behind on preparing society and government for disruption, citing data that 39% of MPs have never used AI and calling for a multi-department “war footing,” including urgent AI data-center expansion and sovereign compute backed by government offtake. Rigby explains his role as chair of Family Business UK, the impact of new 20% tax charges on intergenerational transfers, and why the UK incentivizes selling businesses over long-term ownership. He outlines the Rigby Group’s scale, family succession planning, his philanthropy and education programs, and his efforts to influence policy via media, LinkedIn, and a new podcast. 00:00 AI Shift Like the 90s 00:43 Why Big Firms Move Slow 01:46 Reskilling and Job Risk 04:14 MPs Not Using AI 06:50 Data Centers and Compute 08:49 AI Sovereignty Plan 10:31 Chairing Family Business UK 11:22 Tax Changes Hit Succession 12:51 Rigby Group Overview 15:14 London Family Office Hub 16:40 Non Doms and Tax Carrots 19:39 UK Incentives and Mittelstand 22:40 First Jobs and Joining Family Firm 25:28 Building Tech Retail in the 90s 27:42 Family Business Life and Succession 29:40 Preparing the Next Generation 32:21 Kids Careers Outside the Firm 33:29 What Intelligence Really Means 34:08 Learning Styles Matter 34:42 Tech Powered Classrooms 36:24 Cradle to Career Impact 38:23 Inspiring Futures Model 40:12 Plural Career Time Split 41:44 Influencing Policy and Media 44:40 Family Business UK Growth 46:39 Podcast for Hard Issues 48:59 Sleep Data and Health Tech 52:22 Competitive Sports Journey 57:12 Giving Values and Dividends 57:58 Future of Family Firms 01:00:40 Mittelstand and UK Incentives 01:02:28 Podcast Pick and Wrap

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Youth Unemployment, Work Shadowing, and the Future of Work | Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future

Thanks to LinkedIn for partnering on this episode. Learn more about how the UK labour market is changing in the age of AI in LinkedIn’s latest report: ⁠https://lnkd.in/labour-market-report⁠

In a special early interview at 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Andy Burnham joins Jimmy to discuss why too many young people are struggling to get their first break, and what government, employers and senior leaders can do about it.

Reflecting on his own journey from an unpaid local newspaper reporter to Prime Minister, Andy explains why family connections often matter more than qualifications, why work shadowing can transform a young person's confidence, and why every leader should help open the door for someone without an established network.

They also discuss the future of education, apprenticeships, AI, recruitment, social capital and why Britain needs to value technical careers as much as university degrees. Andy shares what he looks for when hiring, why creativity and communication remain essential skills in the age of AI, and the leadership lessons that have shaped his career.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:29 Sponsor

01:49 PM Priorities on Youth Jobs

02:50 Early Career and Drift

05:35 Social Capital and Access

06:53 Hiring and Leadership Skills

08:51 Ambition Beyond London

09:42 English Degree and Creativity

12:24 Kids View of Job Market

13:49 Placements and Employer Role

17:26 AI and Future of Work

18:30 LinkedIn Data Break

19:51 Apprenticeships and Reform

21:28 Nostalgia Game and Advice

26:24 Closing Note and LinkedIn

Credits:

Jimmy McLoughlin OBE

Thuy Dong

Aggie Mellor

Annabel Wilcken

Ethan Pearman

Josh Eames

Laura Dunn

Special thanks to:

Sunny Winter

Nguyen Anh Duc

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This week, a special crossover episode: Jimmy's Jobs of the Future meets What We Don't Know.

Check out What We Don't Know here Hayaatun Sillem, host of What We Don't Know, spent eight years as CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering - the first woman, and the first person in over two decades, to hold the role. Before that: 8 years of biochemistry, a walkout from the lab that ended her PhD overnight, and a stint advising Parliament on everything from forensic science to carbon capture. She also co-chaired Lewis Hamilton's commission on the representation of Black people in UK motorsport, and is now a founding trustee of his charity, Mission 44. In this conversation, Jimmy and Hayaatun cover the moment people mistook her for anyone but the CEO, the leadership skill she thinks is most underrated, the decision to leave a job she loved while she was still doing her best work, and why she thinks "more jazz than classical" is the only way to lead through uncertainty now.

********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Sunny Winter

Producer: Thuy Dong

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Heathrow isn't just an airport - it's one of the UK's largest workplaces.

Every day, more than 200,000 passengers pass through Heathrow, supported by around 100,000 people working across hundreds of different roles. From firefighters and engineers to security teams, baggage handlers and AI specialists, it's a city-sized operation that has to work flawlessly, every single day.

In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Heathrow Airport, to explore what it really takes to run one of Britain's most complex organisations.

They discuss:

• Why Heathrow employs around 100,000 people
• The leadership challenges of running a 24/7 operation
• How AI is changing the future of airports
• Why security queues have fallen to under five minutes
• The case for Heathrow's third runway
• How Heathrow balances growth, sustainability and passenger experience
• What makes a great leader in high-pressure environments

Whether you're interested in leadership, infrastructure, business, operations or the future of work, this conversation offers a rare look behind the scenes of one of the world's busiest airports.

Chapters:

00:00 The UK's Biggest Workplace 01:28 Why Heathrow Is Britain's Biggest Workplace 05:12 What Does the Heathrow CEO Actually Do? 09:45 Leading 100,000 People 15:34 Behind the Scenes of Running an Airport 20:48 Security, AI & The Future of Travel 27:41 Why Heathrow Wants a Third Runway 34:26 Can Heathrow Keep Growing 40:55 Sustainability vs Growth 47:18 Crisis Leadership & Decision Making 53:07 Careers at Heathrow 58:14 Leadership Lessons from Running Heathrow 01:03:10 Quick Fire Questions

********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Sunny Winter

Producer: Thuy Dong

This is a partnership with Heathrow Airport.

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Johnny Reynolds on Jobs of the Future: Skills, Scale-Ups, Net Zero and AI This is a replayed 2023 interview with Johnny Reynolds, now returning to run the Department for Business amid major UK government reshuffles under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, including moving AI to the Cabinet Office.

Jimmy and Johnny discuss visiting businesses such as Football Manager’s studio and Nissan’s Sunderland plant, arguing the state should help people manage economic change, especially through net zero, automotive transition and opportunities like green steel. 00:00 UK Government Shakeup 00:32 Why Replay This Interview 01:54 Football Manager Visit 04:19 Factory Tours and Learning 05:47 North East and Change 08:38 Future Sectors and Trade 13:27 Workplace Flex and Hybrid 15:41 Manchester Boom Story 18:00 City and Listing Concerns 20:57 Scaling Up UK Startups 24:52 How Reynolds Works 28:29 What Business Wants Most 30:12 Policy Levers for Growth 30:39 Skills Shortages and Immigration 32:25 Reforming the Apprenticeship Levy 34:06 Devolution and Local Skills Planning 35:12 From Law to Parliament 38:42 How the MP Job Changed 42:24 Working-Class Roots and Values 45:36 AI Disruption and Regulation 49:18 Entrepreneurship and Risk 51:25 Dream Jobs and Capital Allocation 53:15 Books Podcasts and Wrap-Up

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