Jimmy's Jobs of the Future

Boxlight Creative Studio

Former Downing Street adviser, Jimmy McLoughlin interviews top entrepreneurs, politicians, and just about anyone at the top of their game on where they think the future of our economy is going through the prism of jobs. 

  1. 3d ago

    Why Companies Keep Inventing Work That Isn't Worth Doing | Wankernomics

    From endless meetings and meaningless corporate jargon to mission statements, values workshops and post-it note exercises, Charles and James have spent years observing the strange rituals of the modern workplace. In this episode of Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future, they explore why so much of the working day seems to be spent creating work rather than actually doing it. They reveal the tricks people use to avoid responsibility, explain how phrases like “let's take that offline” and “who's holding the pen?” became workplace survival tools, and question why organisations keep adding layers of management, processes and bureaucracy. And what happens when AI starts replacing jobs? Their argument is that we shouldn't be too worried: companies have an extraordinary ability to invent entirely new tasks to keep everyone busy. The conversation also takes in Britain's obsession with bureaucracy, why getting things built has become so difficult, and how corporate culture has spread far beyond the traditional office — reaching NHS workers, gardeners and even professional rugby players. In this episode: Why modern workplaces seem to generate so much pointless work The art of looking busy while avoiding responsibility What corporate jargon really means Why companies keep inventing meetings, missions and values Whether AI will actually make our working lives any easier How bureaucracy gets in the way of getting things done About the guests: Charles and James are the comedians behind Wankernomics, turning the absurdities of corporate life into comedy, drawing on their own experiences in the business world. 👋 Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future takes career advice from people at the top of their game. Hosted by former Downing Street Special Adviser, Jimmy McLoughlin. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  2. Nov 3

    Can the UK Build the AI Future It Wants?

    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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  3. Oct 27

    From Shop Floor to CEO: The Rise of Pret’s Pano Christou

    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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  4. Oct 26

    Why UK Bills Are So Expensive?! | Greg Jackson, Octopus Energy CEO

    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  5. Oct 13

    Is AI Really Taking Your Job? The Data Tells a Different Story | John Burn-Murdoch

    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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  6. Oct 6

    Who Really Controls Football? Money, Power & Premier League | Joey D’Urso

    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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  7. Sep 29

    Britain Sounds Clever, So Why Can't It Build? | Dan Wang

    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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Former Downing Street adviser, Jimmy McLoughlin interviews top entrepreneurs, politicians, and just about anyone at the top of their game on where they think the future of our economy is going through the prism of jobs. 

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