Episode 09: The Modern Career Playbook - James Pates

<p>In this episode of <strong>The Modern Career Playbook</strong>, Alex speaks with <strong>James Pates</strong> about career pivots, AI, automation and how technology can help people and businesses work more effectively.</p><p>James is a software developer, automation specialist and founder of <strong>Solve Studio</strong>, 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.</p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, Alex and James discuss:</p><ul><li>James’s early career in fashion and menswear buying</li><li>what it felt like to pivot from fashion into tech</li><li>how James taught himself to code and used AI to learn faster</li><li>the reality of starting a business after redundancy</li><li>why transferable skills are not always obvious at first</li><li>how James found his first clients through focused outreach</li><li>the types of problems early-stage businesses often need help solving</li><li>why the best automations usually start with repetitive, manual tasks</li><li>what businesses should avoid automating too early</li><li>the role of trust, warmth and human connection in customer communication</li><li>how AI can give teams more time for higher-value work</li><li>where non-technical people can start if they want to use AI more confidently</li><li>why good writing and good prompting are closely connected</li><li>how to use AI to improve processes, briefs, planning and decision-making</li><li>what makes an AI tool genuinely useful rather than just impressive</li><li>the launch of the <strong>Favourite Positions AI Career Coach</strong></li><li>why human-centred skills are becoming even more important as technology changes work</li><p><br></p></ul><p>Key takeaways:</p><ul><li>AI is most useful when it solves a real problem, not when it is used for novelty.</li><li>The best place to start is often one repetitive task, manual process or recurring admin headache.</li><li>Not every interaction should be automated, especially when trust and relationships matter.</li><li>You do not need to be deeply technical to start using AI well.</li><li>Strong writing, clear thinking and good questions make AI outputs much better.</li><li>Technology can help people prepare, practise and build confidence, but it works best when it supports human judgement.</li><li>As AI becomes more embedded in work, communication, relationships and critical thinking will matter more than ever.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Connect with James:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.jamespates.dev/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">James’s website</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://calendly.com/jp-jamespates/30min" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Book an Automation Audit</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>Mentioned in this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="https://careercoach.favouritepositions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><strong>Favourite Positions AI Career Coach</strong></a><strong></strong></li></ul><p><br></p><p>Follow Favourite Positions:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/favouritepositionspodcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-young-74431a135/?skipRedirect=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://favouritepositions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Website</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>About the series:</p><p><strong>The Moder