Prosper Autumn 2023 Yumpu_compressed

NEWS
James in the studio:
“If you love something,
make a career out of it. If
you can be an expert in
something that you love
doing anyway, you’ll never
‘work’ a day in your life; it
will all be fun that you’re
being paid to do.”
see someone like them in the role. “I
think imposter syndrome kicks in
strongest where people don’t see others
like them in a role, whether it’s on TV,
elsewhere in the media, in a factory or in
the office. When people come from a
minority – and here we can include
women looking to get on in any maledominated
environment – they can feel
that a job isn’t for them.
“But that’s wrong; every job is open to
everyone who has the talent, the skill, the
acumen and the drive.”
His key advice to young people is to
accept that things won’t always go your
way but to keep on pushing. It also always
helps if your career is doing something
that you are passionate about. “If you
love something, make a career out of it. If
you can be an expert in something that
you love doing anyway, you’ll never ‘work’
a day in your life; it will all be fun that
you’re being paid to do.”
Luck plays its part, too: “In many ways I
was fortunate in that I found the people
who believed in me. That’s important.”
“There are many different pathways to
get to where you want to be. The first job I
applied for was in marketing at the
University of Nottingham, where I’d just
graduated with a history degree. I missed
out on the job to someone with more
experience. It upset me at the time but
looking back, it feels like everything
happens for a reason. You have to learn
to roll with life; it’s a wave of emotions,
but the negative feelings we all
experience do come and go. Trust that.”
Be prepared to be bold, too. “I said
before, I always thought of myself as risk
averse but looking back, I’ve made two
big leaps that ultimately, paid off.
“If you really want something, ask
yourself, if you go for it and fail, what’s the
worst that can happen?”
“Trust in your own instincts and your
ability. You will have moments of stress
and anxiety, but it all works out in the
long run.”
As far as he’s concerned, James still
says he’s “ambitious and eager to see
where my career takes me, but at
moment I love my role.”
“I’ve grown in confidence. I feel
comfortable in my role on BBC Midlands
Today. I understand where I’m going with
stories and can relate to the people I’m
talking to. I know my job. I have a new
confidence.
“If there’s anything to be taken from my
career it’s that you must never be afraid
to go for something and fail; never live
your life wishing, ‘if only I’d taken a
chance and gone for it’.”
“Failure will help you as much as
success in the long run. It’s the knockbacks
that helped me understand where I
wanted to go and developed me most as
a person. They boosted my resilience and
helped build the person I am today.”
Perhaps a classic case of ‘whatever
doesn’t kill you...’
PROSPER AUTUMN 2023 39