Favourite Positions
Favourite Positions is a platform and podcast designed to help you find your dream role.
Founded by Alex Young in 2022, the platform was born from her own frustration with outdated career advice and rigid workplace expectations. Early in her career, Alex was often told she was “too young” to lead or made to feel uncomfortable in environments rife with sexism and performative policies. Like many, she was left disillusioned – not by hard work itself, but by systems that held people back.
Instead of conforming, she looked to those building better businesses – the founders, leaders and creatives shaping inclusive, purpose-led workplaces that prioritise well-being, impact and autonomy. Their stories lit the path forward.
Favourite Positions began as a way to share those stories – and has since grown into a trusted space for candid conversations about work, identity and ambition in a changing world.
Today, Favourite Positions is home to a growing community of over 10,000 people.
Alex’s work has been featured by the BBC, Channel 4, Cosmopolitan, Metro and Start Up Magazine. She is the recipient of the Excellence Scholarship at Imperial College London, where she’s continuing to grow the platform alongside her MBA.
Tune in for honest episodes that showcase the people reimagining work for a new generation.
Whether you’re early in your career, switching paths or leading a team, Favourite Positions is here to help you carve your own path and find work that truly fits.
Favourite Positions
Episode 09: Work In Progress - Olly Haddock
đź’¬ Summary
In this episode of Work in Progress, we speak to Olly Haddock – solicitor, innovation specialist at Weightmans and founder of The Careers Edit – about redefining success, building careers that feel authentic and why networking desperately needs a rebrand.
Alongside his legal practice, Olly helps lead innovation projects at Weightmans, creating tech-driven solutions to make law more efficient and client-focused. Through The Careers Edit, he’s built a global community of over 50,000 professionals, known for its fresh approach to events that swap stuffy boardrooms for spaces that encourage real conversations and meaningful connections.
We explore why pressure can sometimes be a positive driver, how to pivot when a career path isn’t what you expected, and what the happiest professionals Olly meets have in common. Plus, we dig into the myths of networking, the skills we’ll all need in an AI-driven future, and how younger generations are reshaping the world of work.
đź’ˇ Takeaways
- Pressure isn’t always negative – it can push you to achieve your best work
- Networking is really just relationship building – and needs a total rebrand
- The happiest professionals see work as more than tasks; it’s about experiences and relationships
- Employers who empower their people to network externally show real confidence and trust
- Being honest with yourself about what you actually want is key to defining success
- Employee personal branding is becoming as powerful as company branding
- AI will reshape roles – curiosity and self-motivated upskilling will be non-negotiable
đź•’ Chapters
00:00 – Who is Olly Haddock and how does he introduce himself?
01:23 – The story behind starting The Careers Edit
03:51 – Early career plans and the importance of flexibility
06:54 – Questioning the traditional checklist of success
09:23 – Pressure as a motivator and driver of achievement
11:16 – Why some professionals feel unfulfilled despite appearances
12:15 – Backing instincts: moving into innovation in law
16:34 – What the happiest professionals have in common
18:32 – Co-working, connection, and the value of community
19:41 – Why networking needs a rebrand
22:39 – How careers really progress: word of mouth and relationships
24:42 – Unconventional connections that shaped Olly’s career
26:00 – First steps if your job is draining your energy
28:45 – The rise of portfolio careers, purpose, and flexibility
33:39 – The skills we’ll all need in an AI-driven future
35:27 – How the right people around you shape your career
36:50 – What excites Olly about Gen Z in the workplace
39:02 – Personal branding, hustle culture, and side hustles
40:30 – The widening gap between what people want and what companies offer
43:18 – How employers can support people without massive budgets
45:10 – Rethinking education and career guidance from school onwards
47:28 – Imagining the workplace of the future
48:59 – Olly’s one piece of advice for finding or transforming your dream role
đź”— Follow Olly
The Careers Edit: https://www.thecareersedit.com/
The Careers Edit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecareersedit/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-haddock-2b316a106/
Follow Favourite Positions on LinkedIn and Instagram, connect with Alex here.
