Future Faces member shares career advice and AI insights at Birmingham Tech Week
A Future Faces member has shared insights into the future of work, artificial intelligence (AI) and alternative career pathways during a session at Birmingham Tech Week.
Lillian Bridgen, talent attraction adviser at Intercity Technology, joined the young professional panel at The Rep during the Birmingham Tech Week launch on Monday.
She was joined by Conor McDonagh, associate in technology and data at Freeth’s and Kiranjit Shergill, vulnerability manager at Barclays.
Lillian spoke about her own career journey, having studied biology before pursuing a different direction based on her strengths and transferable skills.
The discussion aimed to reassure young people that their current educational or career choices do not have to determine their entire future, while encouraging them to consider the range of opportunities available to them.
Lillian said: “We’re often told that our GCSEs decide our A-levels, our A-levels decide our degree, and our degree decides the rest of our lives.
“I’m living proof that it doesn’t work like that. I didn’t start out in what I do now, and that doesn’t take anything away from what I picked up along the way. Every job, every detour and every ‘wrong turn’ taught me something I still use today.
“So, my first piece of advice is simple: don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Your path doesn’t have to be a straight line, and most of the interesting people I know took the scenic route.
“Second, get comfortable saying ‘I don’t know’. It’s not a weakness. It’s the start of finding out. The people who grow fastest are the ones who ask the question everyone else is too worried to ask, then go and get the answer.”
AI was another key theme, with the session exploring how the technology could create and change jobs, its impact on entry-level roles and the skills future professionals will need to develop.
Attendees also discussed the growing use of AI in recruitment, considering the technology from both the employer and candidate perspectives.
Lillian highlighted how Intercity Technology uses AI-enabled features to improve processing speeds while ensuring that important recruitment decisions remain in human hands.
She emphasised the importance of human oversight, explaining that AI should not make decisions such as rejecting an applicant. She also discussed the introduction of AI-enabled features to detect AI-generated instructions within applications.
The session brought together business owners, enterprise representatives, students and young professionals to exchange perspectives on the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies and the changing world of work.
