James Smith believes he’s now in a field that’s ‘more future-proof’ than the corporate world
James Smith felt undervalued and anxious about the future as he witnessed artificial intelligence’s growing presence in his workplace. And then he reached breaking point in the corporate sphere and made a dramatic change.
He walked away from his tech role in the city and shifted to straightforward, hands-on labour in his local community. Offering gardening, carpentry and removal services amongst many others, the 34 year old revealed he’s the happiest he’s been in his professional life and bringing in roughly £3,000 monthly without being accountable to a boss. The resident from Stanstead in Suffolk has now explained his transition from shirt and tie to work boots.
He said: “I just didn’t enjoy the office politics and the fact that no matter how hard you worked it was still the same pay and hours in the day. I didn’t feel appreciated either by the boss and as soon as that starts, I find it hard to put in the same effort.
“I was working in SAAS sales for a recruitment company in London in 2022. The company were trying to enforce office-based work for my team in particular while people were working remotely (from other countries) which I couldn’t understand.
“The company in question now uses AI as a tool to help companies find staff without having to sift through CVs so human jobs have been lost. This was a big reason why I started looking at working for myself.”
James had explored various roles beyond the corporate sphere before. Since leaving school, he’d been his mum’s carer and had worked in retail, but chose an office position thinking it would offer a more relaxed environment. He said: “I soon realised there was just as much pressure in an office!”
The breaking point came from an unexpected source – James’ own manager: “I had bought a pick-up truck as I had always wanted one from being a child. I was sat at my desk one day and my manager sitting next to me said: ‘You’ve got a truck sat at home on the drive and you’re here at work every day!’
“That was probably my light bulb moment, and I realised I could be doing something else. I started off with just doing small garden jobs and rubbish collection on Airtasker and I have now completed a course in carpentry, trained as a locksmith and have invested in a van to offer more services through Airtasker.”
Reflecting on his decision today, James insists there’s “absolutely nothing” that could tempt him back to corporate life: “My worst days on Airtasker are better than my best days in an office.
“Before, I would have to travel into the same office every day to do a job that was completely over the phone and computer,. Now I’m out and about helping people.
“It’s the happiest I’ve ever been in my working life. If you have the capacity then I say go for it, there’s no better security than being your own boss. You can work as hard or as little as you need to and you’re answerable to no-one.”
James reckons there’s greater job security in manual work compared to the corporate sector at present. He said: “Even though there have been huge advances in AI I think we are a few years off being able to do the things that I do, including the kind of tasks I take on through Airtasker.”
He acknowledges that owning a truck provided him with a significant advantage in his current line of work. He said: “I was lucky enough to have a truck to allow me to offer my services straight away, until I had a van though I was limited in the jobs I could offer so I can’t imagine how people who only have a car cope.”
James’s career change isn’t unique, according to AirTasker. The platform’s recent figures revealed the UK ranks among its fastest-expanding markets, with a wider economic transformation placing greater value on practical, hands-on abilities.
The City of Westminster College has also seen a stark increase in the last few years of students being more interested in hands-on courses like construction and built-environment. CEO Stephen Davis noted students are having to think more strategically to find a career that can offer security long-term in the face of AI, according to Reuters.