VIDEO: We Asked Island Politicians About Their Experiences in The Workplace

The 2025 Graduation Fair took place this week, giving both young people and employers a chance to mingle and really get to know each other.

After all, first impressions count don’t they?

If you’re reading this and missed out, and are feeling that little pang of FOMO, don’t stress. Speaking from personal experience, I’d never attended anything like the Grad Fair and I think I turned out okay (in my opinion).

The way I see it, events like this are the perfect accessory to help guide you in the right direction. Kind of like a glass of water after one too many tequila shots. You shouldn’t rely on it completely, but it’ll definitely help.

Part of my time at the event was spent interviewing a number of island ministers from across different sectors. I think it’s easy to forget that behind the job titles are real people, though these are also the same people who hold the reins when it comes to making decisions that affect us.

One of those I spoke to was the Minister for Enterprise, Tim Johnston.

Now, politics isn’t exactly in my top five dream careers, but I was genuinely curious to hear what Tim enjoys about his day-to-day role. That said, his previous job running a dairy farm is much more up my street.

He told me: ‘I feel very privileged to do what I do. You know, it’s public service. It’s a great privilege to do that. I enjoy being able to sort of converse to my constituents, but also the work I do in the department as the Minister of Department of Enterprise, helping support the island economy.’

He added: ‘These sorts of events are great. You always have a great buzz coming to these events. It’s such an incredibly important part of people’s lives, the young people looking ahead for their futures, and anything we can do to help them make those decisions and choices is a great thing to be a part of.’

A safe, but honest response. If you’ve ever read my monthly horoscope column, you’ll know I like to think I’m a decent judge of character and Tim came across as genuinely committed to supporting young people and showing off what the island has to offer.

Next up was Mrs Corlett.

When I first glanced at the plan my colleague Jess put together for the day, I was curious to know who the mysterious Mrs Corlett might be. After discovering I was looking for someone called Ann, I was pleasantly surprised by the woman who stood before me.

Ann listed several roles she holds here on the island, including MHK for Douglas Central, political member for the Department for Enterprise, and being involved with Locate Isle of Man and Digital Isle of Man.

She came across as very down-to-earth. Our conversation flowed easily, and she had a laugh with me which I always appreciate.

A mother, a politician and someone clearly passionate about the community she represents, she told me: ‘When I came into this, I knew I couldn’t change the world.

‘But you know what, I felt I could change somebody’s world, and it is the little things that are actually really important in this job, because the big things are frustrating, but anything you can do to help another person is a reward.’

What really stood out in both conversations was the warmth and sincerity they brought to their roles. It was a reminder that behind the politics are people – people who care, who listen, and who genuinely want to support the next generation here on the Isle of Man.