I recently posted this on linkedin. It came from an email conversation with Alex DS and my experiences with applying for jobs recently.I’ll say it again, Alex is extremely smart and been a fantastic person to talk with about so many things, especially the rights and wrongs of the tech industry.
A month ago, I remembered something fundamental: my network matters far more than applications sent into the void of public job boards.
Thanks to Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino for the wise words again and the nudge!
I’m finally putting this into action…
I’m seeking roles inspired by four core strengths I bring to the table:
🔹 Declarative Development – xHTML, CSS, SVG, #XML, RDF, #Linked Data, Semantic Web. I’m a declarative coder at heart, specialising in this space. Data privacy and management are non-negotiable.
🔹 Project Leadership – Planning, leading, and nurturing projects from early development, through securing funding, all the way to public launch.
🔹 Real-World AI Advising – Beyond the hype! I combine academic rigour with hands-on experience running local, private #AI systems on regular open-source systems. I’m also a strong advisor on technology, design, and data-related projects.
🔹 Leading, Lecturing & Teaching – #UX research and future media development (object-based, adaptive and perceptive media). I’m passionate about shifting from #HCI (Human Computer Interaction) to an #HDI (Human Data Interaction) mindset, with a focus on alternative metrics grounded in human values, sustainability and good human incentives.
If you know of opportunities, teams, or conversations that align with any of these areas, or if you’d just like to connect and exchange ideas (especially around digital legacy, ethically connecting people or the digital public space), I’d love to hear from you.
Open to remote, hybrid, or in-person opportunities.
Feel free to comment or send me a DM. And if you think someone else should see this, I’d appreciate the re-share…
Its clear this post connected with quite a few people, and I have booked in talks with quite a few people…
My position is still going to close and I have taken redundancy, which means I will leave at the end of March 2025. I had a stupid amount of leave to take and spend most of my time off. When I put in for the holidays it felt like a long time away but its come super quickly, along with my leaving date.
My huge task list for planning things out is still in action but with a lot of adjustments. I didn’t really account for the heavy amount of what I will call general zuck and how it zaps time away. Either way, I have done quite a bit.
Some things I have been up to.
I spoke at the first united artist AI social club which was good, yesterday talked about social media and digital legacy at the Children’s Media foundation coffee chat and have agreement to do some lecturing later in the year. I can’t say yet but I will become an adviser for a special EU project and will be a large part of a major festival later this year. There might be a second one with a very good friend, which I’m also keeping tight lipped about (fingers crossed on that one). Theres also a very related author who I’m in touch with who could really make this all have huge impact.
I have been working up some of my side projects including DJ hackday and the Adaptive podcasting applied to music is gaining some traction.
The dating book I mentioned previously is super close to being finished with feedback taken on board and the understanding the first edition is always going to be bad and have a ton of errors you can fix in the second and third editions. The book will include something special to keep the conversation going. I finally setup Gitea to finally deal with all the versioning as it was getting out of hand! I also stuck a bunch of my other markdown projects into it too including my Markdown CV, Markwhen, etc. On the digital legacy front, I have news but I’ll share that soon as things are announced.
Part of the redundancy from the BBC includes outplacement options once I’m officially given my formal notice. I was filling my limited spare time over the festival holidays with my family, seeing friends, writing my CV’s, life after layoff and Linkedin learning till I learned I will still have linkedin learning after I leave with the BBC outplacement service.
There is something I wouldn’t have access to a small amount of formal training funding, so looked into my options. I considered my declarative, linked data and semantic web background; considered my design background and even project management. However it became clear what would really help is coaching, as I had some incredible coaching after my brush with death. This was going to be very expensive and heavy going but I made it happen with help from my line manager, BBC HR and access to work being dyslexic. I was able to get leadership coaching over the last month. Unfortunately its only available while I still working for the BBC and that has means some long intense sessions every week and homework. Its been excellent and very glad I could make it happen right at the end of my BBC employment. Certainly best use of my time at this moment…This and going on holiday to Malta with my partner.
Myself and my partner in Malta
As I am just shy of 21 years at the BBC (weeks shy) I am never going quietly (into the night) and have setup 4 different events for my leaving. 2 in London and 2 in Manchester. Each city has a general drinks/snacks, then a smaller sit down meal. I know it seems over the top but as its close to my birthday too, so its a double reason to celebrate.
You could say why are you arranging your own leaving party’s?
But honestly with the amount of people leaving BBC R&D and different people with different plans, some to leave quietly some less so. Its just easier on everyone to arrange it myself (of course with help from colleges who are not leaving of course).
If you didn’t get the invite, let me know via email or the fediverse. Its been hard to remember who to send this all to…
A key part I have been doing is sorting out how I manage this all, because although tasks lists are ok this just don’t work for me as a long term sustainable solution. I do love Kanban’s (as I call it kambams) and used Trello in the past a lot. Then I switched to Microsoft planner at work which was awful but just about usable. Combined with the need have self control over this all… I started looking at self-hosting Planka on Yunohost. (Bearing in mind, I have been looking into knowledge management systems for awhile.
I attempted to put Yunohost on my old Dell XPS 12. Those stickers are a trip through history
I have enjoyed Yunohost and bought a cheap Intel NUC PC on ebay for this and other applications I want to host them using docker but they were tricky on my Qnap NAS. I also do have Yunohost on a Raspberry PI 5 but I realised some apps need a AMD64 environment and with a always on VPN I can run and use them anywhere? I also looked at Wekan and keep trying to get Vikunja working.
But back to where I am…
The biggest issue right now is prioritising what I do, how much I setup now and redo after my leaving date. There are things like buying a new laptop I had to do and have decided to not include any work related stuff on to including Microsoft Edge, One drive syncing and Slack (although I do use slack for other communities so that will change). I have my PAC code for my work phone, so I can move that number soon enough.
I had planned to drive around on the scooter and see friends but the weather in the UK has been bad for riding and frankly its something I can do after April.
That’s where I am right now…
Focus on leadership coaching, finish up work (future of social report), write some recommendations for BBC R&D, a intriguing final email (maybe also in audio), lean in on the different opportunities from my network, have a great time at the leaving parties for March/April. Finally I should switch my Linkedin to open to work maybe?
I do plan to take a break straight afterwards for my birthday and the Easter holidays. Then I’m back and will be in touch with many of you, as the scooter is ready to go.
Yes I am looking at where to go next but I’m carefully looking at options, rather than jumping to the next place. I am very aware there are a lot people being made redundant, its rough out there. I can only rely on my network and unique skills to find my next steps.
Most of the time, I think quite a lot about how the workplace is massively changing. I got into a conversation recently about my calendaring and why I wasn’t using the company calendaring system.
Although its a bit of a pain for colleague, the opposite is hell for myself. Diving myself into work and personal is something which doesn’t work in my head. I know it works for many people but the lack of flexibility is problematic.
Some would say its unprofessional but like the video points at, the future of work isn’t about people repeating the same task again and again.
One of the most stupidest things I’ve heard of late…
Finding the next steve jobs… Will i am and Simon Cowell cashing in on a dead man’s legacy more like it. Not only is it insulting to the intelligent working on new and cutting edge things but also a nasty thing to do on the 1 year anniversary of steve jobs death in my view.
To be frank its as dumb an idea as offline netflix… At least its not as offensive as Simon Cowell and Will i am jumping on a bandwagon.
Follow the money… or rather follow the naff ideas to eternity? Stupid…!
You’d expect an empty black slate, cold aluminum, and lighting like an Apple Store, if blindly guessing what Steve Jobs’ home workspace looked like. The reality is, of course, much more human, lived-in, and interesting.
Apple really need to grow up, are they running porn filters in mobile Safari too. Didn’t think so. This is the advantage of a open ecosystem like Boxee or Android which can support both official and unofficial repositories. Remember one day its porn next day its rap music, I’ve seen it all before…
