So once again I am looking for work. 

Rather than dwell on the negative reasons as to why I am searching again I am going to take the opportunity to reset my professional expectations a bit in a way that I flirted with 18 months ago but didn’t follow through with.

First things first I am speaking to an accountant – recommended by Steph – to get set up properly as a Limited Company (Jukesie Jobs) and to have them look after that stuff for me.

I definitely want to continue the kind of work I have been doing at DBT – working with professions like product and delivery (but also wider in DDaT) on things like growing capability, recruitment, agile comms, coaching, learning and development, standards and assurance. Helping build cultures that can support and sustain brilliant teams.

Whether this is interim roles or specific work packages, direct or via consultants, inside or outside IR35 I don’t really mind – I’m just hopeful something comes up.

Alongside this I really want to investigate properly whether there is an actual business to be built around the specific things I enjoy the most about my work – the working in the open and the building teams stuff. Can I find a ‘product’ or ‘service’ offering that provides value and is consistent and repeatable enough? I don’t know but it feels like time to find out and to really give it a shot this time. I also am really tempted to revisit my Web of Words / Blogging / Working Open conference idea – Camp Digital was really inspiring. 

Also I was briefly chatting to some folk about board/advisor type roles last year – I’m hoping to revisit that again.

What else? Well this one is slightly different but I really want to try and take advantage of the new Canadian digital nomad work visa next year. This means finding a role where I can work from Canada but my income needs to be coming from the UK. So I’d need clients who would be comfortable with that – which rules out Central Gov really. No rush for this as I’m not looking for a Canadian winter but it really appeals as an idea.

One thing is that I am not going back in-house on a permanent basis anywhere – agency, consultancy or public service – for the immediate future. On the other hand there are a number of organisations (and individuals) I’d really love to try and work with.

Anyway I have six weeks left at DBT (as soon as I shake this fourth bout of Covid!) and then a trip to LA to decompress before I have to start anything new and who knows what can happen in that time. The way the world feels speeded up these days six weeks is an eternity.