I’ve always had a bit of an unusual attitude towards my ‘career’ and it has only got more pronounced as I’ve got older. I’ve never really been driven by stability or progression or benefits. For the most part even money hasn’t been much of a motivating factor – I only let that influence a decision significantly once and that didn’t end well. 

Depending on how I count I’ve worked for between 20 and 30 places in 25 years – including higher education, research institutes, government departments, charities, local government, start-ups, consultancies, big tech, small tech, tech for good and the BBC. I’ve also volunteered for WIkipedia and Mozilla.

Once I decided I was going to dedicate my professional life to this random concept of ‘the internet of public service’ (the pithy phrase came later than the mission) I basically found myself increasingly driven by a quest for particular work experiences – places, products, policies, services, people, cultures that I want to check out first hand. To be able to say I contributed a tiny bit towards. It is an odd ‘tour of duty’ mindset I guess.

Getting to work at GDS/GOVUK was always a big one and I’m really glad to be finally doing that 12 years after I first applied. There are a few other Professional Pokemon to catch before my planned obsolescence in four or five years though;

• NHS England (or one of the other national NHS bodies). NHS is a big gap in my CV – I’ve never been tempted by work in a Trust etc but maybe I have the energy left for a run at one of the national agencies.
• The British Library. I am passionate about the power of libraries and would love to get a chance to work on a project there. Came close a couple of times but never landed anything.
• Canada, New Zealand or Australia. I haven’t given up on working abroad for a while but increasingly I suspect it is a non-starter.
• Something actually in and for Bristol. 
• …and this is a new one and probably short lived but the Digital Centre stuff is really compelling at the moment. 
• Last, but far from least, what I would really, really like to do (and this is definitely one that will not be lucrative!) is to find a role where encouraging and advocating for working in the open IS the job – not a side hustle but the objective.

Even I can’t fit all of that into the next few years – and it isn’t like anybody is handing these jobs out like flyers on a party street – but a chap can dream (and scheme!).