Matt Jukes: The power, peril and privilege of working in the open

After two decades of blogging, fifteen years on social media and ten years of public speaking, Matt Jukes has lived much of his professional life—and a fair bit of his personal life—in public. In this candid and reflective talk, he explores what that level of openness has meant, both professionally and personally. Has it helped or hindered his career? Do clients or employers ever push back? What does it mean to be visible in the context of public service work? And is it all just a form of self-indulgence? Matt shares the good, the bad and the uncomfortable truths about working in the open. He looks at what has changed over the years, what has stayed the same, and why he still shows up to write, speak and share in public spaces. Well known for his weekly newsletter curating digital jobs in UK public service, Matt has also worked at the Office for National Statistics, the BBC, mySociety, the Department for Business and Trade and the Government Digital Service. His long career in digital began in the late 1990s, when he proudly called himself a Webmaster.