Inside Tech Careers

In the final episode of this first series, Harry interviews Katherine Mathieson, the Director of The Royal Institution - an independent charity dedicated to connecting people to the world of science.

Katherine shares how she discovered her passion for science communication; she offers her advice for those interested in careers in science communication careers, and emphasises the importance of scientific literacy in today's world.

They also explore how the 225-year-old Royal Institution maintains its historic mission of making science accessible to everyone, while adapting to reach a larger audience than ever before through social media platforms.

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The Royal Institution website

The Royal Institution on YouTube

The Royal Institution on TikTok

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Harry speaks to Nick Nurock, a former Software Engineer at Transport for London (TfL) who now runs Standup Computing, delivering AI literacy workshops to school students.

Starting his career as an electronics engineer, Nick transitioned into software development and played a key role in TfL's contactless payment system implementation. While at TfL, he also formalised and expanded their software development graduate and apprenticeship schemes.

Nick now focuses on educating young people about artificial intelligence through his startup, Stand Up Computing. Having already taught over 2,500 pupils, he aims to demystify AI and encourage critical thinking about its benefits and risks. He shares valuable insights about getting started in software development, and advises new developers not to get discouraged when their code doesn't work the first time, as problem-solving is a key part of the development process.

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Standup Computing

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Harry speaks to Jess Sullivan, a Senior Software Engineer at Scan.com.

Jess explains how she taught herself to code, discussing how she started with free resources and the importance of choosing the right language to learn.

Jess discusses how AI tools have become part of her daily work. She offers valuable insights for aspiring developers, highlighting the importance of resilience, finding the right programming language to start with, and joining supportive communities. She also shares practical advice about improving typing skills and reassures listeners that a traditional computer science background isn't necessary to succeed in software development.

Jess on LinkedIn

freeCodeCamp

CodeNewbie Podcast

Women and Non Binary Ruby

Algorithms Illuminated by Tim Roughgarden

Refactoring: Ruby Edition by Jay Fields, Shane Harvie, Martin Fowler and Kent Beck

Coderspeak: The Language of Computer Programmers by Guilherme Orlandini Heurich

The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change by Camille Fournier

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Harry talks to Tom Read, formerly the Chief Executive Officer and Director General at the UK Government Digital Service, and now the Group Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Serco. Serco is a multinational company that works with governments to fulfil contracts across many sectors including defence, health, space, justice, migration, customer services, and transport.

Tom discusses the range of contracts which Serco operates, highlighting some interesting and unique examples. Tom also shares his advice for those thinking about starting a journey in technological leadership.

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Pivot Podcast

No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer

Marty Cagan’s books

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Harry speaks to Mirnali Koneswaran, a Policy Officer at the Royal Academy Of Engineering who specialises in education and skills policy development. Previously, Mirnali contributed as a Research Assistant at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, focusing on data analysis and research initiatives.

Mirnali breaks down what policy is and how it can have a tangible impact. Harry and Mirnali also discuss the Engineers 2030 project that Mirnali’s team is working on, which aims to challenge how we think about engineering today, and how the engineering workforce needs to be different.

Mirnali on LinkedIn

Engineers 2030

Watch UK Parliament debates and committees

Two cheap ways to test your fit for policy work from Effective Altruism Forum

Royal Academy of Engineering website

Parliamentary Office of Science Technology (POST)

80,000 Hours

Visit UK Parliament

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Harry speaks to Matthew Browning, a seasoned tech professional with an impressive background that includes co-inventing BBC iPlayer and working on various projects at the BBC. Matthew now serves as a Principal Product Manager at YouGov, bringing his wealth of experience to the world of data analytics and market research.

Matthew shares his advice for young professionals and discusses the changing landscape of technology careers, from the dot-com boom to today's globalised workforce.

Matthew on LinkedIn

Matthew’s personal website

BBC iPlayer patent

Hacker News

O'Reilly Media

Programming Perl by Larry Wall, Tom Christiansen and Jon Orwant

FOSDEM

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Harry speaks with Dave Leonard, the Strategic Director of IT at the Watergrove Trust, an expanding multi-academy trust of schools based in Rochdale, in the North West of England.

They discuss the challenges and rewards of managing IT in an educational setting, and delve into the future of technology in schools, including the impact of AI on education and the growing importance of cybersecurity.

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Dave on Twitter

Dave’s Learning Dust Podcast

Edufuturists Podcast

Open: How We'll Work, Live and Learn in the Future by David Price

Association of Network Managers in Education

Google Champions Community

Yes Man by Danny Wallace

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Harry talks to Chris Cox, the Chief Technology Officer at Quality Compliance Systems. Chris talks through his journey from being a young programming enthusiast to the CTO of a company serving over 140,000 users. Chris also shares his perspective on the role of a CTO, balancing technical expertise with soft skills like strategic thinking and people management.

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Computerphile’s YouTube Channel

Software Engineering Radio Podcast

O'Reilly Subscription

Pluralsight

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Harry speaks to Sammy White, a former Learning Evangelist and now the Learning Lead at Glean, a company which aims to revolutionise note-taking for students in higher education. They explore the challenges and rewards of working in EdTech, and Sammy explains how her background in education informs her work in product marketing.

Sammy on LinkedIn

Glean website

Microsoft Speaker Coach

Common Sense Education

Google Applied Digital Skills

Glassdoor

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Harry interviews Leanne Cummings, the Deputy Director of GOV.UK. They discuss the formation, evolution and purpose of the UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS). Leanne explains what project management looks like at GDS, and how data drives their decision-making processes. They also explore the unique challenges of managing the UK Government’s official website, and Leanne offers advice for those aspiring to build a career in digital public sector roles.

Leanne on LinkedIn

Government Digital Service Website

GOV.UK Pay

GOV.UK One Login

Inside GOV.UK Blog

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