Is anybody calculating the damage being done to corporate brands in the technology industry right now? I mean, there’s the widespread technology industry layoffs. Compound the layoffs with all the nonsense happening with job hunting, such as companies posting jobs they have no intention of filling. There’s also the flurry of smug and c...

Layoffs are, unfortunately, a fact of life in many industries. If you work in a content job such as technical writing or marketing, you're bound to be the first one out the door when things break bad for your employer. I concluded years ago that a job is a temporary time and place. No truer words. I've even said those words when I've b...

I've been spending much time on LinkedIn since I'm on a job hunt. My track record of finding jobs and gigs on LinkedIn has always been positive. Fast Company published an interesting article about a potential new technology that is supposed to tell if people lie on their LinkedIn profiles. Here's a quote from the article: “At its last ...

Growing up with dyslexia means I was never really a classroom learner. Moving the lectures online didn’t change that fact either. So, my pre-pandemic experience with online training was usually very start and stop or because the training was mandatory because of my job. While I class myself as a lifelong learner, I play it by my own ru...

I'm in the midst of switching jobs and have gotten reflective on writing, marketing, and the state of thought leadership in particular. Here's what's been on my mind: Thought leaders: Some have a calling. Others campaign. When I was freelancing for CNET TechRepublic, I would describe the way I came to choose sources as consultative. I ...

There's just so much to unpack from It’s Time to Get Rid of the IT Department in the Wall Street Journal. I'll start with this quote. “But here’s the sad fact: Having an IT department is exactly what will prevent companies from being innovative, agile, customer-focused and digitally transformed.” While I've worked in organizations with...

“Thx” “OK” “K” Or no response at all. All of these are responses we’ve gotten over the years via email, group chat, or text from coworkers or clients. The recent mad rush to remote work means it’s time for organizations to reevaluate their team communications. Misunderstandings are made easier in remote work environments. In fact, I re...

Metrics can become an essential ingredient of proposals, marketing collateral such as fact sheets, and even internal employee reviews to testify to accomplishments. Unfortunately, few organizations do a fine job of collecting metrics, despite the growth of tools and cloud platforms that make it easier to do than ever. A missing element...

I'm a big believer in checklists when writing articles and white papers. Using them helps keep me on track. I also like them because it's an easy way to capture stylistic decisions out of people's brains. Andy Crestodina out of Orbit Media Studios published an excellent checklist in their blog post entitled Web Content Best Practices: ...