Networking is one of my least favorite words in the English language. Not because I don’t enjoy chatting with people (though admittedly my enjoyment varies according to the people in question), but rather because of the implicit element of commerce. Each party is trying to figure out what they can sell to the other, or…
Author: kittyireland
Paying attention to attention, psychology, habits, art, writing, literature, mysteries, nonsense, addiction, humanism, humor and cake.
Glacier National Park: A Prophecy
The first time I was locked out of a car I was 8 years old and on top of a mountain in Montana. My mom and I had been whisked from Idaho to Montana by her friend Joan. It was 1979. This was one of the occasions when my mom was suicidal. Joan — who…
When Flaws Are Strengths
I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. For a large portion of my adult life (say, ages 25 to 40) I thought this uncertainty was probably not good. Shouldn’t I have a plan? Maybe an advanced degree? Every time I find myself in-between jobs, I have a minor existential career…
Let Me Be Your SME
I know a thing or two about a thing or two. Back in my content curation days at Evri, I had to learn the language used to describe every niche interest known to humankind. Every few days I would spend some time reading about a new topic and trying to find the common phrases, slang,…
Happy Birthday, Mom
Friday was my mom’s 65th birthday. I don’t remember the last time I talked to her, but it was probably more than three years ago now. Every so often, she leaves me a voicemail, and it’s like getting messages from the dead. August 1st has always been kind of a family holiday. My mom was…
10 Reasons You Should Hire Me
I have a hard time getting up the chutzpah to really pitch myself to potential employers. I’m an introvert. I’m fairly humble. I always say that I’m a terrible salesperson, but the truth is I just avoid selling because I hate it. It’s also a little challenging to formulate a coherent narrative out of my…
Who Are You?
Last week I watched this eloquent 2009 TED talk by Alain de Botton on how we define success. His thoughts on career-based snobbery struck me, as I’m one of those people who has had fancy sounding job titles that no one understands, and I often wonder how that influences the opinions of people I meet. I…
14 Things To Do When Your Job Disappears
Once upon a time you could get a job and keep it for years unless you did something fire-able. There used to be these crazy things called pension plans that guaranteed long-term employees an income after they retired. Sure, there were sometimes layoffs, but layoffs were just bad luck, not a normal part of life….
The Danger of the “Chick Job”
You’ve met and probably worked with at least one: the “Marketing Chick” or the “HR Chick” or the “Admin Chick.” Let me be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these noble professions. But for a woman working at tech companies, these roles can be dangerous. Or at least for this woman they…
On Not Losing Hope
A lot has changed in the world since I moved to Seattle and got my first job at a video store in 1990. My first resumé was typed on a typewriter that I rented for a quarter at the public library. The old downtown library looked more like a library and less like a spaceship…
Plumb Wonderful 