Fired? I’ve worked in tech or tech-adjacent for close to 25 years, so the specter of layoffs lurks in my peripheral vision like a mean ghost. I held my breath during the big tech layoffs a couple of years ago. Would I be next? I’ve been laid off five times before, but I’ve always known…
Tag: work
Finding Purpose, Fighting MEH
As humans, we are drawn to meaning and purpose. This makes us pretty unique among the animal kingdom. I’ve never met a dog who was concerned about making a difference in the world. Our inclination to find, make, and seek meaning also tends to make us a little miserable. The basics of survival never feel…
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…
Why We Need Generalists in Tech
I am not a programmer. While I do have a distant background in visual design, I can’t do anything particularly impressive with Creative Suite; nor can I build more than the most basic html web page. I don’t have an MBA, or an accounting degree, or a particular knack for sales. What I do have:…
is it possible to make an honest living?
And by honest, I mean HONEST. I have been looking at how people, especially creative people, make a living. Call it a personal research project. I am interested in what people do to make money, because I think that this is the one area where people tend to have the greatest cognitive dissonance. As in,…
Plumb Wonderful 