Tag Archives: career

Sequestered and Feeling Fine

Due to a sequester-related contracting snafu, I get a spring break of an indeterminate length! Hopefully, I will be back to work at the National Weather Service in a week or two. They call it a “gap” as they move … Continue reading

Posted in rants | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Communicating Science: Make It Relevant

How do you communicate science to a general audience? That was the subject of a recent presentation I gave to the Federal Communicators Network. Based upon my experience as a science communicator for NOAA and The Nature Conservancy, I suggest … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Five Things Reporters Want

“Reporters are lazy,” a PR director once told me. “They won’t do any work – they want everything explained to them.” I’ve been on both sides of the table, as a freelance writer and as a communications manager. It’s not … Continue reading

Posted in rants | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Lead a Fascinating Life but Make No Money: My Year in Writing

The more interesting the work, the less it pays – that’s the rule I uncovered in 2012. It’s the reason why technical writers are paid well (you want to write a help guide for Sharepoint?) while film reviewers are paid … Continue reading

Posted in raves | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Give Me Pizza, I Will Give You a Quote

No one can resist free pizza. That was the idea behind a novel recruitment effort by Vocus, a public relations software company out of Beltsville, MD. They sponsored a food truck on the streets of DC and gave out pizza … Continue reading

Posted in raves | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The $100 Startup – Chapter Three: Follow Your Passion… Maybe

Some books deserve a closer read. One of these is The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau. Follow along as I delve into the book, chapter by chapter. I’ll breakdown each chapter, providing a sort of Cliff Notes summary. And I’ll include … Continue reading

Posted in reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Movie That Gets Washington: Broadcast News

The Washington Post recently had an article about DC in the movies, highlighting director James L. Brooks for really getting Washington. From All the President’s Men to his latest, How Do You Know?, he displays an excellent understanding of the … Continue reading

Posted in reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Adapt Your Resume to the Market

Check out my article on FlackRabbit. It’s about how should help employers find you by orienting your resume to their needs.

Posted in rants | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

2009 Highlights

It’s the end of the year, and the end of a decade. What were my favorite projects of 2009? What did I have the most fun working on? Murder in Ocean Hall I can’t help myself, I like to write … Continue reading

Posted in raves | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

USAJOBS vs CBO Job Site

Too much exposure to USAJOBS has really turned me cynical. Despite news reports on the need to recruit thousands of new employees, the main federal jobs site is a usability nightmare, unfathomable to even people who work on web sites, … Continue reading

Posted in rants | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment