Help! I've been promoted!

Recently, something significant happened to me at work. I was promoted. I had been performing exceedingly well in my job over the last couple of years, so it came as no surprise when the decision was announced. I knew that my life would change in many ways: An advancement up the corporate ladder meant bigger challenges, bigger responsibilities and a bigger paycheck. What I hadn’t expected was the subtle, yet significant change in the office environment around me.

Advice abounds on how to deal with rejection – rejection at a job interview, rejection from a love interest, rejection at a competition...

Read the full article in the September 2015 issue of Signs Of The Times

or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1200 words
Nonfiction/Corporate
Australia publication

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Words from the Wise

"Good article. We like it. I enjoy your writing style."

Paul Sterman

Associate Editor

Toastmaster Magazine

Demonstrating leadership in interviews

The word “interview” conjures up visions of unfamiliar people sitting across the table from you, waiting for the answer in uncomfortably expectant silence to a question that you haven’t prepared for properly, or worse, can’t even understand. The butterflies in the stomach, the dry throat, the beads of perspiration trickling down the forehead – the symptoms are all too common. 

Interviews come in many forms and are a means to achieve many things--from gaining new employment opportunities to testing the waters for new business ventures to assessing potential associates for corporate...

Read the full article in the July and August 2015 issues of Insight

or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1400 words
Nonfiction/Corporate
UK publication

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Words from the Wise

"Looks an interesting piece indeed"

Adrian Clifton

Editor

Insight

Think you can be a software tester?

Do you breathe? I bet you do.

Can you eat? I'm sure you can.

Are you using things like clothes, chairs and computers fairly regularly? I know you are.

Then you are a user. And if you're a user, you are a tester.

We're all users. We're all consumers. Across the world, we are customers of each other. The man who makes the bar of soap you use every day may, in turn, be using the very software you made to calculate the size and composition of the soap cake. Every second of our lives we're using something that makes our work faster, more efficient, cleaner, pleasanter; our leisure more comfortable, more interesting,...

Read the full article in the June 2015 post of Simple Talk

1900 words
Nonfiction/Software testing
UK publication

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Words from the Wise

"This is excellent... (It) made me smile... (I) agree with what you say"

Andrew Clarke

Editor

Simple Talk

When workplace becomes warzone: Resolving office conflict

Jane: “We should revolutionise our business model. It’s time to get in step with the rest of the world and embrace change.”

Dave: “No, our customers feel familiar and comfortable with our products. Old is gold.”

Jane: “You just don’t get it. We’ll be left behind! Your stick-in-the-mud attitude is exactly what is holding this company back. We need versatility. We need dynamism. Out with the old, in with the new!”

Dave: “Rubbish! If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”

And so saying, Dave walks off in a huff shaking his head and muttering something under his breath about ‘upstarts’. Jane throws her hands...

Read the full article in the May 2015 issue of Legal Management

or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1850 words
Nonfiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"Looks interesting... I like the article very much. It's a great article I would have loved to publish. Worth every bit of your fee. Do keep in touch!"

John O'Hanlon

Editor

Business Excellence

"Your article (is) very interesting"

Rick Maze

Editor

Army Magazine

"We think this information would be useful to our readers"

Robert and Melanie Whitcomb

Editors

Psychology For Living

"I'm intrigued by the creativity in some of your highlighted articles online."

Brendan Howard

Channel Director for Business

Advanstar

"This is a good subject for us."

Paul Sterman

Associate Editor

Toastmaster

Developer-tester relationships

Pogrammers program. Testers test. In an ideal world, everyone would do what they were good at (or at least what they were employed for) and the result would be a stable reliable fit-for-purpose product that helped the customer stay happy, the shareholders become rich and you survive to work another day.

The world of software development, though, is far from ideal. Tight deadlines, unclear requirements, limited budgets, and human errors make the office a volatile place with constant fire-fighting. Tempers run high. Patience runs low. Programmers and testers are at each others' throats. ...

Read the full article in the May 2015 post of Simple Talk


2065 words
Nonfiction/Software testing
UK publication

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Words from the Wise

"I enjoyed reading it. It is a very interesting article in places and at several places in the article I thought you'd made some very valuable points...The point you made about the testers rating the priority of bugs was an interesting one because I've known that cause conflict...
I like the style of the article, it is good, clear and straightforward. It puts the points across, and is easy to read."

Andrew Clarke

Editor

Simple Talk

17 Parenting skills transferable into your workplace

When I decided to go back to my job after a long absence taken to start a family, I had to contend with many anxieties. Chief amongst them was the fear of having rusty professional skills. Would I be useless in office?

Economic cycles with their booms and busts notwithstanding, more of us are in employment now than ever before. Whether you are returning to your old job or starting a new one, maternity (or paternity) leave doesn't have to mean the end of the road for your workplace capabilities. If anything, quite the reverse. After having children, you'll be learning new skills and developing...

Read the full article in the May 2015 issue of Signs Of The Times

or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1700 words
Nonfiction
Australia publication

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Words from the Wise

"I actually really like this. I am sure lots of other magazines will snap this up -- it's my loss though."

Hannah Stone

Publisher

The Natural Parent

"I love this, it's well written and well thought-out and full of bright, witty observations. I would like to use it"

Jenny Barlass

Editor

Totline

Returning to work after giving birth - 10 Advice [tips] for mums

‘I’m having a baby!’ I announced at work.

After the initial wave of congratulations had subsided, conversation turned to the inevitable question. ‘Are you planning to return to work?’ asked my colleagues, some with amusement, others in tones more anxious. ‘I don’t really know at this point,’ was my truthful answer. What I did know was that it was going to be an important, serious and potential uncomfortable choice to make, and one that could be life-changing.
 
A year later, as I neared the end of my maternity leave and the manic feeding-changing-sleeping frenzy settled into a regular and...

Read the full article in the February 2015 post of New Age Parents

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

750 words
Nonfiction
Singapore publication

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Words from the Wise

"I liked the piece very much"

John Feister

Editor-in-Chief

St. Anthony Messenger

"It's a great article"

Melody Tan

Associate Editor

Sign Of The Times

"That kind of article is perfect for our website"

Lydia Stone

Director Editorial Content

Together Moms

"It is well written, covers an important topic and provides helpful tips"

James D. Standish

Editor etc.

Record

"I'd love to publish this"

Sandy Pedrogao

Editor

Oh Baby!

"It looks quite interesting!"

Kristy Pillinger

Editor

Nurture Parenting

"We really like your article, and we'd love to publish it. It's an excellent article"

Jill Snider Lum

Associate Publisher

Canadian Newcomer/Settlement Roadmap

"We find your ideas and your article to be quite interesting"

Nina Kruschwitz

Managing Editor

MIT Sloan Management Review

"It contains some useful ideas"

Bill O'Sullivan

Senior Managing Editor

The Washingtonian

"It works for maternity but applies to more than just women with a new baby. The intro caught my attention."

Anonymous

Editor/Reader/Administrator

Broward Family Life

"This is a lovely piece of writing."

Tara Corcoran

Publishing Editor

Early Childhood Australia

"I love the topic. The subject is a great fit for our publication."

Dana Kamp

Managing Editor

Giggle

"It is well-written and practical. Having personally returned to work after maternity leave just a year ago, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this topic"

Emily Schatz

Editor

New Jersey Family Magazine

"Your articles are excellent"

Sheryl Rachmil

Editor

Rhode Island Family Guide

"I love the article and would love to have it featured in Today's Child"

Susan Koppel

ex-Editor

Today's Child Magazine

Dealing with team dynamics after a promotion

Recently, something significant happened to me at work. I was promoted. I had been performing exceedingly well in my job over the last couple of years, so it came as no surprise when the decision was announced. I knew that my life would change in many ways: An advancement up the corporate ladder meant bigger challenges, bigger responsibilities and a bigger paycheck. What I hadn’t expected was the subtle, yet significant change in the office environment around me.

Advice abounds on how to deal with rejection – rejection at a job interview, rejection from a love interest, rejection at a competition...

Read the full article in the February 2015 issue of Insight

or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1000 words
Nonfiction/Corporate
UK publication

***********************

Words from the Wise

"Good article. We like it. I enjoy your writing style."

Paul Sterman

Associate Editor

Toastmaster Magazine

Returning to work - How to cope with a new world after a hiatus

‘I’m having a baby!’ I announced at work.

After the initial wave of congratulations had subsided, conversation turned to the inevitable question. ‘Are you planning to return to work?’ asked my colleagues, some with amusement, others in tones more anxious. ‘I don’t really know at this point,’ was my truthful answer. What I did know was that it was going to be an important, serious and potential uncomfortable choice to make, and one that could be life-changing.
 
A year later, as I neared the end of my maternity leave and the manic feeding-changing-sleeping frenzy settled into a regular and...

Read the full article in the January/February 2015 issue of Calgary's Child

or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

750 words
Nonfiction
US publication

***********************

Words from the Wise

"I liked the piece very much"

John Feister

Editor-in-Chief

St. Anthony Messenger

"It's a great article"

Melody Tan

Associate Editor

Sign Of The Times

"That kind of article is perfect for our website"

Lydia Stone

Director Editorial Content

Together Moms

"It is well written, covers an important topic and provides helpful tips"

James D. Standish

Editor etc.

Record

"I'd love to publish this"

Sandy Pedrogao

Editor

Oh Baby!

"It looks quite interesting!"

Kristy Pillinger

Editor

Nurture Parenting

"We really like your article, and we'd love to publish it. It's an excellent article"

Jill Snider Lum

Associate Publisher

Canadian Newcomer/Settlement Roadmap

"We find your ideas and your article to be quite interesting"

Nina Kruschwitz

Managing Editor

MIT Sloan Management Review

"It contains some useful ideas"

Bill O'Sullivan

Senior Managing Editor

The Washingtonian

"It works for maternity but applies to more than just women with a new baby. The intro caught my attention."

Anonymous

Editor/Reader/Administrator

Broward Family Life

"This is a lovely piece of writing."

Tara Corcoran

Publishing Editor

Early Childhood Australia

"I love the topic. The subject is a great fit for our publication."

Dana Kamp

Managing Editor

Giggle

"It is well-written and practical. Having personally returned to work after maternity leave just a year ago, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this topic"

Emily Schatz

Editor

New Jersey Family Magazine

"Your articles are excellent"

Sheryl Rachmil

Editor

Rhode Island Family Guide

"I love the article and would love to have it featured in Today's Child"

Susan Koppel

ex-Editor

Today's Child Magazine