Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips
Most government agencies are dysfunctional. There are simple reasons. One reason is that the path to promotion lies in spending money, not bringing value per cost.
Try to understand how people “get ahead” working inside a government agency. To make more money, you are promoted to a higher grade. I worked in a government [...]

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by Dwayne Phillips
Government employees retire and go to work for companies that the government is supposed to regulate and hire and such. This is a revolving door. Is it bad?
This story from the past week discusses how Telcos hired retired government employees to help them influence how the FCC (current government employees) regulates the Telcos. [...]

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by Dwayne Phillips
No journalism degree? Not needed to blog and break news.
Not a pro photographer? Not needed to publish world-wide on Flickr.
No computer science degree? Not needed to learn programming and work.
I believe these things to be true. I believe that you don’t have to have a credential from an organization that has been certified [...]

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by Dwayne Phillips
When can you quit your day job and write full time?
This question comes from time to time. Actually, it comes more often than I wish it would. People are looking for one answer:
Quit now, write full-time, and you will make loads of money.
I disappoint a lot of people because I [...]

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by Dwayne Phillips
When faced with a situation on a system-building project, we can find an approach that will work. We can also find many other approaches. Do we choose the better approach or one we personally like?
Several years ago, a professional soccer player spent a few afternoons helping to coach one of my son’s soccer [...]

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by Dwayne Phillips
The latest computer, the best desk and chair, even coffee brought to you while working – these are nice, but not the subject of this post. No, the most valuable asset a freelancer has is good health.
No Work No Pay
The reason I picked good health is simple: freelancers don’t have sick leave. If [...]

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by Dwayne Phillips
I just got a job through LinkedIn. That Web 2.0 stuff may actually work.
I retired from my government job several months ago after 28 years of “government service” (as we fondly like to call it). I had some skills and qualifications and wanted to work a few more years, and my wife didn’t [...]

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