Workplace Insights by Adrie van der Luijt
Careers aren’t really ladders, they’re more like messy scribbles with occasional moments of clarity. I’ve spent decades watching talented people waste years chasing what they thought they should want rather than what actually suited them.
The posts in this section reflect what I wish someone had told me thirty years ago: that the most successful careers are built on knowing your strengths, acknowledging your limitations and having the courage to navigate workplace politics without becoming what you despise.
Whether you’re just starting out or questioning decades of choices, you’ll find honest reflections on creating a career that works for you rather than burning yourself out for an organisation that sees you as replaceable.
Discover 11 powerful AI prompts content designers aren’t using that go beyond basic instructions, from vulnerability audits to stakeholder simulation, developed through real-world government AI implementations.
Discover how strategic timing in content design affects user trust, cognitive load and accessibility. Learn when to slow down interfaces to improve credibility and when urgency messaging backfires.
The traditional professional development model relied on a progression that now risks disappearing. Without deliberate intervention, we face not just economic disruption for current mid-tier professionals, but potentially an expertise crisis in the coming decades.
For developers navigating the shift towards AI coding, the path forward isn’t about competing with AI on coding speed or syntax knowledge. It’s about developing the skills that complement rather than compete with what AI can do.
Male Executive Assistant roles are still rare in the management support profession, which remains stubbornly gendered despite evolving roles.
Virtual assistants marketing themselves as handlers of “tedious tasks” face a reckoning as AI advances. This disconnect reveals a broader failure to recognise how support roles are evolving. As the transactional model becomes obsolete, VAs must reimagine their value beyond task execution to remain relevant in tomorrow’s workplace.
Digital inclusion remains an urgent challenge as vulnerable and elderly users face complex barriers to essential services. Learn five strategies for creating truly accessible systems and why AI alone won’t solve these fundamental problems.
Are deepfakes a genuine threat to UK government services? A former insider examines how Universal Credit, GOV.UK One Login and other systems might be vulnerable – with surprising conclusions about where the real risks lie.
Are deepfakes a genuine threat to UK government services? A former insider examines how Universal Credit, GOV.UK One Login and other systems might be vulnerable – with surprising conclusions about where the real risks lie.
Managing client expectations has become more challenging for freelance content designers and strategists in the AI era. Learn how content professionals can navigate pricing pressures and communicate their value when clients think AI can replace expertise. Discover strategies for sustainable content design in a rapidly evolving industry.
Trauma-informed content can be produced with the help of AI tools without risking secondary trauma to the content designer or content strategist.
Learn how to protect your career and mental health after a failed project. Discover practical strategies from a highly experienced professional who’s survived major project failures while maintaining professional reputation and wellbeing.
Discover how AI can transform your user research and testing process while avoiding common pitfalls. Learn a practical framework for using AI responsibly in content design, with real-world examples from GOV.UK and Environment Agency projects. Honest insights about AI hallucinations and where artificial intelligence genuinely enhances research outcomes.
The hollowing out we’re witnessing in software development, executive assistance and copywriting isn’t a coincidence. It’s part of a broader pattern reshaping virtually every knowledge work profession, though at different rates and with field-specific nuances.
Discover how career improvisation transforms professional limitations into opportunities. Learn practical strategies for navigating non-linear career paths and finding value in unexpected transitions.
Discover how workplace culture differences manifest in everything from lunch arrangements to birthday traditions. A Dutch-English ‘cultural translator’ shares practical insights for navigating international business environments and decoding unwritten workplace rules before accepting your next role.