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.
Government emails from Companies House often lack trauma-informed content and empathy, compounding the distress of bereavement or crisis. Content expert Adrie van der Luijt examines the damaging effects of trauma-ignorant messaging and offers practical steps for a more humane, trauma-informed approach to official communications.
Examining UK government digital inclusion challenges through GOV.UK One Login and Assist AI. How these initiatives address barriers for vulnerable users and what we can learn from international alternatives.
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.
Artificial intelligence is transforming knowledge work professions by eliminating mid-level roles while preserving entry-level and senior positions. Discover how this “hollowing out” is reshaping careers in software development, law, accounting, and other fields.
Workplace investigations have always been part of the management support landscape. What’s changing now is how these investigations are conducted.
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.
A brutally honest account of navigating unplanned career break challenges to care for an elderly parent, revealing the stark reality gap between claimed digital accessibility and actual user experiences.
Explore how mental models in content design must account for vulnerability, trauma and cognitive impairment to create truly accessible services that work for all users, including those in crisis.
Examining UK government digital inclusion challenges through GOV.UK One Login and Assist AI. How these initiatives address barriers for vulnerable users and what we can learn from international alternatives.
Discover how trauma-informed communication in rejection emails can protect candidates’ mental health while acknowledging the realities of modern hiring processes in today’s challenging job market.
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.
We’re witnessing the end of the traditional mid-tier knowledge worker career. It’s an opportunity to redefine professional value in more uniquely human terms.
The UK government’s recent partnership with Anthropic to integrate AI into public services raises a familiar question: will AI replace human professionals, or will it enhance their expertise?
Learn how cultural fluidity becomes a professional superpower in navigating workplace transitions. Discover strategies for transforming imposter syndrome into unique insight across diverse professional environments.
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.