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.
Work-life integration for purpose-driven professionals: A trauma-informed content specialist explains why balance is the wrong goal when your work spans borders and helps vulnerable people.
Micro trauma—the accumulated effect of everyday stressors—significantly impairs users’ ability to process information effectively. Learn how trauma-informed content design principles can create more accessible digital experiences that accommodate cognitive limitations caused by stress, anxiety and distraction, helping vulnerable users complete critical tasks when they need support most.
The rise of AI is not a threat; it’s an opportunity. To stay relevant, professionals must upskill, build AI literacy, and redefine their roles. Those who do will be more valuable than ever in the AI-driven workplace.
Skills disruption in the coming years won’t be gentle or fair. Your ability to evolve your capabilities might be the only job security you’ve got.
A government content designer explores how to build trust in AI-driven public services through trauma-informed approaches, transparency and ethical design principles.
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 career risk-taking – whether saying no to prestigious roles or pursuing risky opportunities – can lead to unexpected success. Real-world examples from financial journalism and corporate career decisions.
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.
If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a shiny new piece of technology and feeling utterly ‘foreswunk durch Technik’ – exhausted before even starting – you’re not alone.
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.