Published inThe Post-Grad Survival Guide·PinnedThe 9 Things You Should Know Before Starting Your IT CareerIt’s about more than just the technology — This fall will mark my fifteenth year of working in Information Technology and adjacent roles. I started out as a student worker at my university back in 2006, learning the ins and outs of networking technology from a bunch of grizzled and good-hearted vets of the industry. Since then, I’ve…Work12 min readWork12 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·PinnedThe Part-Time Writer’s Guide to 25,000 Words per WeekDiscipline and efficiency are things that you can improve through practice — A few years back, I picked up a ghostwriting gig as a side hustle. The ask was for two to three fiction pieces per week, at around 10,000 words per piece. …Writing6 min readWriting6 min read
Published inSUPERJUMP·Apr 17, 2021I Broke Through My Starcraft Skill CeilingHow I used performance psychology to up my game — There’s a lot that I could say about my love for Starcraft II. But for the purpose of this article, I’ll let the words of a particularly cruel opponent sum things up for me: “how can u play so much and still suck this bad” It was an unfortunately valid…Gaming13 min readGaming13 min read
Published inSUPERJUMP·Feb 19, 2021Gaming in a Skinner Box: Roguelikes, Slot Machines, and Behavioral PsychologyExploring the reasons why it’s hard to put down roguelike games — If you peek into my Steam library, you would find a good bit of roguelikes + lites. It’s hilarious because I’m terrible at them! I’m afraid to share how many hours I’ve put into games like The Binding of Isaac, Risk of Rain, Enter the Gungeon, and Hades compared to…Gaming7 min readGaming7 min read
Published inThe Post-Grad Survival Guide·Dec 21, 2020Treat Your Career Advancement Like a Three-Legged StoolFind balance between compensation, skills, and responsibilities — It’s been twelve years since I graduated from college. In that time, I have held nine different IT-related roles, worked at six different organizations, and have lived in four different states. On average, that means that I’ve: Moved to a new state every three years Changed organizations every two years …Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Dec 16, 2020How I Would Free My Younger Self From Stage FrightI played the trumpet as a kid — from third grade all the way up through high school. In my estimation, I was okay. I wasn’t insanely gifted, but by most metrics I was a solid member of the groups that I played in. Except when the spotlight was on…Self7 min readSelf7 min read
Dec 12, 2020Waking Up Early Is Not Enough (You Need a Schedule Too)“Why isn’t this working?” It was 5:00am. I had already been up for an hour, half of that time spent listlessly scrolling through various articles, the other half spent looking at a blank Word document. …Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Dec 11, 2020The Frustrating Paradox of Building a Work EthicHave you ever seen a job posting for an entry-level position requiring multiple years of experience to apply? If your response is, “…you mean every single one?”, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. As ridiculous and ironic as these pleas for underpaid talent are, they’re a perfect analog…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Dec 11, 20203 Tough Questions That Might Make You Quit WritingThere are a thousand reasons for someone to pick up the pen. Some people fall in love with the craft. Others, the lifestyle. Some like the image, the attention, or the opportunity for self-expression. …Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
Dec 8, 2020The Guide to Writing Success, As Explained by Tabletop RPGs (and Probability!)I played a bunch of Dungeons & Dragons as a teen and young adult. …Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
