Real careers, real stories, never dull.

We’re All Peons and Gunslingers Mike Ogden 11/14/09 It bothers me that the ad agency world has turned us into this. If you’re in your 20s and making peanuts and working ungodly hours, guess what? You’re a peon. If you’re 40 or over and all you’re getting is freelance gigs, guess what? You’re a gunslinger. In your 30s? Enjoy your third decade, my friend.

Welcome to Omnicom, May I Take Your Order? Justin Celko 11/07/09 When I had just graduated from college, jobs in the Detroit communications industry were few and far between. Faced with a seemingly endless stack of bills from my college years and needing an immediate source of income...

Finding My Quarter Life Crisis Natalie Czajkowski 10/31/09 I easily, about 100 times a day during the work week, think, “I seriously need to stop frequenting my social networking sites and do the job I'm being paid to do.” Back to the regular routine: GMail, Facebook, Twitter, CNN, Google Reader, GMail, Facebook, Twitter, CNN, Google Reader. Rinse and repeat.

Do You Make These Word Choice Mistakes? Part Too Stefanie Flaxman 10/24/09 Do you feel that spark? When you noticed the error in the headline of this article, your brain had a “wait a minute, that’s not correct” moment. It’s easier to spot errors when they are not your errors.

Forrester Research—An Advocate for Change Rena Prizant 10/17/09 With a rapidly changing marketplace, companies need to move much faster than before. There needs to be a step away from maintaining long-term relationships and partnerships with agencies.

Work For The Man? Or Be The Man? Mike Ogden 10/10/09 Sooner or later, your ad career comes to this. Work for the man and collect regular paychecks. Or, be the man and make your own living.

Another Round, Please The Editor 10/03/09 Avast, in reading the words of various “experts” wringing their dainty little hands over the future of our admittedly ill-conceived industry, it appears we are once again in the throes of a self-induced pity fest. Well, woe is us. The end is near. Wah wah wah.

Do You Make These Word Choice Mistakes? Stefanie Flaxman 09/26/09 In the current economic climate, you can’t afford to make mistakes. You need a quick fix. There, I said it. Simple, to the point, non-bullshit grammar lessons that you’ll actually remember the next time that you are choosing between Word Choice A and Word Choice B.

The Naked Interview Paula Anderson 09/19/09 In my past experiences, being naked has never brought me luck necessarily. However, I feel like this instance may have been different.

The Year of Living Anxiously Justin Celko 09/12/09 Last year, when the economy officially began its downward spiral, it may have seemed to many that the sky was falling. Not me, I took it in stride. I’m from Detroit. I’m indigenous to poor economic climates.

Labor Day Everyday Mike Ogden 09/05/09 If you’re working, Monday is a day off. But for many of us, Monday is just another reminder we’re not working and we wonder if this uncertain time will ever end.

Free at Last Ramona Collins 08/29/09 Seven is the magic number. Seven years of gainful employment. Seven years of give and take. And, it came to a screeching halt with seven simple words: "We're going to have to let you go.”

The Secret to Perfect Grammar: Learning vs. Memorizing Stefanie Flaxman 08/22/09 Grammar is awful. It’s boring. It’s technical. It’s confusing. Learning proper grammar and memorizing proper grammar are different activities. The goal for each task, however, is the same: remember how to use language appropriately.

Madison Avenue, We Have a Problem Mike Ogden 08/08/09 I never thought I’d live to see it---a deer photocopying its butt. What happened next was what every account executive, media buyer and creative wishes for. I hit “Reverse” and watched the spot again.

Twitter for Job Searching: So June 2009 Jaimy Szymanski 08/01/09 Beyond the likes of Twitter and LinkedIn, there are a few online tools – many not widely known – that current job seekers may benefit from looking into and creating a presence on

How to Immediately Improve Your Writing Skills: Two Simple Steps Stefanie Flaxman 07/25/09 Writing may occupy the majority of your workday, even if you don’t have the word “writer” in your professional title. From co-worker and client correspondence over email to company presentations, creating text to express oneself is inherent in any type of media job.

Patient Flees Jack Steinmann 07/18/09 I've given a lot of thought to the health care “debate” lately. Mostly with alarm and resignation. Unlike in every other wealthy industrialized country in the world, health care here in the U.S. is a privilege, not a right. There's only one reason for that: money.

Fight or Flight Adam Pierno 07/11/09 Especially now, but not exclusively in down times, we (not just marketers or small business owners) need to get out there with our message. Promote what makes us special.

What Agencies Need. Respect. Mike Ogden 07/04/09 Too many clients don’t respect their agency’s thinking, expertise, creativity, or even the golden rule. How else to explain clients who discount strategic thinking and chew up and spit out agency ideas like chewing gum?

Everywhere There’s Something Steven Tornello 06/27/09 There’s always a lesson to be learned from the world around you. All you need are a pair of eyes, two ears that work and an open mind.

What Luke Sullivan, Ron Huey and Lynryd Skynyrd Taught Me About Advertising Dave Smith 12/13/05 After 15 years of writing ads, I am amazed at how much the business has changed since I first sat down in front of a computer to write at the in-house ad agency for a company that makes camshafts in Memphis. It was the kind of place where the receptionist's entire wardrobe was bought with Marlboro Miles.