Every culture has its own lingo. In addition to native language, there are buzzwords and lexicons that involve a kind of vernacular shorthand. Industries are ripe with acronyms, slang is rampant across cultures, and popular activities have their own vocabularies. 

Here’s a secret: Almost everyone hates networking events. That may be because they bring back memories of our eighth-grade spring dance where the boys and girls split down the middle like the parting of the Red Sea. Adults at networking events tend to cluster together in groups, which automatically forces some people into the outsider role. Before you know it, you may be sitting in a chair on the sideline while everyone else is dancing.

As adults, networking events are the kind of forced-fun events that tend to feel less like fun and more like work. Many of us simply are not comfortable in an artificial environment designed to bring people together. Despite the yummy finger food and the open bar, networking events are often viewed as a necessary evil.

This article will help you understand why networking events can be so hard — and give you some pointers on how to make them better.

All Writers are not created equal. Not only are there differences in skill sets, there are also different kinds of copy that need to be written and edited. It’s true that finding a good writer is hard, but trust us, finding a good editor is also tough. While writing copy is an art (and a science for technical writers), editing is all about the science of grammar, sentence structure, and the weight and meaning of the content.

Copyeditors are both similar to and different from Copywriters. In fact, you can’t have strong copy without both a Copywriter and a Copyeditor. (Also, a Proofreader.)

This article will clear up any confusion you might have about these jobs.

If you’re in the workforce today, it’s likely that you’ve undergone a background check and drug screen. Most companies in the United States conduct both of these tests. Are you asking yourself what this means? What's the point? Read on!

If you’re a Recruiter, this economy sucks.

That’s because the U.S. unemployed labor market is down to around 4%. To put it another way, just about everyone that’s employable is already working. That means recruiting for talent has gotten a lot harder. It’s a white-knuckle economy for even the most seasoned, well-networked Recruiter.

I started my sales career in telecommunications. Each December, for the six years I was in that industry, my telecom employer would lay off the bottom 20% of its underperforming sales team. No discussions, just, boom, you’re not making the numbers — and then you’re on the dole. After a few years of watching this, I stopped learning the names of the new sales reps until I knew they could survive this cutthroat practice.

It’s time for human resources to get a makeover. There’s plenty of evidence now that outdated employee performance ranking systems and punitive evaluative processes destroy corporate morale.

The application process is getting cleaner and more mobile-friendly and Recruiters are seeking new ways to attract talent beyond advertising. A 4% unemployment rate has forced employers to rethink how they keep employees on the job longer. 

What is the number one characteristic that any marketing professional needs to have today?

The answer is adaptability.

We live in an increasingly harried and disjointed world. This makes building cohesive digital products exceptionally hard. Bridging the gap between Strategists, Designers, and Software Engineers requires a new approach to how these projects are managed. Even small teams can struggle with cohesion.

Fortunately, something new has emerged from the digital noise: