And Now for Something Completely Different

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Bart Leahy

A while back, I got assigned to a different supervisor, a guy younger than me who’s dedicated to doing all the “coach” things, including helping me with my career. My first response was, “Dude, I’m 55 years old. How much career development do you expect me to do?” Still, I agreed to think the matter over and see what I might do with the 10-20 years of useful work left in me. Continue reading →

Posted in business writing, careers, education, engineering, interviews, management, presentations, research, technical writing, Technology, workplace | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Proposals: What Are You Writing About?

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Bart Leahy

Recently, a colleague (DD, not to be confused with D2) called asking my help on proposal writing. She was relatively new to the field, and it was vexing her. The big complaint she had was, “When I ask the engineers, ‘How are you going to do X?’ or ‘How does that work?’ they didn’t know. Aren’t they supposed to?” This brought up a point I hadn’t considered in a while because I’d adsorbed it early in my career: what, exactly, are you writing about in a proposal when you’re writing the technical approach? Continue reading →

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Communications & Career Lessons from the von Braun Symposium

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Bart Leahy

Hello, technical communication enthusiasts! I know, it’s been a while since I wrote here, so let’s get to it. On assignment for my job, last week I attended the annual American Astronautical Society (AAS) von Braun Space Exploration Symposium in my old stomping grounds, Huntsville, Alabama. While I picked up only a few useful tidbits for my employer, I came away with a lot of good discussion points for tech writing students, engineers, space communicators, and anyone looking to stand out as a job candidate. Lucky you, I’m here to share.

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Posted in audience, careers, documentation, education, engineering, graphics, job hunting, leadership, mentoring, philosophy, presentations, proposal writing, technical writing, Technology, Uncategorized, workplace | Leave a comment

2023 Wrap Up and Miscellaneous Advice

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Bart Leahy

It’s been an action-packed year, so I have chosen to focus my brain on keeping my work and home life in order. As a result, I’ve devoted less time to this blog and more time to providing help and advice to my new coworkers. As a way to wrap up 2023, though, I thought I’d share some of the pointers I’ve been sharing at a small-to-medium-size space and defense contractor. May they serve you well in the new year. Continue reading →

Posted in business writing, editing, engineering, marketing, science fiction, social media, technical writing, Technology | 3 Comments

Ennui Got You Down? Consider These Tips

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Bart Leahy

This month’s missive is response to a friend who was struggling with his work situation. Republished with permission and a few additions. Continue reading →

Posted in careers, Office Politics, peers, personal, philosophy, workplace | Leave a comment