“No Openings”

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Scott Smith

In the previous millennium when most people still wrote résumés, and rejection letters, on typewriters, I found an envelope in my mailbox from a company to which I’d sent my rez a few weeks prior. 

I bounded up the stairs to my apartment and ripped open the seal before I’d even closed the door. Inside the envelope was the cover letter that I’d written and signed. Somebody had written “No openings.” with ball-point pen at the top of the letter. 

At that moment, I was infuriated. Though I later realized that they had made an effort to reply: writing the two words, addressing an envelope to me and getting it stamped, and in the mail. So many others didn’t do jack shit.

In the past couple of years, I’ve read the agonizing stories of people who have applied for dozens and dozens of job postings and have received only a few replies, if any at all.

I know that there are many companies using AI to make (or influence) staffing decisions and I get why they’re doing that.  Though if you are a recruiter, hiring manager, etc. and your candidate-selection methods are AI-reliant, I would love to hear your rationale about why you are not using said AI to inform candidates about their status. Though in this modern era, you should strive for something more than “No Openings.”

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Pure Substance Content

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Scott Smith

I finished up the school year yesterday and this morning I revisited something I wrote before I started working in education four years ago.

Predictions about the future have never been in short supply. However, tech predictions have seemed nearly ubiquitous in recent years.

This seems as good a time as any to  wade into the tech-prediction pool:

“Organizations that can ensure systematic and efficient reuse of content will provide clarity through consistency, and delivery of better, personalized, content experiences for consumers; therefore these organization will gain a competitive advantage over competitors in their space.”

To be honest, this is not a new prediction.  It’s from a position paper I wrote for my Dot-Com Era employer….in the year 2000 (How’s that for content reuse?).

A few years ago, I thought about that 2000 position paper, as I pondered the  current (in 2020) state of content strategy, including single-source content and content reuse.  Roughly 3,500 words later, I developed a (rather extended) chemistry metaphor which classified types of content of as:

  • Elements
  • Molecules
  • Pure Substances (which are elements or molecules)
  • Mixtures

(I’ll explain more about this metaphor in future post, but you should note that my scientific credentials are unimpeachable: I MINORED in Political SCIENCE!)

I have a bit of downtime, thus going to revisit those 3,500-ish words and harvest some of my thoughts, assuming they make sense, and are relevant. I’m going to try to express them in  blog posts, and perhaps in-person presentations. I’m looking forward to getting the thick of content strategy discussions again.

 

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Where’s The Boss?

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Scott Smith

The video of the two Target employees—who are US citizens, and minors— being abducted (call it what it was) from their suburban Twin Cities store, by ICE or Border Patrol agents  is appalling.

(I’m not going to post the video here, you can find it, and watch it, at your discretion. )

I’m equally bothered by what you don’t see: nowhere do you see Target’s floor manager, the general manager, or security… acting to halt or mitigate the kidnapping (again, call it what it is). Where’s the boss?

Yes, it did happen fast, but the incident began in the store’s parking lot, before the first child was tackled in the entranceway where a struggle ensued. Then the second youth was kidnapped (call it what it is) in the store, off camera.

There was time to intervene. Store management had to be aware of what was happening and seemingly didn’t do jack shit about it.

I don’t have much faith that the kidnappers will be charged by the federal government. Though I expect there will legions of pro-bono attorneys who will volunteer step bring a child-endangerment lawsuit against Target.

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Well, Back In My Day…..

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Scott Smith

A couple of mornings ago, I awoke to a new year. A bit before sunrise, I walked the dog, and moved some furniture. Then went out to clear snow and ice from our driveway, sidewalks and our Mazda. 

I spent an inordinate amount of time freeing the ice-glazed wiper blades from the windshield.

Admittedly, I  have been a bit negligent about pulling the blades away the glass….because I couldn’t remember the multi-step procedure, which begins with the car running, ffs! 

For my whole life the procedure, was 1-step (Pull the blades away from the glass.).

But now:

  1. Car must be on.
  2. Car must be turned off.
  3. Within 30 seconds, the  “Mist” setting on windshield wiper control and
  4. The “Mist” setting must be selected a second time (still within 30 seconds).
  5. When the wiper blade are in their vertical “Lock” position, they may be safely pulled away from the windshield. 

Perhaps, car companies should engage people of my age group to write the functional requirement for their future car designs.

 

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