Four Lessons I Learned Too Late about Balancing Work and Grad School

I’m in the final stretch of a graduate program I’ve completed while working 40 hours a week. Three years ago, I remember agonizing over whether to enroll. Would I lose my friends? Would my work performance suffer? What would I have to cut out of my life to manage the added time put towards school? […]

Reviving the Handwritten Thank-You Note: Tips, Tools, and a 4-Sentence Template

I’m pretty sure you already think handwriting thank-you notes is a good move. So why don’t you more often? Does it seem old-fashioned? Too much work? Overly time-consuming? Not sure what to say? Do you associate it with obligatory notes to Aunt Martha, thanking her for your itchy birthday socks?

Turn Travel with Colleagues into Your Professional Superpower

Over the past year, I’ve spent dozens of hours in a car, train, or plane next to a coworker. We Atoms travel together between offices and to client sites, outreach events, and conferences. I’ve always loved traveling. The passing landscape provides the perfect backdrop for a nap, catching up on email, or staring out the […]

Who’s Doing the Glue Work at Your Company?

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the work that falls outside of job descriptions. I’m talking about the stuff that needs doing, but isn’t anyone’s explicit job. I’m aware of how this type of work can impact my career, but Atomic has made that impact manageable—and sometimes even beneficial—through smart policies. I’ll share my story and […]

Cell Beta Launches into the Atomic Accelerator in Ann Arbor

The Atomic Accelerator is our professional development program for newly-graduated developers who join Atomic Object each spring. This summer, we’re welcoming the four members of Cell Beta, the second Accelerator cohort to join Atomic’s Ann Arbor office.

Five Tips for Sharing a Project Retrospective with Your Whole Company

I recently attended a retrospective led by a team of Atoms who worked on a large project. My colleagues were both vulnerable and knowledgeable as they shared challenges, successes, and hard-won lessons. Two Atoms from the team shared their process for creating the project retrospective with me. I organized their thoughts into five tips your […]

Onboard New Clients Like New Employees to Start Projects Off Right

Once you’ve sold work to a new client, you can focus all your attention on doing good work, right? Not exactly. Before you simply drop the client into the mix, it’s a good idea to invest some time in your relationship.

Harnessing the Power of People Skills, One Interview at a Time

This is the story of how our first non-technical employee helped Atomic Object, slowly but surely, build a culture that insists on good people skills for everyone. When Mary O’Neill joined Atomic Object in the early 2000s, she was our sole woman and only non-technical employee (managing accounting and other operational business activity).

Atomic Welcomes Two Designers and a Developer

Since August, Atomic’s offices have gained a designer in Grand Rapids and a designer and a developer in Ann Arbor. Now that they’ve settled in, I asked each of them to tell me about themselves and their favorite parts about their new roles.

Atomic Awarded for Being a Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace

Just in time for National Breastfeeding Awareness month, Atomic Object received a gold-level Michigan Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace Award. The distinction, awarded by the Michigan Breastfeeding Network, acknowledges organizations that demonstrate support for women who may need to express breast milk while at work.

Atomic Spin

Atomic Object’s blog on everything we find fascinating.

By: Elaine Ezekiel

Author: Elaine Ezekiel