Time for an Update!  ## Metadata - Author: [[mel]] - Full Title: Time for an Update! - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: - #career - #portfolio - #open-source - #wordpress - #civic-tech - #job-search Author: Mel Choyce Source: [Time for an update! • Mel Choyce](https://melchoyce.design/2025/06/18/time-for-an-update/) Reference: [Time for an update! • Mel Choyce](https://melchoyce.design/2025/06/18/time-for-an-update/) date created: 2025-06-19 09:09 --- # 🚀 Time for an Update! Mel Choyce’s Career Pivot and Portfolio Refresh ## 📝 Summary Mel Choyce is back online after a hiatus, launching a new portfolio site and tossing her old five-year plan out the window. She’s looking for a new gig—ideally remote, and in fields like civil service, open source, or climate change (but she’s also up for surprises). Mel’s been busy with music and art, but now she’s ready for a fresh start. She plans to update her case studies and share more projects soon, and she’s open for connections via LinkedIn. ## 📖 Main Content Mel’s update is a candid look at career change and creative renewal. After a productive period away from blogging, she’s taken the leap to redesign her site, signaling a readiness for new professional adventures. Her job search is wide open, and she’s not shy about embracing uncertainty. The new site is both a practical move (goodbye, Figma deck) and a metaphorical reset. Mel’s voice is casual, honest, and inviting, and she encourages readers to reach out if they’re interested in working together. ### 🗒️ Notes - Mel’s career at 18F has ended; she’s on the job hunt. - Looking for remote work in civil service, open source, or climate change. - Open to new directions after a decade of structured work. - New portfolio website replaces her old Figma deck. - Plans to update case studies and share new projects. - Invites readers to connect on LinkedIn. - Tone: casual, witty, and transparent. ## 📖 References - [Time for an update! • Mel Choyce](https://melchoyce.design/2025/06/18/time-for-an-update/) - [Mel Choyce’s Portfolio](https://melchoyce.design/) - [Mel Choyce on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/melchoyce/) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase **Original:** “Okay, so, it’s been a while since my last post. But I’ve been busy! In addition to my job at 18F (RIP, more on that here), I’ve written a ton of music and done a bunch of art over the last couple years. Blogging’s fallen to the wayside.” **Paraphrase:** It’s been a minute since I posted, but trust me, I haven’t been slacking. Between my time at 18F (rest in pixels) and a creative spree in music and art, blogging just didn’t make the cut. **Original:** “But! Big changes are happening. My five-year plan is in the garbage, I’m looking for a new job, and I needed a better spot for my portfolio than a Figma deck. So, here we are: new site d⁠⁠esign, new content, fresh and ready for a new job.” **Paraphrase:** But wait—plot twist! The five-year plan? Gone. I’m job hunting, and my portfolio needed an upgrade, so here’s a shiny new website, fresh content, and a whole lot of readiness for what’s next. ## 📰 Newsletter **Subject: Mel Choyce’s Portfolio Gets a Makeover—And She’s Open for Business!** Mel Choyce, WordPress contributor and civic tech designer, just relaunched her portfolio and is on the hunt for her next adventure. After a creative stint at 18F, plus a musical and artistic detour, Mel’s looking for remote opportunities in civic tech, open source, or climate work—and she’s open to being surprised. If you’re looking for inspiration on portfolio-building or career pivots, check out Mel’s new site and connect with her on LinkedIn. And don’t miss the latest WordPress plugins and community updates—there’s never been a better time to get involved! ## ✅ Action Items - Mel’s open source advocacy and contributor engagement shine through—her experience at 18F and Automattic, plus her WordPress work, align with sustainable open source growth. - She models transparency in career transitions, key for onboarding and retaining contributors. - Her portfolio relaunch and candid communication reflect the adaptability valued in OSPO leadership. - Mel’s journey is a case study in personal branding and community engagement for the WordPress and open source ecosystems. ## 🧪 Hypotheses 1. Designers who share career pivots publicly attract more aligned opportunities. 2. Transparency about career uncertainty increases engagement from like-minded peers. 3. Regularly updating case studies boosts credibility and employability. ### 📊 Methodology - Track engagement on Mel’s site and LinkedIn before/after updates. - Survey designers who relaunch portfolios or announce career changes. - Correlate transparency and update frequency with job/network outcomes. ### ❓ Questions - How does public vulnerability about career direction affect opportunities? - What portfolio features most attract open source/civic tech employers? - How do creatives balance side projects with professional visibility? ### 🔮 Future Research - Study the impact of portfolio transparency on diversity and inclusion in hiring. - Explore best practices for blending creative and technical work in branding. - Compare outreach channels (blog, LinkedIn, forums) for open source job seekers. ### 💡 Implications - Could inform best practices for career communications in open source/civic tech. - May influence OSPO and hiring manager evaluation of personal sites. - Supports authenticity and transparency as core values in tech communities. ## 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment - **Readability:** Middle to high school level. - **Visual:** Minimal visuals; could use screenshots or infographics. - **Aural:** No audio; could add audio summaries or podcasts. - **Verbal:** Strong narrative; could add links to related resources. - **Physical:** No interactive elements; could add prompts or exercises. - **Logical:** No step-by-step breakdown; could outline redesign process. - **Social:** Invites LinkedIn connections; could encourage discussion. - **Solitary:** Reflective tone; could add journaling prompts. - **Naturalistic:** Brief climate change mention; could expand on sustainability. ## 📊 Accessibility Assessment - **Screen Reader:** Standard HTML, but images need alt text. - **Keyboard Navigation:** Likely supported; should be tested. - **Contrast/Readability:** Should confirm high contrast and scalable fonts. - **Text Resizing:** Likely responsive; test for layout integrity. ## 🌍 DEIB Assessment - **Cultural Relevance:** Broadly relevant topics; could highlight more diversity. - **Inclusive Language:** Neutral and welcoming; define jargon for newcomers. - **Neurodiversity:** Short paragraphs; more headers/bullets would help. - **Representation:** Not explicit; could feature more diverse projects. - **Psychological Safety:** Open tone; encourage respectful discussion. ## ✅ Logical validity - **Strengths:** - Deductive reasoning: Redesign follows career change. - Factual: References specific experiences. - Balanced: Uncertainty and excitement acknowledged. - Logical flow: Reflection → action → invitation. - **Weaknesses:** - No logical fallacies detected. ## 🔍 DARVO Analysis - **Deny:** No denial or minimization—Mel is transparent. - **Attack:** No attacks; focus is personal and constructive. - **Reverse Victim/Offender:** No reversal; no blame assigned. ## 🔍 SEO Evaluation - **Keywords:** Present but could be stronger. - **Meta Description:** Not included; should summarize update. - **Title Tag:** Clear, but could mention “portfolio” or “career update.” - **Headers:** Minimal use; more H2s/H3s would help. - **Content Length:** Short; more detail would help SEO. - **Links:** LinkedIn link present; more internal links would help. - **URL:** Clean and descriptive. - **Images:** None; adding optimized images would help. - **Mobile:** Likely responsive; should be confirmed. - **User Engagement:** Invites LinkedIn contact; could add calls to comment/share. - **Schema:** Not specified; adding Article/Person schema would help. - **Social Sharing:** No share buttons; adding them would help. ## 🎯 Conclusion Mel Choyce’s “Time for an update!” is a witty, candid look at career transitions, portfolio strategy, and embracing change. Her - Summary: Okay, so, it’s been a while since my last post. But I’ve been busy! In addition to my job at 18F (RIP, more on that here), I’ve written a ton of music and done a bunch of art over the last couple years. Blogging’s fallen to the wayside. But! Big changes are happening. My five-year […] - URL: https://melchoyce.design/2025/06/18/time-for-an-update/ Okay, so, [it’s been a while since my last post](https://melchoyce.design/2023/01/25/2022-recap/). But I’ve been busy! In addition to my job at 18F (RIP, [more on that here](https://18f.org/)), I’ve written a ton of music and done a bunch of art over the last couple years. Blogging’s fallen to the wayside. But! Big changes are happening. My five-year plan is in the garbage, I’m looking for a new job, and I needed a better spot for my portfolio than a Figma deck. So, here we are: new site design, new content, fresh and ready for a new job. What would I like to do next? Well, I’m always up for a remote job in these areas: * Civil service on a contracting, local, or state level * A company that builds and advocates for open source * Anyone looking to mitigate climate change * …Surprise me! I’m open to a lot of new opportunities. I haven’t felt this undirected in my career in over a decade, so it might be time to really dive into something new. If you’d like to chat, [send me a message on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/melchoyce/)! What’s next for my site? Well, I plan on refining some of my [case studies](https://melchoyce.design/work/), and have some other projects I’ve been noodling on that I’d like to talk more about. Keep an eye on this space. Some content could not be imported from the original document. 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