Why I Write

I write this blog for the same reason I wrote my quick-reference career survival-guide handbook -- to help people improve their abilities in all things related to job search and interview technique. It encompasses the old-school methods, which work even better today than back in the day, primarily because of that which most no longer do, much less even remember to do, in our increasingly plain-vanilla, cookie-cutter everyone’s the same, point and click world.

I recall that last year I was asked if I would simultaneously post my blog to a website with other people giving various advice about searching for jobs, resumes, social networking, etc. After a couple of entries I was contacted by the administrator, who suggested I soften my tone. She suggested that I am too direct and they instead wanted people to feel good about themselves; she suggested I adapt my style of writing. Ironically, it reminds me of the recurring theme of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, in which Howard Roark is accused of being too much of an individual and is urged throughout to “compromise, why go to extremes, there’s always a middle course then you’re sure to please everyone, give in…”, in other words, begin to write the articles as does everyone else, and then I can be like everyone else…. No Thanks.

I am all for people feeling good, but I suggested that my goal is to help people empower themselves and regain a measure of self-confidence. I continued that I would not change for the sake of a group hug but, instead, it is increasingly necessary to re-awaken people to recognize they are fully capable of helping themselves. I politely replied that if my style and manner of writing, if my advice, is too strident for some I would no longer rain on their parade. There are plenty of others writing useless garbage that consumes time but accomplishes little. I’d rather provide readers with knowledge they can actually use, thereby improving their livelihoods.

So, if you want to be told everything’s okay and seek prose that soothes rather than challenges, there are plenty of other places where you can go. The internet has lots of helpful info but it does require effort to separate the wheat from the chaff and I hope to provide the former rather than the latter.  My goal is to, instead, provide serious advice and inspire readers to step beyond their comfort zones in order to help themselves. You be the judge.