What's he on about now?

In case the articles, essays and opinions throughtout this site just weren't enough for you, here's my online diary (a.k.a. 'blog'). It's as close as you'll come to the inside of my head, so don't say I didn't warn you
(and remember, you can always e-mail me if you love or loathe anything you're about to read)...


   Monday, October 20, 2003

OH, GROW UP

Job hunting depresses me faster than an Ingmar Bergman triple-bill. With no particularly solid experience in any one narrow field (or the piece of paper from U of T), I feel generally useless when asked, "Why should we hire you?" I know I'm supposed to be a Go-getter who Believes in Himself but, hey, I'm Catholic and sensible enough to ask questions even of myself.

Besides, it doesn't help when all the job ads I check into read like this one:

You will be a confident leader who will inspire and motivate your team to deliver excellent sales and customer service, and maximise revenue for all our business streams...able to manage and meet your weekly and monthly revenue targets. In return we offer a great package and benefits, a fun working environment and challenges to meet your personal and career goals.

Well, it certainly sounds like a fun environment, doesn't it?

I know that the only true path to adulthood is to stop snivelling over missed opportunities and pick something concrete but what? People say, "What's your passion?" and I say, "This! Conversation, communication, brainstorming. Ideas, opinions and jokes. Connection." I don't know how to successfully make a career out of that yet, when everything I just described is generally in the service of promoting some pointless product or one-note political candidate.

Yes, this is my Holden Caulfield 'all-men-are-phonies' rant, fifteen years too late. I've got to grow the hell up but I just don't see where to start. As always, when in doubt, I turn to Mark Twain for advice:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream.
Discover.