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A late April batch of links
Since the last batch of links went out, paying subscribers received an essay about generalists and specialists, then a Q&A with a 20-something whose career was further delayed due to the pandemic, then everyone received an OoO message from me, then paying subscribers read about the importance of chucking the old playbook, and, most recently, a reflection on setting and sustaining goals. This coming weekend, paying subscribers will get an entry from me about making sense of money we make and money we save.
Below, you’ll find a batch of links that represent the themes of this newsletter, which are career development, community building, and self care.
Hey, Board Gamers! Stop Trying to Convert Your Friends!
I no longer feel the need to convert my friends who are not enmeshed in the community, and they, in turn, don’t have to treat me with the kind but firm reluctance we tend to offer those who knock on our door with a Bible in hand.
A Beauty Treatment Promised to Zap Fat. For Some, It Brought Disfigurement.
The Post-Platform Internet. A lot of what Kyle shares here is what I believe to be true, that the future of social, if it must be online, will be in smaller sects and much less provocative than what we have done and dealt with to date.
Wall Street Tells New High School Graduates to Pick Tech Career Over Finance.
Does Your Résumé Pass the Six-Second Test? I’ll never understand why recruiters and career experts talk so openly and so actively about how they don’t spend any amount of time reviewing resumes. The message should be that if this is all true then you shouldn’t apply for roles this way. Look well beyond keyword stuffing and go directly to hiring managers who should meet you.
Why It’s Important to Show Gratitude at Work—and What’s the Best Way to Do It.
Young People Avoid Facing Their Finances More Than Ever. I’ll be writing about this subject in the coming weeks for paying subscribers, but the fear and frustration of coming of age during difficult economic times never really leaves you. “Avoidance” is the right word to describe what sets in, a sense that you will never have nice things and aren’t deserving of what you aspire to own someday.
Decline of White-Collar Workers Is Making More Room for Others.
Bosses Want Workers in Offices So Much That They Are Paying to Move Them. This perk has long existed, but it makes even more sense as a compromise in the current climate: “It was cool to see the relocation bonus in the offer already,” he said. “I really enjoy working in person, turning right next to me and there is a teammate there.”
What is the child care crisis, exactly?
It’s not quiet quitting. 1 in 6 workers are actually fighting a hidden illness. One of the best things about flexible work time is that nobody notices or knows when you’re going to the doctor. You can take appointments at times that wouldn’t have been available to you otherwise. It’s nobody else’s business but your own.
Women Who Earn More Than Their Husbands Share What Their Marriages Are Really Like.
What did the pandemic do to lunch? I love this angle. It fits squarely into the model of what I advise to all PRs to consider: ‘We used to do it that way. Enter pandemic. Now we do it this way instead.’ See: "She’s doing more business breakfasts and business dinners these days. But during the day it seems harder for people to find the time for a leisurely break, regardless of whether they’re working from home or the office."
Employees are looking for eco-friendly perks and opportunities.
Some people are wildly selfish jerks, but a lot of people are simply mildly inconsiderate. Others have had their brains so broken by smartphones + Covid that they don’t even realize that their behavior is incredibly antisocial and really really irritating to those around them. Others operate according to what they believe should be a norm of ubiquitous phone usage — and unless those of us who don’t want to live in a world of ubiquitous phone usage contest it, we’re going to wind up living in a world of ubiquitous phone usage.