An Open Letter to the Class of 2026

Consider the air you’re breathing right now as the last bit of subsidized oxygen you’ll ever get.  Prior to graduating, you rode academia’s conveyor belt of manufactured ‘participation’ progress, a systemic conveyor belt designed to move you forward as long as you didn’t jump off. Now, the belt has stopped. You are standing at the edge of a… Read More »

Job Seekers: Embrace the Dichotomy of Control

The Enchiridion of Epictetus, by Stoic philosopher Epictetus (50 – 135 CE), opens with a straightforward truth: “Some things are in our control, and others are not.” What you control are your beliefs, opinions, impulses, desires, fears, perceptions, and responses. What you don’t control are others’ beliefs, opinions, impulses, desires, fears, perceptions, and behaviours. I tend to compartmentalize, which is… Read More »

Before Social Media, You Were Normal

Spain is the latest country to take part in the growing “It’s about time!” international effort to protect children from the myriad harmful effects of social media. Speaking at the World Governments Summit 2026 on Tuesday, February 3rd, Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, declared that social media has become a “failed state.” Sánchez then announced plans to ban… Read More »

Have We Stopped Dreaming Because We Assume Things Would Last?

Have you noticed that nobody talks about the future anymore? What’s there to say when hyper-technological advancements are decimating professions and industries with no rebound in sight (Full disclosure: I view AI as a human replacement tool—employers requiring fewer employees—and not a productivity enhancement tool.), shifts in geopolitical relationships that were thought to be solid now feel like… Read More »

Taste Like Chicken’ Is Not a Compliment

More than ever, the job market is noisy, and competition is, to say the least, fierce. For job seekers, the biggest challenge isn’t a lack of skills or experience; it’s a lack of visibility. Recruiters and hiring managers are inundated with applications. I receive at least 10 emails or DMs daily from job seekers, most of whom send a… Read More »

Social Media Killed Cupid

Online dating and social media have changed how many people, especially those under 35, view love. Not long ago, the prevailing narrative, especially in Hollywood movies, depicted love as the result of a chance encounter. Another comforting narrative: “love is blind”; love knows no social boundaries—a princess can fall for a peasant. These narratives, along with others related… Read More »

Employers Are Not Rejecting You; They Are Choosing Better Options 

In terms of hiring, I have this, admittedly somewhat idealistic, holistic view: STEP 1: Candidates apply to a job opening. STEP 2: Candidates who applied according to the employer’s application instructions and based on their resume, appear qualified are selected for further assessment. STEP 3: The selected candidate’s LinkedIn activity and digital footprint are reviewed to assess their… Read More »