The Globe and Mail has a nice interview with CCG friend, editor, and author, Megan Hustad:
Why do people have such a strong desire to reprogram themselves for the
workplace? What happens in a corporate setting is not something that
comes naturally. There’s an art to doing well in these contrived
situations, and it’s difficult to do well without preparation and
training …Being snarky and cynical have become totally mainstream and it works
well with Internet culture because it’s fast, snappy and dismissive. [A
lot of young people] are surrounded by people who are so quick to take
any sincere effort down. My set associated careerism with being an
unimaginative Republican. I thought that if you’re really clever and
smart, things will take care of themselves and it will be enough. It’s
not ….Wanting to be of service to other people is a deep human need. Some
people underestimate how much they’ll enjoy their job once they stop
thinking it’s all about them and what they need to do to accomplish
their own ends. That’s not to say you need to be a brainless team
player. … It’s a paradox: If you want a more self-determined future
and career, you start getting there by extending yourself toward other
people more than you think you ever have to.
