Well, guys, it’s finally happened. We’re closing in on the first year of NMH, and there’s been a lot of changes since May of 2009 (most of which are chronicled in links you can find on the about page). And during that time, I’ve learned a lot. But it seems that one of the most common questions I still get (besides the ones I answer in the monthly FAQs) is, “Why do you blog?”
The answer comes in three parts, the first of which is best explained by my very first post on May 19, 2009:
This blog is here to help explain some of the mistakes I’ve made (so you don’t) and offer some suggestions on dealing with an uncertain future. Whether you’re another job-seeker or one of the lucky ones behind a desk that just enjoys some good old schadenfreude, I hope that you’ll learn something.
That mission statement is still true today – I bungled through an application blitz that failed miserably (honestly, it’s because I didn’t take my own advice), I’ve had a bunch of job interviews that didn’t go to well, and I’ve had the good fortune to gain employment not once, but twice. And through it all, I learned something very important:
You can’t teach what you don’t know.
Everything that I post about is something that I’ve tried, or is something that I have seen done to success. Nothing I tell you is untested, because it’s essential that any information, advice or suggestions that someone gives you work. When I was starting on the post-college road, I found a lot of conflicting, untested and batshit crazy stuff out there, and a lot of it didn’t help. And a lot of my friends were in the same boat. So as I learn, I want to share it, so everyone can gain more knowledge and that there can be less contention over what works and what doesn’t.
The final reason, as I have mentioned before, is the less altruistic reason that the blog is a great way to keep my brain focused. Whether it’s the unintentional brilliance of VH1 dating show contestants, Batman’s badassery, my pseudo-attempt at discussing my love life, or even a post that’s been in my head since before I started the blog, it’s been a terrific outlet to vent the ol’ cranium.
So why do I blog? Because it helps people, and it makes my brain feel good.
Oh, and the spam is hilarious.
