Feet immersed in the next spa over, a woman who works at a university law school as job liaison talked of recent graduates who cannot successfully interview. With great credentials, good references, the new lawyers don't know how to talk with future employers. They cannot handle face to face business conversation. What to do? Who is supposed to teach these skills? Academics don't have it in the syllabi. If a curriculum is offered, in what school does it belong? Is it required or elective? There's no money to hire interpersonal tutors. Whose job is it anyway? I listen to the young people in my world, and regularly don't understand what's said. I love them, so occasionally I demand clarity. And speed control. I'm like whatever doesn't cut it. How did you feel about that? Did you make your position known? Namecalling on facebook is not the same as communicating. Texting is the new language. Their peers get it, but others in their orbit might not. A mentor will help them at many crossroads on the journey, and I hope it's not a long walk to realization. It's intriquing also that people older than 21 are adopting the distancing use of language and image. Photos are becoming obsolete - avatars are supposed to be representational. Have you noticed photographs cropped oddly? Eyes only, maybe with sunglasses. I drew myself as avatar, because I'm a drawer. I've drawn avatars for friends, too: we are all new to the age of having your stuff all out there. I wonder what else this depersonalizing might mean though? How are we defining ourselves? Am I my cat, my favorite sports team, my grandchildren, my car? Who are we?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
I'm Like Whatever
Feet immersed in the next spa over, a woman who works at a university law school as job liaison talked of recent graduates who cannot successfully interview. With great credentials, good references, the new lawyers don't know how to talk with future employers. They cannot handle face to face business conversation. What to do? Who is supposed to teach these skills? Academics don't have it in the syllabi. If a curriculum is offered, in what school does it belong? Is it required or elective? There's no money to hire interpersonal tutors. Whose job is it anyway? I listen to the young people in my world, and regularly don't understand what's said. I love them, so occasionally I demand clarity. And speed control. I'm like whatever doesn't cut it. How did you feel about that? Did you make your position known? Namecalling on facebook is not the same as communicating. Texting is the new language. Their peers get it, but others in their orbit might not. A mentor will help them at many crossroads on the journey, and I hope it's not a long walk to realization. It's intriquing also that people older than 21 are adopting the distancing use of language and image. Photos are becoming obsolete - avatars are supposed to be representational. Have you noticed photographs cropped oddly? Eyes only, maybe with sunglasses. I drew myself as avatar, because I'm a drawer. I've drawn avatars for friends, too: we are all new to the age of having your stuff all out there. I wonder what else this depersonalizing might mean though? How are we defining ourselves? Am I my cat, my favorite sports team, my grandchildren, my car? Who are we?
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