Generation Debt

An excerpt from an excellent series of articles from the Village Voice on the realities of being young in the US.

"The numbers back Josh up. Tuition at public colleges is up 47 percent since 1993, and the increase is landing disproportionately on students' shoulders. Grants used to make up half of all school aid; now they make up just over 40 percent. The average undergraduate debt in 2002 was $18,900. Right now, the picture is getting yet worse: Republican lawmakers are talking about saving money by eliminating the low guaranteed rates students lock in when they consolidate unbearable debt. Variable rates put borrowers at the mercy of the market, and by some estimates individuals would pay $5,484 more in interest on a typical $17,000 loan. Hitting seniors in their pockets like that would cause a revolt.

Most cruelly, young people are incurring these unprecedented levels of debt in order to gain admission to a world of middle-class comfort that may not be waiting for them, now or ever. As this year's grads step off the commencement stage, they face the highest unemployment rate of any age group, and are the most likely to be popping echinacea in lieu of a health plan; their average $2,000-plus credit-card debt will stick with them longer than Petrarch's sonnets."

To read the rest of the article click here (doesn't require registration).

To read other articles in the series click on the following links:

Grad School
The US Presidential Elections
Well-Educated and Underemployed

Job Market 101

New Course for Liberal Arts: Intro to Job Market
By KAREN W. ARENSON for the New York Times, June 19, 2004 issue

Matthew Santirocco is a scholar of ancient Greek and Latin poetry, and a strong advocate of the liberal arts. But as dean of the College of Arts and Science at New York University, he is also under siege from parents paying mammoth tuition bills who want to make sure their children will land the right jobs.

So, in a concession that would have been unlikely 20 years ago, Dr. Santirocco has begun to invite liberal arts students to sign up for vocational courses in N.Y.U.'s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

They will not dilute their liberal arts studies, he says, since they will not receive credit toward their degrees. But he expects the program, "Professional Edge," to help prepare students for the job market. An art history major, for example, might learn how to appraise art. A foreign language student might take courses in how to become a translator.

(Note: This is an excerpt. To read the full article click here. Requires registration)

Book Review: At the Entry Level

@ the Entry Level by Michael Ball
By the Liberal Arts Dude

The past few weeks I have been scanning the Internet for good books that I can potentially review. The listing and reviews in Amazon.com for this book caught my eye as reviewers raved about it and gave it 4 to 5 stars. Intrigued, I did some more research and found out that the author was, himself, an interesting case. He had worked early in his career in corporate America, got burned out, found his calling as a career counselor and writer, and wrote a book that gives advice to entry-level corporate workers. Not content with just writing a book, he established a company called Career Freshman, which provides career counseling specializing in entry-level workers, and set up his own publishing company, pure.play.press, to publish his book. He sits atop of all of these initiatives as the CEO. Not your typical advice book author. He actually is trying to create a business empire in the niche of career counseling. Very ballsy, I observed. So I immediately got myself a copy and looked forward to reading and reviewing it for this website.

After reading it, I have mixed feelings. The first parts where the author describes the transition from college to the world of work I felt was right on the money. He details the emotional upheavals, insecurities, and angst that most entry-level workers feel. What makes his book unique was that he says it’s OK to feel this way because this is the entry-level rite of passage which every worker goes through. So if a young professional feels a lot of anxiety and insecurity, if he or she thinks his or her work sucks, and that he or she is not being utilized in a way that fully puts his or her capabilities, intelligence, and knowledge to use, it’s OK. Because that’s how it’s supposed to be. Entry-level positions, for the most part, will not allow a person to fully express his or her own talents and abilities because entry-level means grunt work and Michael Ball is honest enough to say so. I’ve read quite a few career guides and Ball is one of the only authors candid enough to express this as fact. This insight alone made me think that this book was something special.

He then devotes several chapters on how to survive and thrive in a corporate environment as an entry-level worker. The crux of this section is how to make the most of the entry-level situation so you will come out on top. He gives a crash course on managing your manager (read: making him or her look good to his or her bosses), office politics, and adapting to and negotiating the unwritten rules and power relationships that govern most office settings. These sections rang true to me because that’s how it was and is in every place I’ve ever worked. His advice is applicable in most work settings—corporate, nonprofit, academic, etc.

The third main section of his book (“On To Your Calling”), however, I did not enjoy as much. This was the section where Ball makes the case for entry-level workers to start thinking about the world of work along the lines of finding his or her calling. He drills the message repeatedly: to be happy you have to love the work you do and your work has to fit within your own personal values. A simple enough message, but Ball spends way too much time trying to drill that one point again and again using different examples to drive home the same idea. At one point I wanted to say, “OK, Michael, I get it. I agree that I have to love the work I do. But HOW do I go about (a) finding out my calling, and (b) transitioning from my current position to the one I love?” I read on in anticipation that maybe the answers will lie in the later chapters but I finished the book without really getting an adequate answer.

Some perspective: I am NOT an entry-level worker. I can be considered a “Career Sophomore” along the lines of Ball’s categories for workers (with entry-levelers as “Career Freshmen”). I’ve been on the path of self-assessment for several months now trying to find out exactly what type of work is my calling. I’ve read What Color Is Your Parachute and Zen and the Art of Making a Living. I’ve joined the Five o Clock Club. I’ve probably annoyed many acquaintances in person and online in listserves and mailing lists with my career-related questions. I’ve felt the sting of rejection as I’ve had people not return my calls and emails, give me the runaround, made me feel like a pest and felt people avoiding me—all in the name of my own attempts at networking and trying to talk to people in fields I want to possibly enter. If there ever was one who could use some good advice on the process of career exploration it’s me. So I read Ball’s book hoping to get some answer or insight that I haven’t gotten yet. Sadly, I really didn’t find anything. He just drills home the point that the work one does should make one’s heart sing but is vague on the actual, concrete steps one can take to make it happen.

So my review is mixed on this one. As a book detailing the realities of entry-level work, I highly recommend it. What Ball writes in the early sections of his book ring true because he speaks from experience—he’s been there. And he’s one of the very few candid and honest enough to lay it out for you as it is rather than sugarcoat it or try to spin it as anything other than reality. His take on how to survive, negotiate and thrive in your first few jobs out of college is right on the money. I found myself wishing at one point for this book to have been written before I graduated and been required reading. If it didn’t change the circumstances or the actual reality of the entry-level, at least it would have made me feel better. It would have made me see that I was not alone and that even though it sucked, it’s normal and it’s supposed to suck. The key is how to make the most of the situation so you end up benefiting in the long-term.

His section on finding one’s calling, however, I think can use a bit of work. Specifically, he can give concrete suggestions and exercises to help one think through and research the process of identifying one’s goals. Not only that but also how to test these goals to reality once you’ve passed the stage of thinking about it to actually doing something. A reading list of resources, reference books and career guides that one can use in researching different occupational fields would be helpful. Most of all, a section that details and loneliness, frustration, and confusion that goes along with the self and career-assessment process will be a welcome addition. A section on this subject which rings true the same way the earlier sections of his book rang true would make his book an instant classic. So all in all, I give Michael Ball two out of three. Not bad for a first book. But I have a sneaking suspicion that Ball has another good book out of him. If he can establish a concrete methodology to help in the self-assessment, research, and career transition process, he will have a book that can potentially be the What Color is Your Parachute or Zen and the Art of Making a Living for the Quarterlife Crisis crowd. Two out of three ain’t bad, however, at this point.

© 2003

Networking

Networking: Theory and Practice
by the Liberal Arts Dude

Just because I agree that networking is a good idea doesn’t actually mean I won’t find anything to grumble about. This article is about my gripes with the process and practice of using personal connections to find a job.

I agree with most job-hunting books that the best way to find a job is through the “hidden job market”--those jobs which are not advertised and are accessed primarily via personal connections and networking, rather than the relying on the traditional method of responding to want ads that are published in newspapers or the Internet. All the job-hunting books say it: 80% or more of job openings are not advertised and are filled by employers through word of mouth or by referrals from people currently employed in the organization. The key here, if you are a job-hunter, is to make contact with the hiring manager through personal connections and convince him or her that you are the right person for the job. Seems simple enough, right? In theory, yes. But in practice, it’s quite a different matter.

Theory: Using personal connections is an efficient process that leads to unadvertised job openings

That’s how it’s supposed to work. But in reality, personal connections don’t necessarily lead anywhere. Some personal connections can lead to people who know people who in turn, know people. It can be a maddening process just to get to the right person who will have the information you need. Sometimes it takes meeting three or four levels of acquaintances until you run into someone who has information that will be useful. The 5 o Clock Club says that you must expect to initiate 150--you read that right, one hundred and fifty--meetings with people in order to get ONE job. That’s a lot of people, a lot of meetings, a lot of time, and a lot to go through for one thing!

Imagine the trouble it takes to set up an informational interview with a busy professional. First, you have to find out about them either from reading or by people you know. Then you have to initiate contact with this person. If you get through their gatekeepers, you must make a good initial impression to them. Then you see if you can set up an interview at their convenience and take time off your own job (if you have one) to make that appointment. You research the person’s background and company just so you won’t appear to be a total idiot. You make up a script and several intelligent sounding questions. Then you show up at their office and talk with them. And according to all the books on networking, you’re not necessarily expected to come out of that interview with a good rapport with them, information on a job opening, or even any new information at all. If you do, that’s great. If you don’t then it’s a waste of time but all part of the game.

Theory: Most people will be more than willing to help you when you approach them

If you read most books that teach you how to do networking this is the impression that you get. In reality, however, some people will be willing to help or advise you. However, some people won’t. And the only way you will find out is to ask—and risk rejection. Some people won’t answer your e-mails or calls. Some people will act friendly at first but will back away when you start getting serious with your questions. Some people will be outright rude to you to your face. If you’re the shy and sensitive type networking will be twice as hard than for the naturally outgoing, thick-skinned types of people.

An important fact most would be networkers should be aware of is that “networking” has bad connotations with some people because in a lot of cases, personal connections have been abused. For some people a job-hunter who approaches them is an automatic prospective pain in the ass. Some people will see you as a “user” and you will come out of the interaction with them with a bad taste in your mouth because they made you feel as if your interest in them is based solely on their potential as a job-hunting contact. Which may be true, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a bad person.

Theory: Anyone can do networking—it’s easy!

The biggest aspect of networking I had to learn quickly to deal with is rejection. If you’re like me who is naturally shy, it’s a huge effort to put your best foot forward in a social situation and ask people for information. Much more so if what you are asking is a favor--which is essentially what you are asking of people when you ask their help in getting a job. Some people I will admit are naturally socially adept and dealing with people is very easy for them. Not for me. Just mustering up the courage to approach people is effort enough, let alone actually trying to enlist their help in your job-hunting efforts.

Theory: Using personal networks is always a better way for finding a job than want ads

In reality, networking is only as good as your network. If you (or your family) are well-connected and have some pull with lots of people in your chosen field, then yes, networking will most likely bear fruit for you fairly quickly. If you’re starting from scratch, however, and do not know anybody in your field networking can be maddeningly slow, cumbersome and frustrating. Just because you’re trying to network with someone doesn’t automatically mean they have a job opening ready for you. Or if they have, that they will be willing to give that information to you. Your success in networking is only as good as the quality of the network you cultivate. And if you don’t have a network in place then you must start from scratch--meet people, develop relationships with them, give them the impression that you’re not just there to use them, cultivate those relationships--all of this takes time and requires your relationship to mature to the point that both parties are mutually comfortable with you asking them for a favor. A more realistic view would be if you already don’t have a network in place, the job ads will still be your main source of information on job openings. Cultivate your network and possibly in a year it will be ready for job-hunting.

Final thoughts
The closest analogy I can think of for networking is dating. It’s a good idea if your goal is to find a mate. And there are lots of self-help books out there that teach you the basics on how to go about doing it. But deciding that something is a good idea is a lot different from implementing that idea in your life and putting yourself on the line on the effectiveness of the methods you have read about. Theory is always different from implementation. Networking, like dating, is a social exercise. It’s about attracting the right people and trying to get them to like you. Some people are just better at it naturally than others. But with experience and consistent effort you can get better at it just like any other skill. But the process of implementation could be a whole lot more painful and messy than self-help books make you realize.

Based on personal experience implementing strategies I learned in books on searching for a job through personal connections, I can honestly say this process isn’t easy. You put your ego on the line every time you meet a new person and try to get them to be a part of your network. You already risk rejection by employers in job-hunting. In networking, you also risk rejection from people whom you approach. It can be a pain in the ass, time consuming, and hard work. It requires a thick skin, social skills and comfort in social situations. But if you want access to the 80% of unadvertised job openings, you really have no choice but to grit your teeth and bear it.

In a nutshell, “networking” can be summed up as: being able to recognize and meet the right people; being able to talk a good game, being able to consistently make a good impression on people; and being able to absorb a lot of rejection. Basically, being a good hustler. For people who aren’t naturally hustlers or outgoing, networking can be very difficult. However, everyone to some extent must be able to do this if they want to be successful finding a job using methods other than the want ads. The realities of the job market require that we all learn the tricks and of trade of hustlers to some extent.

Networking: can’t live with it, can’t live without it.

© 2003

Posting comments

Hi all

I have enabled posting comments. If you would like to post a comment to my blog just click on "Comments", then "Post a Comment" and then choose either registering with blogspot or you can "Post Anonymously" without having to register. If you post anonymously, please do me the courtesy of leaving your name or identifying nickname and/or email address.

Thanks!
The Liberal Arts Dude

So You Wanna...

So You Wanna Be a Liberal Arts Major?
by The Liberal Arts Dude

So you had to be hard-headed, huh? You had to insist on being a Liberal Arts major despite everyone's warnings about how impractical such a move would be, didn’t you? If you do decide to go ahead with the Liberal Arts education, here’s some tips to cushion the blow that will inevitably come graduation time.

• Consider getting certification on a technical skill along with your college degree. The best time to do this is before you graduate when all the bills will go towards your student loans and you have the time and energy to devote to your studies. Most colleges have Continuing Education departments where they offer certification in various skills marketable in the Real World like desktop publishing, web development, graphic design, networking, editing, etc. Here's a little secret: most Liberal Arts grads, once they realize their disadvantage in the job market, take on certification courses to make themselves competitive. Chances are, if you're Liberal Arts grad, that you will be doing this at some point in your life anyway. So why postpone the inevitable?

• Internships, internships, internships! Starting your junior year pursue all the available possibilities for internships during the summers or if you can find it, in-between school hours during the school year. This gives you experience not only working in a particular field but also valuable connections, references and referrals for when you graduate and start looking for a job. That’s right, you WILL eventually be looking for a job, unless you’re one of the fortunate ones who either have no use for a salary or who will be living on the salary of your significant other. Your grades alone won’t count for shit in the work world. I know because I do hiring in my position and when I make a hiring decision, references and work experiences and skills trumps grades and extracurricular activities every time.

• Organizations like Americorps or Teach for America. In exchange for a year of service, they will pay up to $5,000 of your tuition or student loans. The living allowance they pay you for the position won’t amount to much but the tuition payments, work experience and contacts you get out of these programs are valuable. Especially if you plan on having a career in social services or in the nonprofit world.

• Consider a double major in a marketable field like Business or Computer Science. There are only two reasonable reasons, in my mind, to be a Liberal Arts major: (1) intellectual enrichment because the subject really does stimulate you; (2) if you plan on going on to graduate school in that field. The hard truth you will encounter is that you will not be able to make a living in the Liberal Arts until you get at least a Master's degree because for most jobs in these fields, a Master's degree or a PhD is prerequisite for an entry-level position. Going to school because you seek intellectual enrichment is an admirable goal. However, it is best to not put all your eggs in one basket. You might realize after a certain point that you’d rather not pursue your Liberal Arts studies all the way to grad school. By then you don't want to be stuck with hefty student loans and a half-completed advanced degree that is barely marketable. So it’s better to have a safety net in place when that happens.

• Make the university Career Development Center your second home. Take advantage of this because after you graduate you won’t have access to anything like this for free anymore. These centers provide treats like an alumni referral network, jobs and internship databases, onsite counseling and practice interviews with trained career counselors. Some centers even set up annual visits and job fairs with representatives of companies where they set you up with face-to-face interviews with a representative of that company or organization. Hey, this isn’t anything to sneeze at! When you graduate and are job-hunting and trying to hustle your way to opportunities for interviews you will be thankful for those days in the career development office when the employers came to YOUR door rather than you desperately chasing after them willy-nilly.

• Plan on moving to a major metropolitan area upon graduation. I can’t stress this enough. Two major factors in why I wasn’t able to find a good job after graduation was because: (a) I lived in areas where there simply weren’t a lot of good jobs available; and (b) much of the jobs that interested me and I was applying for were out of state. If you are looking for an entry-level job, most employers won't even look at your resume if you are applying from out of state. However, within two months of moving to Washington DC, I landed a pretty good entry-level position! Another way of putting it is – go where the jobs are! They won’t be in small or medium sized towns. They are most likely going to be in big cities where most companies, nonprofits and government agencies make their home base.

• Network, network, network! In other words, make use of personal connections to uncover and hustle your way to job openings. If you do not have any connections, start establishing them ASAP! Again, the university career development center is a good place to start doing this. Another good way is through professional societies and organizations. Most professional fields and careers have their own associations where for a small membership fee you can join and network like crazy with people already in the field. Most importantly, develop some sort of relationship with your professors. I'm not talking about sucking up. I'm talking about taking their course seriously and doing well in their class and making sure they remember you. Not only do professors make great references in job-hunting, if grad school is something in your sights for the future you will need them for recommendation letters.

© 2003

It's Been Ten Years...

Hi all

One thing that will most likely inevitably come up is it's been ten years since I graduated from college. Yet here I am still upset about it? What gives? No matter how bad it has been for me as a Liberal Arts Grad in the job market, certainly (a) Given enough effort and ingenuity, you must be in a better place professionally now; (b) ten years should be enough to get over any baggage you had as a result of your college major.

My answer is (a) yes. I am in a better place now professionally. I'm not slinging lattes for a living anymore. I actually am in a pretty comfortable place. (b) I still have baggage despite all these years.

OK, OK, I'm sorry. It's all out in the open now. I still have emotional baggage left over. This blog is one aspect of me dealing with the baggage and making sense of it. In any case, I like writing. And I belong to the school of thought where I write about what I feel most strongly about. The past several years, the topic of Liberal Arts graduates adrift in the job market is what I feel most strongly about. So logically since I feel strongly about it it only follows that I would like to write about it.

Sorry if that sounds like a lame reason. But that's the truth. I have baggage. Baggage needs to be unloaded so I can be healthy and happy. The solution -- a blog! Hey, it's cheaper than a psychiatrist! PS: I am actually a pretty happy and well-adjusted guy in real life. I just need to let out steam once in a while. My coping mechanism: the Internet and the various ways one can let out steam and publish your thoughts for the whole world to see.

Liberal Arts Dude

What's this blog all about?

Hi all

To the new readers of this site, this blog is about what life is like in the job market for a Liberal Arts graduate. Or at least, what life was like for ONE Liberal Arts graduate. I don't claim to speak for every Liberal Arts grad out there and I certainly don't claim that my experiences are universal. However, what I do know from hard experience is that I have a lot in common with the experiences of a lot of Liberal Arts grads out there who got a rude kick in the ass by Reality upon graduating from college and entering the job market. So this blog is basically my forum to vent, bitch, moan, and philosophize about my experiences.

However, as my experience with the website taught me I could only bitch and moan and complain so much until I run out of ideas to write about. With that in mind, I intend to use this blog as more than my personal forum for taking out my frustrations of the world. I intend to write about other things as well -- whatever strikes my fancy. Book reviews, movie reviews, website reviews, my thoughts on the Presidential elections, etc. So it's gonna be more than just Liberal Arts Dude in the job market stuff that I'm gonna write about this time. Everything pretty much will be fair game.

With that said, here's a blast from the past. The very first essay I ever wrote about being a Liberal Arts grad in the job market. I wrote it back in 1998. I hope you enjoy it!

___________________________

Life After Graduation (With a Sociology Degree)

When I was given this assignment to write about my degree in Sociology, I initially thought that what was being asked of me was to write an advertisement touting the advantages and benefits of a Sociology degree and to make a persuasive case for taking Sociology as a major in college. Fortunately, this was not the case, as I can’t make a realistic appraisement of my educational background without presenting the negatives as well as the positives. So what I wrote was a description of my experiences as a Sociology major before and after graduation and to let the story speak for itself in deciding how one views the advantages and disadvantages of getting a Bachelor's degree in Sociology.

The College Years
I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a student. I immersed myself in my field of study and took on as my role models those upperclassmen and graduate students who seemed more serious than the typical student about their studies and who had had close connections with professors. It was not unusual to find my role models eating lunch with professors, conversing with them informally in their office hours or even hanging out with them socially over a few beers in the neighborhood bars. These students, if they were undergraduates, eventually went on to graduate school with the full blessing and recommendations of their professors. If they were graduate students they, most likely, eventually got their PhD's and became, themselves, professors. It was inevitable that I became one of the "serious" and academically-inclined upperclassman. I aspired to be an intellectual and took my studies seriously. My grades, awards, and organizational affiliations reflected that: Honor societies, Dean's Lists, Provost Scholar award, English club, Sociology club, etc. In my spare time I worked a variety of work-study jobs: administrative assistant, library assistant, and server in the cafeteria. Eventually, I landed a plum campus job as a teaching assistant for the Sociology department. In this role I was responsible for organizing and leading discussion groups, reading and grading student papers, and occasionally, teaching an entire classroom of undergraduates. I look back fondly on those days.

Life After Graduation
Strangely enough, my life took quite a different turn the first years after I graduated from college in late 1994. Because I was used to high achievement, being taken seriously as an intelligent person by my superiors, and having my opinions and insights valued, I was emotionally shaken up at what I got. I did not go to graduate school immediately like many of my peers. I wanted first to "experience the world" and then decide if I wanted to go for a PhD. So off I went to "the world" armed with my Sociology degree, a lot of hope and optimism, and the self-confidence of someone who felt as he has proved himself and his capabilities. I was in for a rude awakening.

Maybe a list of my first jobs (and salaries) after college will help illustrate what I am trying to say:
1. Internship for an international development NGO (1995)--unpaid
2. Coffee server in a coffee shop (1995-96) $7/hr
3. Temporary research assistant (1996)--$200 for one week's work
4. House painter (1996)-- $8/hr
5. Dishwasher/prep cook/waiter for a restaurant (1996)--$7/hr plus tips
6. TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf) operator (1997)--$8.50/hr
7. Office temp worker (1998)--$12/hr
8. Publications Assistant (1998) 26K/year

The whole time I was working in my less than desirable jobs I was constantly looking for something better and more in line with my educational credentials. But I just kept getting rejected for one position after another. I eventually landed a position working for a professional association of the discipline that I got my degree. It was not until I started on that position that I began earning a salary above the poverty level.

What is it that I am trying to say and what does this have to do about Sociology? Simply, that Sociology was good to me for intellectual and personal growth. It allowed me to develop as a person and to take on responsibilities that gained for me the respect of my teachers, fellow students and my parents.

However, Sociology, once I entered the job market, did not provide an easy way to make the big bucks (or any bucks for that matter). What I learned pretty quickly was that all the good grades, honor societies, and affiliations with professors did not matter in this new arena called "the job market." What mattered were other things which, unfortunately, I did not focus on in my time in school: a marketable major, professional connections, professional experience, software and computer skills, internship experience, etc.

So if you ask me the question "Should I major in Sociology?" my answer would be pick it as a major if the subject really interests you. College is probably the only time of your life where you will be debating and wrestling with the ideas of Marx, Weber, Comte, Durkheim and other giants of the discipline. College is probably the only time of your life where you can be passionate about such things (unless you decide to go to grad school). And I say, enjoy it. Savor and relish it because the intellectual life is its own reward. Many people never even get a chance to experience it.

However, if you are thinking of a major in Sociology, you must balance it with practical skills and experiences that are marketable in the job market. I would suggest taking courses in office applications software and web development. Join a professional association. Most of all I recommend getting an internship while you are still in school. Perhaps take one for every summer you are in school. Because this is the only way to gain exposure, skills, connections and useful information on a field that interests you. These, more than your grades, Sociology degree, and academic awards will decide where you end up in the job market after graduation. As I know very well, the intellectual life is sweet but there is, after all, a life after college that we all must eventually join.

© 1998

Welcome to my new blog!

Hello there

Greetings and welcome to the new Liberal Arts Grad blog. For those of you who knew me from way back, I used to have a website called the "Liberal Arts Grad Website" which I took down last year for various technical reasons. To make a long story short, I encountered a serious technical problem in my hosting site (a free hosting arrangement) which necessitated taking the entire site down because I couldn't upload to it anymore. More than the technical reasons, however, it got to be a hassle to update the site on a regular basis. Being a webmaster is a time consuming process and I found myself running out of ideas to write about near the tail end of 2003. So given those two reasons, I decided to put my site on hiatus and concentrate on my personal life for a while.

Well, I got the itch again to publish online. But this time I decided to do a blog just to check out what this technology is all about. Also, with the more immediate nature of this animal, I think this is a better forum for my Liberal Arts grad related writings. Will I resurrect the Liberal Arts Grad website? Perhaps in the future, yes. I am actually thinking of entering a professional web development certification program in the near future to take my web development skills beyond the level of the hobbyist to a true professional. I am thinking when that happens I might resurrect the Liberal Arts Grad website as a demonstration site to show off my skills. Which will make it mostly a showpiece for technical wizardry, rather than the forum for my writing. For that, well, I have the blog!

Anyway, enough prattling. Welcome and I hope that you enjoy visiting this blog and reading my rantings and ravings!

The Liberal Arts Dude
10-26-2004