Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 11, 2010

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Mountain Views News Saturday, September 11, 2010


Ask jai……

This week’s subject for a book 
review is “The Shallows: What 
the Internet Is Doing to Our 
Brains” by Nicholas Carr 
(June 2010, W.W. Norton and 
Company, 276 pgs). In this book 
the author broadly touches upon 
the topic of Neuroplasticity or 
how new experiences literally 
reshape the physical structures of 
our brain. 

 In a more direct sense the 
author details with solid 
research, anecdotal information, 
and most importantly, his 
own personal experiences and 
perspective, how the most 
important media tool in our 
modern lives changes not only 
how we think but quite literally 
who we are. Never before has a 
technological invention come to 
exert such an influence over our 
being as the Internet does today. 
The Internet itself has come to 
eclipse all other previous forms 
of media and ,as a result of this 
ingestion process, remade old 
media in its image.

 As a result of this state 
of affairs, slowly and almost 
imperceptibly, we have become 
remade ourselves in respect to 
how we now view and process 
information. It now seems that 
our collective minds now expect 
to take in information the way 
the Internet presents it. Where 
we once nurtured the capacity 
for deep reading we now value 
quick skimming over deep 
immersion or as the author puts 
it,” Once I was a scuba diver 
in the sea of words. Now I zip 
along the surface like a guy on 
a Jet Ski.” This quote puts into 
a nutshell the net effect of our 
new culture of distraction and 
ever-connectedness. 

 It’s probably a safe bet to make 
that this particular bell can’t be 
un-rung, so the next logical step 
is to evaluate how these changes 
affect the way we think and our 
ability to deal with the world in 
which we find ourselves. Studies 
elaborated on in this book show 
that increased Net usage has the 
effect of decreasing the quality 
and depth of attention due to 
the rapid-fire nature of the 
content delivered by the Net. 
Any desired data

delivered to our desktops 
comes surrounded by other 
data, and the text itself is 
usually sprinkled with links 
to other relevant data. All of 
this extraneous material serves 
to tempt the users’ attention 
away from the initial search 
and, unlike footnotes found in 
traditional print media, these 
links don’t just point the way to 
other relevant information, they 
propel us there. 

 And the effects of the Net 
don’t just magically stop at the 
edge of our computer screens, 
either. Other once-dominant 
media forms have also been 
affected by the Net. A cursory 
glance at any of the network 
and cable news broadcasts will 
give the user the impression 
that they, too, are extensions 
of the web. Heavy graphics, 
multiple text crawls and the 
emphasis on story brevity make 
it all too plain that broadcast 
news has changed profoundly. 
Print media hasn’t escaped the 
transformation, as attested to 
by the changes instituted by 
newspapers and magazines to 
shorten articles and encapsulate 
news stories in order to cater 
to the shortened attention 
span of the audience-at-large. 
Old Media seems to have little 
choice than to play by the New 
Media rules.

 All of this net-centric activity 
is changing the way we think. 
These changes may very well 
leave us unable to efficiently 
cope with the world in which 
we find ourselves. Regardless of 
the source of news information 
consulted, it is plain to see 
that we are living in an age 
where the problems we face 
require solutions that reflect 
a talent and proclivity for 
deep, contemplative thought 
coupled with the attentive 
resolve necessary to carry 
those solutions to a successful 
conclusion. 

 It is also plain to see that this 
is not the type of mental activity 
excessive Internet exposure 
intends to foster.


Ask jai is a weekly column that will strive to honestly answer your job search 
questions relating to job searching techniques, networking skills, resume 
writing and interviewing. The employment situation is getting better, however, 
it is still a challenge finding were the jobs are located and how to get pass the 
“gate-keepers”. As an Executive Recruiter I was privy to working directly 
with Corporate Recruiters and understanding their process in selecting which 
candidates to interview and hire. I will candidly answer your questions, 
possibly bluntly answering you questions, but I will be totally honest. My 
objective is to help you achieve your employment goal. 

Book Review: The Shallows

Q: In addition to submitting my resumé and cover letter to employers on-line and in person, I am 
being asked to complete an application form. It seems like I have to do this for almost every position and 
employer. Why do I have to complete an application when I have submitted a resumé? Is it absolutely 
necessary that I answer every question and completely fill out every line? Janice

Dear Janice,

 The job application form is a document that employers use to assess and screen candidates, and 
to review and identify the accuracy or inaccuracies regarding your work history. This very important 
document you should take seriously. Print out a copy of a blank job application form and practice 
completing it. This will prepare you when you apply for jobs on-line and in-person. Completing the 
application form demonstrates to an employer that you can follow instructions and, possibly, what 
kind of employee you might be. Some job applications will ask for personal information. This is legal, 
as long as it relates to the position that you are applying for. There is usually an Equal Employment 
optional section that will ask for your gender and race. Contact your State Department of Labor with 
any questions that you feel are inappropriate. However, only you can make the decision as to which 
questions and lines you are comfortable about completing. You will be asked to sign the application 
form, which declares that everything you have written is, to the best of your ability, true and accurate. 
The employment application is the employer’s confirmation that you are “telling the truth” about 
your work history and that you can be trusted. Employers frequently use this document to conduct 
background checks. Be aware that if you are hired, you can be terminated immediately at anytime if 
the employer eventually discovers any misrepresentations or omissions in your application. 

 Review and use your resumé when completing the application form. Always use a pen, and print 
neatly when completing a job application in person or mailing it to the employer. Practice printing and 
be neat. Try to answer every question. Make sure that the work history section consistently mirrors your 
resumé and is in chronological order. Be sure that you spell all names, cities and companies correctly. 
Completing the work history section will help the employer find out the reason why you left previous 
employers, why you are currently seeking employment and job responsibilities. Tell the truth, even if 
you left an employer unfavorably, because they will eventually find out. The best response that I’ve seen 
on an application, if you were fired or have a criminal record, was, “Please see me”. This response leaves 
it open for the employer to ask questions and for you to explain. You will be asked about your salary 
expectation and to list your previous salary history. You must put in your previous salaries. Employers 
do have the right to contact your former employers and ask questions about your salary. You will need 
to include at least three references. They will request information about you educational background, 
years attended, program and addresses. Last read, review and sign the application agreement or check 
the appropriate acknowledgment on-line. 


Chamber Business Workshop to Focus on 
Facebook for Your Business

 The Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce will hold 
a “Facebook 101 Workshop” featuring tricks and tips 
on how to use Facebook as a marketing tool for your 
business. 

The workshop, facilitated by HUTDogs, will take place at 
The Shabby Dog, 31 E. Montecito Ave. in Sierra Madre, 
from 8:30 to 10:30am on Wednesday, September 15th. 
Cost of the workshop is $10/Chamber members and $15/
non-members. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops and follow along. There is 
very limited seating, so reserve your spot today by visiting HUTDogs.com 
and clicking on the link to “Workshops.”