Confidence and Ignorance

Mark Twain said "To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence" and it is shocking how true that is. In my search for a new job, I have put out a concerted networking effort to connect with local tech business community. And very quickly I have arrived on a set of people who are trying to establish themselves as "experts" in job search or personal branding. I sat through a webinar on this and got ingenious advice such as "polish your shoes when attending an interview", "highlight what makes you unique" and "target your pitch to the person you are talking to". D'Oh! Do these people really believe that they are bringing some value here or have something unique to offer. Are they really that ignorant? Ignorant or not they present themselves with complete confidence and say really generic things as if they were offering great insights, and go about doing this with great passion. Do other people not see through that?

OK, so I am not sure how much money these people are making, maybe nothing compared to an intelligent educated professional, and for them this is better than being an administrative assistant at an office to make the same kind of money. I am still surprised that they are even out there trying and thinking this will work. I have been through graduate school and have worked with and met brilliant people, yet as Sarah Plain proves, all you need to succeed is confidence and some dumb luck, more than intellect or wisdom. Something to watch out for as we raise kids, and remember to teach our kids to not assume somebody is smart or good or whatever, just because they say they are.