So there I am reading Robyn Urbach’s excellent piece What do you mean I can’t get a job with my medieval feminist studies degree? in the National Post and playing “How many links can you follow in one story?” when I come across this CBCnews reference:

“Organizations like YES are pressing the government and the private sector to take more action by introducing more accessible co-op and professional job placements.”

I’d heard that song before: in 1968 during an interview with Honeywell in Montreal about entry-level computer sales positions. The nice man across the desk was telling me that Honeywell hired only experienced people. Mustering all of my just-graduated-and-looking-for-my-first-full-time-job composure I asked: If no one will hire you, where is that experience supposed to come from? The nice man smiled and said, “You have a very nice way of getting angry.”

Do the math and you’ll realize that one of the most blessed, fortunate, sophisticated, well-educated and advanced countries in the world is no closer to solving this problem today than it was 45 years ago. Now, I’m sure there are people out there who will insist that they’ve been “trying” very hard. Maybe. But they haven’t been succeeding, because if they had been, this wouldn’t be a story and you wouldn’t be reading this post.

Contrary to what certain other people in certain national capitals might think, this country’s most valuable natural resource isn’t in the ground. It’s walking on it. It’s called “people”. And those people are smart enough to know that “I AM CANADIAN” and “Own the Podium” aren’t cutting it.

When you try something for 45 years and it doesn’t work, it’s time to try something else. Like seeing and believing in ourselves the way Blake Irving does. His e-mail arrived in my inbox yesterday.

Dear Neil Morris,

It’s not often that a company such as GoDaddy, with our scale and steady growth, can pause to look critically at the market, the technology landscape, and the services we provide.

Today, GoDaddy is the world’s largest web host and domain provider — and sites registered or hosted with us make up a massive portion of what we know as the Internet today. That statement, however, says little about who you are, our customers, or how we can serve you best. So earlier this year we embarked on an effort to learn more about you, what makes you so incredibly unique, and the values you all have in common. In the process, we learned an equal amount about ourselves, and we’re making changes to reflect that new clarity.

One of the clearest lessons we’ve learned is that the one word to describe you best is ‘courageous.’ You go after what you really love, you chart your own course, and you create something (often from nothing) that usually makes the world a better place. Whether it’s a neighborhood pizza shop, an organization to help those in need, or a company poised to launch a new industry, you believe where others don’t. You have the guts to strike out on your own to make your dreams — however bold or humble — a reality. That’s courage, and it’s worth every ounce of support we can give.

We’ve always been there to help you succeed, and we’re making it even easier now with tools better sharpened to your needs. When you next visit us at GoDaddy.com you’ll notice that we’ve streamlined the site, making everything from domain search to checkout easier and more intuitive. We’ve also made improvements in our most popular products like Website Builder, Outright bookkeeping, and hosting services that will make it easier for you to polish your digital identity, connect with social media and even manage the paperwork for your venture.

We take great pride in our world-class customer care and, as we continue to refine our products, you’ll always be able to pick up the phone and talk to someone 24/7 right here in our office — just call 480-505-8821.

The improvements we made today are just a start — so come look around, use our new products, and then share your thoughts with me at blake.irving@godaddy.com. If you have a few moments to spare, your feedback is the best way I know to help us serve you better.

[Signed]

Blake Irving
CEO, GoDaddy

Bravissimo, Maestro! Bravissimo.

Neil Morris

PS: IBM hired me, believed in me, trained me. Of IBM and the Bunch (Burroughs, Univac, NCR, Control Data and Honeywell), only IBM remains.