Interview with Blogger Penelope Trunk (Brazen Careerist)

By The Pakistani Spectator • Jul 7th, 2008 • Category: Interviews • No Responses

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?
I write about workplace issues for publications like the Wall St. Journal and Time magazine and I’m CEO of Brazen Careerist. I blog here.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?
Yes. All growth is important to me. Writing is one way to grow.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?
I met my current boyfriend through my blog, and then I turned our dates into career advice so I could write about them on my blog.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?
I read other blogs and comment on them. i also read all the comments people leave on my blog.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?
Twitter. Politicians are trying to use twitter and it’s showing us how niche media can replace mass media.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?
Yes

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?
There are a lot of career advice sites and a lot of personal sites. Few sites combine both. I show more of myself than most bloggers do.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?
My ability to take risks.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?
I try to not get too happy or too gloomy — i think we operate best if we don’t react too hard in either direction.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?
I can live anywhere and do my work, so the answer is my house. If it’s not my favorite place to be, why would I live there.

What is your favorite book and why?
I don’t have a favorite. As a kid I read the sex manuals in my parent’s bedroom. They taught me the importance of just being myself.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?
What they look like. This is the first thing everyone notices.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?
No.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?
Blogs are generally best if they are a tool to get something else. They can market a person or an idea or a company. That’s a more reasonable way to use a blog than trying to get cash from it directly.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?
A successful blog is a very very full-time job. Blogging is the sweatshop labor of the new millennium. That said, we all have a lot of time on our hands — we have 24 hours a day. How you use it is what matters.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?
The same roles everyone else can.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?
I like valleywag, techcrunch, dooce, and employeeevolution.

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?
No. Different posts resonate with different types of people.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?
I don’t have preconceived notions. I’m very American in that sense, I guess. Although I thought Pakistan is important enough to answer all these questions - I would never answer this many questions from a US reporter.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?
All the time. That’s why good blogs work.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?
Money.

What is the future of blogging?
I don’t know.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?
Blogging is my full-time job. It’s my new career. So it affects my life in the same way anyone’s career choice affects their life — all aspects.

What are your future plans?
Do work that helps me to grow and have fun.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?
Blogging is a great way to manage your career. Brazen Careerist is a network of young bloggers who are using blogs to navigate the work world, and it’s a good place to start to understand blogging as a career tool.