From reactions here and in conversations on Twitter, I get that Nancy's feeling understandably frustrated.

I re-read Nancy's post today and a few things still don't sit right with me. Rather than squeeze them in here, I'm going to share them in a follow up post :-)

On the other hand. I'm not quite sure what point she was trying to make besides vent her frustrations–it is a blog after-all. :)

Well in regards to my tweets, I've been used as a stepping stone in people's careers. When you're the person in it for the issues or caring about people and you're working with people who are all WIIFM and feel that those people are doing more harm than good, you get a little jaded.

I took a break from volunteering but now I'm back in the scene. I'm not as emotionally invested though, I'm just kinda “hanging out”

I have spent most of my career in startups, but for 2 years I was the IT manager for a not-for-profit social services agency in Chula Vista. They do amazing work there and pay their people well, and their grant writers are aces at getting grant support for modernizing IT equipment. I don't see any distinction among my work environments: both for-profit and not-for-profit groups drove their teams with clearly-defined mission statements and the kind of visionary leadership that inspired their teams to put in mega hours and tons of dedication with nearly zero budgets and massive creativity. Most of us had Master's degrees and very specific skills that were developed from our time in the trenches. However, the kind of bitterness you are experiencing here seems extreme. I was really put off by your condescending tone. In reality, good candidates come from all walks of life and pedigrees, as do poor candidates. I would hope you would put general postings on your sites that were helpful, reminding people to pick up a copy of “What Color is My Parachute?” or something to get back to basics, and to approach any potential job with the same zeal they did when they were 22, working feverishly in the career center at college, desperately practicing how to package themselves for the career of their dreams. Basically, with a lot less contempt, you can still get it across that these people who were high-fliers until their recent layoff just need to jettison the ego-identity they indulged at the top, and remind themselves that now that they are out, they are back at ground zero. Anyone who has ever done customer service knows that you have to please the customer, and rattling off their pedigree-laden resume will never do that. Any job hunter needs to remind themselves that the hiring manager is like a customer, always thinking, “What's In It for Me?” (Remember everyone's favorite radio station is WIIFM.) You can deflate their outsize egos with kindness and leadership. The bitterness and condescension smacks of someone who has allowed her frustration to escape prematurely and unpackaged. I wish you joy and balance and peace, and a return to your generous spirit. Put some nice suggestions on your facebook and delegate to your assistant the task of responding to repetitive banal or lazy questions, or set up an autoresponder. But don't let the pressure get you down. Best of luck to you!