Manipulative Writing 101

Why it is important to understand how what we read is written.

While surfing a professional social media site the other day, the below post suddenly appeared:

"Best SECURITY DIRECTOR job-opening I've seen in last 10 years.....you only need a HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA ?!!!!!!!!! What? hashtag#foreals WOW! hashtag#dreamjob

?? Salary Range: $150,800 – $216,775 USD annually!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

?? Houston, TEXAS or Westminster, COLORADO office location choices....

?? Covers North America....40% travel

?? Heck, I might apply for this job, Y'all...."

?

Head of Security

Job by ENGIE North America Inc.

Houston, Texas, United States

This post was written by a self-proclaimed “influencer”, and any cursory read of the above post provides a clear understanding of the author's point.

According to this influencer, you can get a position as a security director at a salary that would make most Americans very happy with nothing more than a high school diploma. Obviously, this influencer is humorously aghast at this; it seems amazing that such an important job could be held by someone with only a high school diploma.

The original post did contain links that took you to the actual job posting. This is an important point because when the poster was contacted about the disingenuous nature of the post, their reply was to point out they had provided links to the actual job posting and the provision of those links meant that the post was simply an honest recitation of facts. In fact, the "influencer" claimed that the presence of the links absolved them of any responsibility as to the tone of the post.

Far from being “marketing 101”, what this post represents is an absolute master class in “manipulation 101”. This posts author has written this post in such a way as to virtually guarantee that a reader will see the post and agree with the stance of the author. This post is written by an author who knows full well that the vast majority of readers will scan over the post, nod their head knowingly as if let in on a secret, and then move on without so much as a single click on a link.

This post is an absolute master class in “manipulation 101”

Clicking on the link takes the reader to the following actual job post:

What You’ll Bring

• ?High School Diploma or equivalent
• ?Minimum of fifteen (15) years’ experience in law enforcement, government/military security services, or related private security sectors
• ?Demonstrates resilience and composure under pressure, efficiently managing crises with a level-headed approach
• ?Proven experience in cross-functional collaboration, adept at coordinating with colleagues from various disciplines and teams
• ?Independent and proactive, with the capability to operate both solo and within team settings, effectively prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines
• ?Possesses strong interpersonal and relationship-building competencies, fostering positive interactions and connections
• ?Skilled in delivering clear and concise briefings, both written and verbal, to a range of stakeholders

Additional Details

• ?Able to work in unique, remote, and challenging locations including production and construction sites
• ?Must be available to travel domestically / internationally up to 40% of the time, and with the need for some overnight trips
• ?Must possess a valid U.S. driver’s license/clean driving record
• ?Must be willing and able to comply with all ENGIE ethics and safety policies

Compensation Salary Range: ?$150,800 – $216,775 USD annually this represents the average expected pay range for a qualified candidate. Actual offered salary may depend on geography, experience, industry knowledge, education, internal pay alignment, or other bona fide factors. ENGIE complies with all federal, state, and local minimum wage laws. Actual salary offered may vary depending on geography, experience, education, internal pay alignment, or other bona fide factors. In addition to base pay, this position is eligible for a competitive bonus / incentive plan.

(There is also a significant part of this job posting that entails the responsibilities of the position and that has been left out of this article. None of the information therein contradicts the position of this newsletter but feel free to check for yourself at https://www.dhirubhai.net/jobs/view/3853539347/?refId=3jcQryfFRyGRxEbROE5%2ByA%3D%3D&trackingId=3jcQryfFRyGRxEbROE5%2ByA%3D%3D )

What is left out is the requirement for significant security experience

Obviously, the post for the position does require a high school diploma. The very next bullet point, which our intrepid influencer left out, is the fact that the position requires at least 15 years experience in law enforcement, military, private security, or related sectors.

As our intrepid "influencer" should know, many people go into law enforcement and the military with nothing more than a high school diploma, and when they leave those careers they may still only possess a high school diploma. This inconvenient bullet point is left out of the post because to include it would negatively impact what the influencer is trying to say.

The art of the “critical read” is becoming more and more important with each passing day.

It is critically important that a reader not take facts for granted, or assume that the person writing is providing all of the necessary information for a neutral third party to arrive at a decision. This influencer wanted the reader to look at this job posting and be aghast at the idea that such a critically important job, a security director position no less, could require such a small amount of education. As is clearly evident, this is not the case but rather the position requires at least a high school diploma with significant security experience.

Perhaps this influencer didn't bother to follow the links before writing this post. If that is true then the influencer is guilty of making assumptions and failing to do proper research. The only other alternative is that the post was written specifically to get a casual reader to agree to a false premise with words designed to shock and cause dismay while knowing that most readers will see "influencer", assume facts clearly not in evidence, and fail to click any provided links.

No one has the time to research every single thing that is heard or read during the course of a day. However, when you are reading or listening and something really strikes you (for example, you are a current security director and reading this makes you angry that a position such as yours could have such a small requirement as to education even though that is a false assumption) do yourself and your community a favor by reading a little deeper. Follow the links and the attributions. See if the premise of the author is actually true before you make a judgment. If you discover that the author has left out significant chunks of information, then call the author out and highlight the fact that those critical pieces that were left out changes the nature of the authors presentation.

Just because someone claims to be an "influencer" doesn't mean they have your best interests at heart, or that they know a thing about what they are writing about or saying out loud.

Do your own research, and do not be afraid to call out the deliberate use of such disingenuous writing when it is used. Any "influencer" using such tactics is little more than a bullhorn for false narrative.