Signal vs. Noise

Every week somebody publishes a number about your career. A forecast, a survey, a percentage with a company logo on it. Most of it is noise — repeated without sourcing, resting on a denominator nobody divided by, or describing a job market that closed last year.

The signal is what survives a check. Dated. Sourced. Specific enough to act on this week.

This is where the checking happens. When a number holds up, it gets cited. When it doesn't, that gets said out loud.