Starting your first job as a fresh graduate is exciting—but also confusing.Without prior work experience, your boss often becomes your main point of reference for what is “normal” in the workplace. Unfortunately, that can make it hard to tell whether certain statements are supportive guidance or subtle red flags. While no workplace is perfect, you should at least be suspicious if you hear one of the following three statements from your boss—especially if they are repeated often. 1. “You won’t…
Category: Professional Life
Does Academic Education Prepare You for Working Life?
Does academic education really prepare you for working life?This is not an easy question to answer. It strongly depends on your field of study, your university, and the profession you are aiming for. But if you are looking for a short and honest answer—especially if you are currently in a jobsearch—it is this: Don’t expect too much. Academic Education Is the Beginning, Not the Destination Any academic qualification or title is usually just the starting point of your professional journey—not…
Four Career Questions I Never Dared to Ask (and Why They Matter for Your Jobsearch)
As a student or young professional, certain encounters can leave you with burning questions. During my early career, many conversations sparked doubts and curiosity—but I rarely spoke up. Sometimes I was too shy. Sometimes I didn’t want to embarrass anyone. And often, I didn’t feel entitled to ask. Looking back, staying silent cost me valuable insights—especially during my jobsearch. So learn from my mistakes. Here are four career questions I wish I had dared to ask earlier, and why they…
Smartphone Apps I wish I used earlier
Some smartphone apps make your life easier. Personally, I wish I had started using them earlier. Read here which are these apps are and why they are helpful at work, in life, or at uni. The LinkedIn App The LinkedIn app stands for the app of the professional network of your choice. It does not have to be LinkedIn. Using the app on your smartphone makes it much easier to be active on the professional network on a regular basis.…
Teach without being a schoolteacher
Teaching can be a very rewarding experience. Yet, some of us realize this only quite late in life. Others did not pursue a career as a schoolteacher for different reasons. Even so, it is still possible to incorporate teaching in your life. Here are four ways to teach without being a schoolteacher. Teach at a university Whether you are a postdoc, a lecturer, or a professor, teaching is most likely part of your job description. If you enjoy teaching, you…
Surprising qualities of creative people
There are many misconceptions about creative people or creativity. These fallacies don’t do justice to creative people. Furthermore, these attitudes might even hamper our own creativity. So let’s look at some traits of creative people that might actually surprise you. Creative people do need to work hard It is a popular but wrong impression that creative minds make up their lack of hard work with their creative genius. Their valuable ideas are so precious that they can afford to laze…
Avoid these common misconceptions in work, life and uni
By sticking to some common misconceptions, we often make professional life harder on others and ourselves. Interact more effectively and smart by letting go of false believes. If you are anything like me, you have been misled be the following three misconceptions. Reflect whether you are guilty of entertaining those fallacies: Successful people don’t know failure The myth that successful people never failed is a popular one. Thankfully, it has been debunked already in many books and publications (read also…
Integrity in working life – dos and don‘ts
Working or interacting with colleagues with impeccable professional integrity, is pure joy. Those individuals are held in high regard and immensely respected. Be like them. However, at times we do not act in accordance with our values and thus compromise our integrity. More often than not, this happens rater out of neglect than out of bad will. Professional integrity should be the norm. But it can’t hurt to recall a few guidelines: Show integrity as a manager As a line…
Do this, not that for your career – 3 replacements to make
Sometimes it is the smallest things that have the biggest effects. A simple swap can do wonders for helping you reach your career goals. Healthy eating enthusiasts know this principle from the suggestions made in Eat This, Not That. Eat This, Not That suggests nutritious swaps for unhealthy food choices. In addition, replacing one habit by another is doable and helps your career. Therefore, here are some suggestions. Do this, not that for your career. Do one sensible thing instead…
Three human instincts to fight in your work life
Biologically speaking, humans are nothing but animals. The baser instincts that are an integral part of us kept us alive for many generations. However, in the modern work environment some of these human instincts do not serve us but hamper our performance. Being aware of those aspects is the first step towards a better workplace. Read about three of them and note whether you, like me, are guilty of following your baser instincts sometimes.Three human instincts to fight in your…