Absence of Ego (or, unlocking your inner force)

Our guest, Bertrand Willi, is a specialist in helping clients create positive work atmospheres in order to attract, retain and co-develop talented professionals at all levels. Most recently, as the facility manager for the Swiss Federal Railway system, he also manages a very large time across language, culture and ethnic origins, from technicians to sales and marketing roles. He gives us an inside...

In this episode, we are again fortunate to have as our special guest Ms. Natalya Izergina, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner for CS Behring, doing what she knows best: interviewing kindly but persistently our second guest (and willing sacrificial lamb), Ms. Regina Fakhretdinova, a gifted mathematician about to finish her PhD in Mechanics. Luckily for her, Regina has a natural sense of calm, but as...

Two special guests put theory into practice in a genuine exchange between a real candidate and a very experienced recruiter. While we always delve into the mind games we have to face in different professional situations, and there are many in the interview cycles of recruitment, for the next two episodes we are fortunate to share with you  "live" exchanges to both underline successful st...

Even for very experienced candidates with several professional transitions to their credit, the job interview cycle can be grueling, sometimes horribly so. At the very least, given that one normally applies for a variety of positions during a given period, they demand a significant amount of time and energy. We continue to explore what goes on in our psyche during this process and suggest ways to...

Even someone in our most intimate circle can still surprise us when we get them to share their life stories with us. In this episode, Stephen’s life partner, Karin, explains how from her earliest memories, she was drawn to nature and that no matter how exhilarating her myriad challenges in organic farming, running a health-oriented NGO or doing strategy and management consulting around the globe,...

Listen to the intriguing narrative of a young professional who might have ended up working in energy or big pharma except that he was a bit 'math phobic,' and who preferred launching a startup to finishing a degree in business. Hear how Raphael reinforced his natural talents at sales (and cycling) from childhood, discovered a passion for new technology almost before the term existed, and parlayed...

In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of the three modes of career approaches, focusing on the least planned, the potentially most frivolous yet freedom inducing, which contrasts with the other two sides, "Navigator" and "Explorer " principally by its free form nature and lack of attachment to specific outcomes. Ready to ride the waves before testing the surf, or more incl...

As we continue to look at different modes of managing career pathways, we share our fascination with you about the Explorer approach. Perhaps with less strategic planning than in the Navigator mode, this way of operating still requires planning, research and preparation, with big doses of self-confidence and a willingness to stretch beyond your comfort zone. Explorers are not risk averse, as we'll...

In today's episode, we'll talk about three different modes of approaching your career: the Navigator,  the Explorer and the Drifter. It's quite likely you will choose different approaches as you evolve and in response to changing circumstances and external pressures, and each can bring you a range of opportunities of varying value. We will hear from Jamshid about his own journey to date, and anoth...

As a follow-up to our exciting and insightful exchange with fellow career change enthusiast, Gary Anello, we delve into the workings of your mind during stressful periods of your life, with a view towards monitoring tendencies and seeking to focus on positive outcomes. Find out why tough times tend to generate heavy negative feelings and discover how you can work to change that as you move forward...

Redefining and reenforcing your resilience. A central component to surviving life's up's and down's, resilience is key to dealing with long-term job searches, being rejected even when we are the "perfect candidate," and not receiving the recognition we deserve. Our special guest, Gary Anello, delves into the makeup, and strengthening, of resilience in today's episode. The...

Emotional intelligence, or EQ, can be summed up in one phrase; self awareness added to empathy for others. In this episode, we explore the key role your personality, work habits and values play in making you a successful team member and future leader. These unseen and unmeasurable qualities differentiate effective and esteemed colleagues and managers over those petty bosses who focus only on thems...

In today's episode, we come back in detail on how to manage the "Imposter Syndrome" which Jamshid introduced in our first episode. Many listeners asked for practical tips, and boy does he give you a long list of those in some detail! In addition, we'll talk about another mental game our brain loves to play called the Dunning-Kruger Effect, which can swing us too far the other way...

It's crazy how stress can kill our confidence, especially during a professional transition! Tune in to find out how you can achieve your career goals by understanding how your mind works during the process. Bonus points for boosting your self-esteem along the way! --------------------------------------------------------- Credits: Intro: Karin Hagemann Co-hosts: Stephen Fischer and Jamshid Asad...