Career Development & Job Market

Bielsko-Biała view

The Currency. A Word On the Peace of Mind

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I used to think that trust, or reputation, was the hard currency of today. Now, I believe the ultimate hard currency is peace of mind, and very few people ever truly find it. Here is what I have learned about silence, agency, and the real cost of a peaceful life.

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Illustration for the article "My 21 Career Non-Negotiables"

My 21 Career Non-Negotiables

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Back when I was finishing my PhD contract, I saw the job market as an abyss. During that period, I put together a list of career non-negotiables, the features my next professional path had to meet. It took almost two years to find a solution that checked every box, but I did.

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Illustration for the article "The Great Flip: On the Evolution of Passion"

The Great Flip: On the Evolution of Passion

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My passions keep flipping over time, each one growing out of the wounds left by the last. Here is what that cycle of burnout, doubt, and rebirth has taught me about staying in the game for the long run.

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reputation game

The Reputation Game

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So what happens when agentic AI interacts with humans? Your Pokemon represents you, mine represents me, and the bigger one usually wins. Thus begins the reputation game: the measure of reputation is not your follower count, it is who opens your emails. Here is what you can do about it.

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4 Steps to a Solid Personal Brand (Online)

Ditch the Hype. 5 Steps to a Solid Personal Brand (Online)

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Recently, I’ve been receiving an increasing number of questions and inquiries related to personal branding online. Indeed, your personal brand is working for you—or against you—whether you’re aware of it or not. And yet, most professionals treat personal branding like an afterthought. Although I do not consider myself an expert in this department, let me share a few thoughts.

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Illustration for the article "Follow the People or Follow the Money?"

Follow the People or Follow the Money?

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We all use heuristics in our professional lives as they help us offset the energy costs associated with decision-making and better navigate our complex world. While some heuristics might be productive, others prove to be a trap (for instance, mind a long list of human cognitive errors). I recently started contemplating one heuristic that always seemed a no-brainer for me: follow the people. Was is a good bet after all?

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the longest journey

Back to The Future of Work: Essay. On the Human Purpose in Times of AI

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The sentiment around AI is mixed both in the society and among tech experts. ​Indeed, we are at a point of singularity where another species starts surpassing us in many of cognitive skills traditionally seen as uniquely human. So, what’s the future and is it even possible to make an educated guess? ​Is Universal Basic Income a utopia, or, is it inevitable?And most importantly, can we find Pascal’s wager? In other words, is there any strategy to better our chances in the job market that will benefit us regardless of which scenario pans out?

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phantom boss

At the Rainbow’s End: On the Phantom Boss

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It’s been 5 years since my contract expired, yet I still feel weirdly anxious on Sundays, as if a phantom boss is watching me. On the 40-hour workweek, freelance guilt, and why DAOs might be the antidote.

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on being selfish

On Being Selfish

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This Wednesday, I woke up with a twisted stomach and a fast heartbeat, and I asked myself, “Why doesn’t this monster finally leave me alone and let me go?” I went through cognitive therapy, hypnotherapy, SSRIs, meditation, sauna, vacations, socializing, self-care… Nothing works. Just nothing. It’s only getting worse and worse. And then, I found out why.

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my personal approach to investing

My Personal Approach To Investing (As Of Today)

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I recently had conversations with friends who couldn’t understand some of my investment decisions. So I decided to write down my current, rather unorthodox, personal investment strategy — covering people, skills, and even “random bullshit” as assets.

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the doctor manhattan syndrome

The Doctor Manhattan Syndrome

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This is quite an exhibitionistic post… but I’ve learned that more often than not, there are many people out there who feel exactly like me — but just don’t say it aloud. Or, they don’t even grasp their own feelings, until someone pokes them and wakes them up. So, I decided to write this article anyway.

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the edge of seventeen

The Edge of Seventeen

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What is the price of your dreams? I analyzed my dreams recently, and concluded that they are expensive due to one particular drug.

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working on myself: why I don't want to be famous

Working On Myself: Why I don’t Want To Be Famous

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A rainy evening in Nijmegen with Philip Zimbardo taught me something about fame. The audience ignored 44 years of his work on everyday heroism and only wanted juicy details from the Stanford Prison Experiment. Watching him answer the same questions for a lifetime convinced me: fame is a prison, and I would rather keep working on myself.

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Poland fights with COVID

Poland Fights With COVID

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There are lots of stereotypical opinions you can hear about Polish people world-wide. Hard-working, with a tendency to steal, yet traditional and religious. But one undeniable fact about Polish society is that it can be unbelievably creative and solidary — especially in times of crisis. And that shows especially clearly when you take a look at how Polish entrepreneurs deal with the lockdown.

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starring at the sun

Starring at the Sun

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The summer is over for a long time now, yet, I’m in a mood to bring some memories from this summer. Of course, it wasn’t a typical summertime but rather, quite an unusual one. It’s hard to neglect that the corona crisis changed the landscape of what you can or can’t possibly do.

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How to demotivate an employee

How to (De)motivate an Employee?

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Can a raise in salary infuriate an employee? Yes, it can. Especially if that employee is an ambitious person with a PhD. And it’s all about the timing.

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Come on Ladies, women in professional environment

Come on, Ladies! On Women In Professional Environment

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As we all know, women don’t have an easy time in their professional lives. However, while working with lots of people in pursuit of improving their situation in the job market, I noticed that some women also involuntarily make their situation in the job market even harder than it already is — in at least five different ways.

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Should you consider working as a career advisor

Should You Consider Working As a Career Advisor?

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The bright side of career advisory gets plenty of airtime. Here is the other side: it is hard to get noticed, easy to get robbed, your private life can melt, clients flood you with regrets, and the job is never done. Twenty honest reasons to think twice before becoming a career strategist.

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The only justice in the world, happiness in professional development

The Only Justice in the World

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In general, this world is not just. Some people are born more wealthy than others. Some people are born prettier than others. Some people naturally have more energy than others. Some people learn faster than others. Some people, for some reason, receive more recognition and appreciation for their work than others. But, there is one thing just for all.

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The Signs In Your Career Development

The Signs In Your Career Development

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Are there any signs in heaven and earth that can tell us along the way what we should eventually be doing in our professional lives — these little cues thrown to our feet along the way that we tend to ignore until there are so many of them that the truth just becomes obvious?

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Mum, Dad, I'm a YouTuber!

Mum, Dad, I’m a YouTuber!

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In the darkest times during graduate school, when I was completely out of energy and I saw no light in the tunnel, I used to think to myself, “Hey, don’t worry. It’s not that bad of a job. It could have been much worse — you could have been a YouTuber.” But, the irony will prevail.

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Can You Marry Research With Entrepreneurship?

Can You Marry Research With Entrepreneurship?

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Living a double life between entrepreneurship and academic research is not easy. This blog post reviews the reasons why this is so, and ideas for how you might nevertheless succeed in balancing on the edge of the two worlds.

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Why Did I REALLY Leave Academia? Top 16 Reasons

Why Did I REALLY Leave Academia? Top 16 Reasons

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Since I just finally defended my PhD thesis, now, I can finally talk about the real reasons why I left academia (although I didn’t really quit doing research! — these are two separate and almost unrelated things…). And, I didn’t necessarily leave for the reasons that most people think I did.

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What You Should Know Before Starting a PhD

What You Should Know Before Starting a PhD

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This blog post is dedicated to Master students who are at the end of their Master’s programs, and consider going to grad school. What are the pros and cons of going for the academic career, as compared to starting an industry job? What is the best motivation to start a PhD?

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The Balance Theory

The Balance Theory

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Have you ever wondered why whenever two of your friends argue, you immediately get that itchy feeling that this will end up badly for you in one way or another? Or why, once you have just one conflict in a group of people, it starts propagating across the group like a virus? There is a forgotten theory in psychology that explains all this.

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Why Is It Cool To Work As a Career Advisor?

Why Is It Cool To Work As a Career Advisor?

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The past few weeks were quite interesting — I had some strange symptoms. I lost a lot of weight, I was often blushing, I was putting on loud Tiësto music and jumping around my garage like a maniac, and I was walking around the park and laughing to myself like an idiot. In other words, I had some strong signs of affection.

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The Nosedive. How To Research The Job Market?

The Nosedive. How To Research The Job Market?

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For my whole youth, I was spending most of my time reading books and going through thousands of textbook assignments. In the end, after twenty years of torturing myself with books, articles, and never-ending assignments, I realized that being an egghead doesn’t really prepare you for life in the real world. So, I made a 180-degree turn: I took a dive from the ivory tower straight to the street level.

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High-flyers

High-flyers

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When working with academics planning their first post-PhD jobs in the industry, one pattern keeps coming back: the more accomplished the person is in academic terms, the more difficult time they have with finding their first jobs outside academia. The underdogs on the other hand — the early career researchers who are nowhere near that accomplished, and who are often disrespected by their bosses and considered poor academics — are much quicker and more accurate in finding their next career paths. Often happier there as well.

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The Jobs of the Future

The Jobs of the Future

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It’s not a secret that both the Millennials and the Z-generation are vision- or mission-oriented. Young people are no longer looking for a paycheck in their jobs, but also a broader purpose (or, from Japanese, ikigai). This can have really interesting long-term consequences for the job market. In particular, one new type of job that is going to emerge soon.

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Illustration for the article "A Wrinkle In Time. What Influences Our Personal Development?"

A Wrinkle In Time. What Influences Our Personal Development?

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Recently, I was invited to record a podcast for the PhD Career Stories series. The point of this episode, was to explain how I found myself in the place I am in right now, both career-wise and mentally. This is always an interesting question as most people—including me—are rather poor at assessing the real causes of events that happen to them. In the process of recording that episode, I realized a few important things about how the past influences the present that I would like to share here.

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Working from home tips and tricks for working from home office

From Home: Tips and Tricks For Working From a Home Office

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The corona crisis turned millions of us into home-office workers overnight. Here is why working from home is harder than it looks: no commute limbo, no small talk, constant comparison, and a fridge full of temptation. Plus five mental tricks that keep me going, from sparing mercy to building a mastermind group.

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The Millennial Curse

The Millenial Curse

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Well, I was thinking a lot about my identity as a Millennial these days. This is because since my PhD contract has expired, I somehow started turning towards making (or perhaps, trying to make) impact. I took a resolution to listen to intuition when making career choices, and I didn’t know the endpoint when I was starting.

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Aptitude Tests What Went Wrong

Aptitude Tests — What Went Wrong?

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Almost every recruitment process for a large company these days, requires going through a battery of aptitude tests – especially in IT industry. IQ tests, emotional intelligence tests, personality tests, social skill tests. You will get tested inside and out. But there is one very crucial yet chronically overlooked factor of productivity which is typically not tested: the attention span.

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Navigate

Navigate

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I was always wondering why some people are so lucky in life – they are neither geniuses nor work that hard, yet always find themselves in the right place at the right moment, gather the right people around them, embark on the best projects or get the best jobs. Now I think I know.

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People Is the Answer

People Is the Answer

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It’s been a long road up to this point, since I left my parents’ place at the age of 18. But, when I look back at the past 15 years, I some some patterns clearly, coming over over again. First of all, I see that there is only one asset which has been systematically accumulating over these 15 years. It was not money, which you can easily lose in the nearest bubble. It was not knowledge, which can become useless once you change the discipline or profession. It was actually people.

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What I Learned Past Few Months

What I Learned past Few Months…

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…about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs. In this time I was attending quite a few conferences in industry, I was informally involved in some projects, and I made many entrepreneurial friends. And, I was observing. As for a researcher who spent her whole youth solving integral equations, this is quite a new and exotic experience. I am on the learning curve now, in this fascinating new world. Hereby, I would like to list a few stereotypes I had about entrepreneurs, and how I feel about these stereotypes right now.

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Respect

Respect

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According to a common opinion, former researchers tend to function really well as entrepreneurs. This is true. However, there is one useful quality missing in academia – which turned out to be very painful to me when I went a little bit more into the entrepreneurial direction. Namely, in academia, no one teaches us how to value our time.

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Real Choices, Fake Choices

Real Choices, Fake Choices

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At some point I realised that the decision on whether or not to stay in academia – or in other words, whether to do research or focus on commercial projects instead – is not the real choice I need to make right now. In fact, the real choice is: how much am I willing to risk? Let me explain.

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Born to Do It

Born to Do It

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One insight I remember from all the motivational books and movies I ever consumed is that, entrepreneurs always underscore how difficult it is to go against your relatives and friends when it comes to risking, investing and dropping day jobs on behalf of starting new ventures. In my case, family and friends react completely differently than in most cases I ever heard of – and it gives me goose bumps.

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15 Years Later

15 Years Later

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I spent Christmas among family and friends quite as every time before. However, this time, I also had a few afterthoughts as there are some examples of common knowledge that stroke me really hard. You might hear some simple truths from your parents and teachers over and over again – or read about it from motivational books – but after all, you only learn how important they are when you see the consequences in real life.

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The Gap Year - Vol. 2

The Gap Year – Vol. 2

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Seven more lessons from my gap year after the PhD: sleep beats all-nighters, I care more about neuroscientists than neuroscience, a cash buffer matters, friends go but family stays, clear goals work, meetups outside your bubble are the third way, and word of mouth beats job boards.

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The Tangle Approach

The Tangle Approach

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I was recently recommended to read the book by Emilie Wapnick ‘How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don’t Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up’ (2017), dedicated to the concept of multipotentiality. In the book, Emilie refers to her own experience as a person who cannot fully commit herself to just one profession, but instead, has multiple passions and can only find fulfilment by sequentially indulging in multiple professions on her career path. When I read this book, I have a feeling that it resonates with my own story to a high extent. However, I developed my own model of labor, which I could call a tangle (or a plaid).

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Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible

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How to predict the future? That’s the whole difficulty when it comes to making any choices, from choosing the right studies, through choosing the right friends, choosing the right investments, to choosing the right projects at work. A mundane, typical scientist (such as me) can produce one, two, sometimes three first-author publications per year – not much more is physically possible. In such a situation, it is crucial to choose the right projects.

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Illustration for the article "The Gap Year"

The Gap Year

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As Confucius famously said, choose the job that you love – and you will not need to work for a lifetime. However, this is all not that simple. As a matter of fact, the school system (or at least Polish school system), kills a lot of natural talents: knowledge served at schools is standardised and the amount of material you need to learn is so overwhelming that you are becoming a little robot, working days and nights for good grades. There is just no more room in your life to explore the environment around you, and learn about your own talents. This is exactly why I decided to conduct an experiment on myself; my contract expired some time ago and I came to a conclusion that it is a great opportunity to actually find out more about myself instead of jumping into a new job straight away.

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Illustration for the article "The Tragedy of Commons"

The Tragedy of Commons

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The year of 2009 was groundbreaking, for at least two separate reasons. Firstly, on January 3rd of 2009, the genesis block of bitcoin was mined. Secondly, on October 12th of 2009, Elinor Claire “Lin” Ostrom has became the first woman awarded with a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, “for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons”. The clue of this work is a phenomenon known in economy as the tragedy of commons. This phenomenon occurs when a group shares a resource, but at the same time, every individual acts on their own behalf, which is often against the common interest of the community. Can we spot the tragedy of commons in academia?

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A villain is a hero of another side

A Villain Is a Hero of Another Side

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As every PhD student at the end of the contract, I slowly get the idea that publishing papers is a minor problem in a researcher’s life. There other, more painful issues, such as the environment fractioning into ‘team Brown’, ‘team Green’ et cetera – especially in circles developing new methods for data analysis. Such friendships and antipathies that last for ages before you even found yourself in the community, and once you appear as a fresh person, you do not necessarily understand why you are actually expected to love Mr Brown and hate Mr Green.

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Illustration for the article "Taking Risks as a Path to Safety"

Taking Risks as a Path to Safety

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In the famous riddle, you are supposed to connect all the dots with four straight lines. You can sweat and try as long as you like but you will always be just one line short from connecting all of them. Unless you look outside the box, and make yourself space beyond the limited area of the square – then, all of a sudden, everything becomes easy. The point is: as a scientist, you are pressed to do multitasking as well: as opposite to industry, in academia, you need to prove yourself in multiple different roles every day, and the collateral stress is inevitable whenever you are a good or a bad worker. So, how to deal with stress?

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Students

How To Deal with Students as a PhD Candidate?

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Initially, I was hesitating for a long time if I can even manage to supervise a student. Namely, if I will be able to catch some good vibes and keep on going regardless of little bumps on the way which naturally pop out during research: you try and fail, and then try and fail again and again… But now, I must say that supervising students is a wonderful experience to me, and I consider it – so far – the most fulfilling part of the PhD track.

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Artists and Craftsmen

Artists and Craftsmen

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Researchers have their personal styles of working, and some of them are more like craftsmen, whereas others are more like artists. And the irony is: in order to produce a novel scientific study and publish it well, you need to be an artist, but you also need to be a craftsman – and these two qualities are rarely to be found in one and the same person.

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YouTube

YouTube

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I was amazed during my California visit: the trends and the people everyone in Silicon Valley talked about, I had already heard of — from YouTube, not from the press or television. It felt like absorbing knowledge just by passively watching what the algorithms served me. Is YouTube a better mirror of the world than we think?

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The American Dream

The American Dream

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A visit to California is an eye-opener. The Dutch job market could not be any more different from the American one. In the Netherlands, it is way easier to get funding when your project is eco-friendly, employee-friendly and has a societal impact. In Silicon Valley, the thinking is different — and after a week in Mountain View, I finally understand the idea behind the American dream.

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Passive income

Passive Income

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Passive income has become a popular key term over the past few years. It comprises all the possible ways of making money which you initiate and then can let go, so the money keeps on producing itself. This Christmas I went through the e-books, courses, YouTube channels and real-estate strategies — and here is what I found out about which of them actually work.

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Luck

Luck

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The popular belief is that people who perceive themselves as successful and lucky are those who just take opportunities – notice the money lying on the street and take it. Or, those who interpret some events as lucky whereas others would perceive the same events as unlucky. But how much of success in academia is really luck?

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Impossible Is Nothing: I Am Buying a House in Nijmegen

Impossible Is Nothing: I Am Buying a House in Nijmegen!

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Once in a while, you have that feeling that you are going through a period when lots of extraordinary things happen one after another. These are some truly career-defining moments that change your life and that you will never forget. It was certainly one of them.

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What Do Successful People Say

What Do Successful People Say

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Singers, sportsmen, writers, famous bloggers and motivational speakers, Noblists, inventors, enterpreneurs and famous CEOs. All these people think shockingly similar about the rules for success.

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Research or Branding? How To Effectively Self-Manage in Academia

Research or Branding? How To Effectively Self-Manage in Academia

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Science is business. If you don’t understand this simple fact, you won’t get too far in academia. Unfortunately, very many of us, PhD candidates, do not understand this. This might be because, in science, the real currency differs from money. In fact, there are several currencies. The number of publications, impact factor, time. So, how to self-manage in these conditions?

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Starting a new PhD program with renewed confidence and self-belief

I’m Starting a PhD Program All Over Again!

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Self-esteem is complex: it often feels like you deserve the best, but when you achieve something valuable, you might act defensively and risk losing it. Securing a doctoral contract with my own project was a significant achievement, yet I found myself obsessively controlling every detail, which hindered my progress. Realizing my self-sabotage, I’m now focusing on embracing my capabilities, remembering past successes, and moving forward with confidence. It’s time to overcome doubt and dive into work, starting now.

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Researcher exploring computational psychiatry and brain network science in academia

How To Develop Yourself in Academia

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In less than two years in science, I’ve realized it’s much like the music industry: success often hinges on networking and strategic partnerships, much like Pitbull’s rise to fame through collaborations. I’m learning to embrace this “game” of science, understanding that building alliances and engaging with media can enhance one’s career and lead to successful publications. I’ve found my calling in Computational Psychiatry, where I use advanced tools to understand and correct mental disorders. This work resonates deeply with me, blending my engineering background with my passion for understanding the human mind.

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Adapting to a new, busier neuroscience lab environment and workplace culture

Finding Your Way In a New Workplace: How To Adapt and Stand Out?

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Transitioning to a new lab, I’ve encountered a bustling and noisy environment with more women and experimentalists, a stark contrast to my previous quiet and solitary space, making adaptation a challenge. My new boss has been welcoming and engaging, sparking intriguing discussions about consciousness and the role of the thalamus, which has rekindled my enthusiasm for neuroscience. Inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s story of persistence, I’m setting ambitious goals in my field, including a paper and conference presentation, aiming to make a significant impact despite the challenges.

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How To Deal With a Sudden Job Loss

How To Deal With a Sudden Job Loss

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Recent weeks have been incredibly tough. After moving to a new country with my fiancé and starting a dream PhD, I’ve faced the harsh reality that my work involves abstract equations and impractical ideas, rather than meaningful neuroscience research. With the scarcity of new doctoral positions and funding cuts, combined with personal life constraints, I struggled with the decision to abandon my current project. Yet, an unexpected opportunity arose at a major Dutch hospital, offering hope amidst these challenges. Despite a contract termination and the pressures of academia, I’ve found a potential path forward. Reflecting on my experiences and conversations with friends, I’ve realized there are many routes to happiness and success. I’m now considering alternative career paths and post-doctorate opportunities, embracing the possibility of a fresh start in the New Year.

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Tips For a Young Scientist

Tips For a Young Scientist

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Recently, I was struck by Prof. Brzezinski’s candid critique of conspiracy theories surrounding the Smoleńsk catastrophe. His statement challenged the prevailing political and media narratives, reflecting a much-needed act of bravery in Poland’s ongoing struggle with widespread misinformation. In exploring Noam Chomsky’s critique of Artificial Intelligence, I found his concerns about AI’s indiscriminate use valid. Chomsky argues that using AI without understanding the underlying data structure can lead to misguided conclusions, particularly in complex fields like genetics and neuroscience. Following advice from Peter Medawar’s essay “Advice to a Young Scientist,” I’ve learned the importance of being assertive and persistent in scientific inquiries. Rather than being overly polite, being bold and inquisitive has proven more effective in advancing my research and understanding.

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How to Cope in a Dutch Lab as a Polish Expat

How to Cope in a Dutch Lab as a Polish Expat

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At 26, juggling a career amidst cultural stereotypes about Polish people, like the unfounded association with drinking and stealing, has been challenging. These biases have made it difficult to fit in, especially in a competitive environment where my efforts and successes are sometimes undermined by colleagues. Since joining the lab, I’ve noticed a shift in my Dutch colleagues’ behavior. Initially, they would leave work promptly at 5 p.m., but now they stay late to showcase their dedication, creating a competitive atmosphere. Their initial advice was helpful, but as I began to outperform them, their attitude changed, attributing my success to “sheer luck.” While working on an intriguing essay about the small-world effect in networks, I’ve been reflecting on the nature of connections and efficiency in various systems. This topic, relevant across neuroscience, sociology, and mathematics, highlights the significance of network structure and has influenced my recent social choices.

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What Leads To Success in Learning?

What Leads To Success in Learning?

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Success in learning hinges on staying in touch with trends, building connections, and maintaining effective communication while embracing a flexible yet clear goal and a winner’s mindset. Despite initial challenges in the Netherlands, including high publication demands, I’ve found surprising success with a math publication and a revitalized project, feeling ahead of my colleagues. My enjoyment of light-hearted shows and unique quirks boosts my energy and provides insights into success, highlighting the importance of determination and personality over mere talent.

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On Studies and Higher Education in Poland

On Studies and Higher Education in Poland

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European master’s programs lean on creativity and projects, while the Polish system rewards rote memorization and exams. Now that my creative spirit finally has room, my thesis and collaborations are thriving. A reflection on what Polish higher education overlooks, and on the chaotic rituals writers use to stay creative.

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I'm Going to Caltech!

I’m Going to Caltech!

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I’ve been accepted into the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) 2008 program at Caltech, and I’m thrilled to embark on this exciting adventure in California! My research will focus on autism and perception, specifically comparing how individuals with autism and those without perceive and interact with faces. We’ll test the hypothesis that people with autism experience increased social anxiety, leading to reduced eye contact, using an eyetracker to measure gaze patterns on human and animal eyes.

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Party to end research for my Master Thesis in Psychology

Party To End Research For My Master Thesis in Psychology

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On World Pi Day we held the closing party for my psychology master’s research: guests rated plasticine sculptures on freedom and artwork inspired by music, and friends ran the RPG missions that drove the study. Here are my thanks to everyone who helped, and a note on where to find the mission itself.

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