I started this blog on impulse. I’ve been experimenting with it for a few months now, but I still don’t have a clear idea of where I’m heading.
If I had a clear path for where to take this blog, I would narrow down the topic to something that really thrills me. But since that’s not the case, I decided to broaden it. I definitely want to keep writing about work, as I genuinely believe that in the society we live in, work defines our existence and who we are—whether we like it or not. Work propels everything around us; if we or our machines weren’t constantly working like little bees, our world would collapse. Yes, we should strive to improve work conditions and make them more sustainable, but we can’t stop working.
If you read any book, any short story, or watch any movie, work is always a pillar of the narrative. It defines characters, sets the scene, and shapes time and space—whether it’s in the background or at the forefront of the storytelling.
However, I don’t want to limit myself to writing only about what happens in my work life. I want to explore short stories, random reflections, and maybe even share one-paragraph posts inspired by things people tell me. And while I enjoy the topic of work, I won’t write solely about it.
I’m trying to step away from my usual control-freak tendencies, where I plan and define everything. Instead, I want to lose control and discover something unexpected and new.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to change the name of the blog from Work Thoughts to Beyond My CV. It aligns with my website name, fits the broader purpose, and creates a mini personal brand. Plus, someone else already has a blog called Work Thoughts, which annoyed me quite a bit.
The reasons for such a choice are many, depending on the profession one exercises, a search for better living conditions, a drive to live differently according to rules and cultural norms that better resonate with them, and so forth. This practice has given rise to enticing titles that the privileged among us proudly embrace: globe trotters, digital nomads, expats, remote workers.
In many cases, though, this decision to move somewhere else has been driven by a simple impulse to explore a different corner of the world for a short period of time, only to then move on to another, making this some sort of appealing practice. There are many documentaries available online of influencers, for example, going somewhere like India only to criticize the way other cultures live and leave with a pros and cons list to share with their audience, disregarding the long-term consequences of their actions.
Lately, I have been reflecting on whether this last category of professionals who wander around the globe deserves a more specific title with a connotation that fits this type of mindset.
Today, we are more aware that the privilege of some comes at the expense of others, often decreasing the quality of life for local communities. Perhaps we’ve always known this, but we are now more mature and collectively prepared to take responsibility for our actions. Despite this, no term has been coined to properly define this category of nomads. This has led me to question whether a more nuanced vocabulary might better highlight the less glamorous consequences of some people who take advantage of global professional mobility. One term I’ve been pondering is globalist jackals.
The existing terms are usually associated with the appealing aspects of global mobility: cultural depth fostered by living in different parts of the world; the boost to economies through spending power and new businesses in areas with lower living costs; the flexibility of work environments; and inclusivity. These and many other aspects have served as catalysts for global change and innovation.
Unfortunately, there is another side to the coin.
What I would call globalist jackals, in particular, drive up living costs in the areas where they relocate. Their demand for short-term rentals reduces housing availability for residents. They displace communities, contributing to over-tourism, disrupting local cultures, and eroding traditional ways of life, leaving some communities feeling exploited or undervalued.
Moreover, individuals benefiting from global mobility who genuinely wish to integrate and adapt to local customs may face misjudgment or unjust accusations, being lumped together with those who move on to their next destination without meaningful interaction or pondering their choices with reasons beyond the drive to “discover the world.”
Legal gray areas are created and exploited by individuals with selfish intentions, with little to no regard for local community needs. For example, it’s known that governments struggle to tax digital nomads who earn abroad while utilizing local resources, even though this varies greatly by country and specific tax treaties.
It has also been reported that what I would define as globalist jackals exacerbate inequalities, widening the gap between those with access to technology, education, and global mobility versus those without.
While there are many other factors that could justify coining the term globalist jackals, it’s crucial to recognize the dangers of using such pejorative terms indiscriminately. Doing so risks fueling discriminatory and even racist narratives.
The debate around the terminology we use to describe global professionals underscores the need for accountability and awareness in a world where profiting from mobility by choice, and not by survival-oriented need or duty, is both a privilege and a responsibility. As global citizens, we must understand what impact our ambitions have on others, acknowledging that consequences may take time to arise and often unfold in unpredictable ways.
This is a speculative and reductive take on a much broader and more complex topic, one that has been researched and discussed in much greater depth. So, please take my perspective with a grain of salt. I am curious to hear your thoughts. Have you previously reflected on this topic, specifically the glamorous terminology used to define this trend? Does the term globalist jackal make sense? What other terms would you suggest for discussing this phenomenon?
When I started my new job last November, I thought I would have learned everything there was to know about the role very quickly, that I would have been speaking the smoothest German in no time, and that after a few weeks, I would be having promotion talks with my manager for my outstanding performance. I came from a very challenging position as a Senior Content Designer, handling the end-to-end content of multiple products in different languages for a tax-filing app. Whatever lay ahead of me, will not be more challenging than that. I thought. – Besides. – I said to myself. – It’s just a customer support role. How difficult can it be? Plus. – I concluded. – I am a senior professional with years of experience helping people understand complex topics easily.”
I can’t believe the size of the bait I took from my own ego. My arrogance, ignorance, and stubbornness were totally detrimental to me. On the outside, though, I was handling myself very well—I wore, once more, the shoes of a devoted student who’s fully dedicated to learning as much as possible and who’s very appreciative of the opportunity given, especially in these times when having a job feels more like a privilege than a human right. On the inside, feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration corroded me, as I secretly perceived this new beginning as a step back in my career—a feeling that got in the way of the smoother and more pleasant start I was so much looking for.
But paradoxically, what saved me from complete self-sabotage was exactly the intensity of the challenge I was facing, which stimulated my curiosity and willingness to overcome the obstacles and difficulties I encountered.
The first massive challenge I experienced was communicating with colleagues exclusively in German. The funny thing is that a German-speaking job was something I had been looking for since I moved to Germany, but achieving that isn’t simple. You need a good level of German to start from, and despite the hundreds of hours I had invested in courses, tandems, reading books, and watching movies in German, having a normally paced conversation at work is tough. You can’t really stop and ask people to repeat a sentence constantly.
The second challenge was learning new concepts related to computer networking, electronics, and many other technical topics fundamental to understanding the products and customers.
Finally, the third biggest and maybe most complex challenge is understanding the myriad of problems that customers face and learning how to guide them toward the best, most simple, and satisfying solution possible—all while avoiding taking anything personally and being a company cheerleader.
So how did I keep afloat during these first two months in this radical and challenging career change? How did I maintain my sanity while facing such a steep learning curve? Once more, acceptance and surrender really helped me. Understanding that I couldn’t have everything under control as I did after years of experience in other roles, and that I would struggle to communicate with my colleagues and clients in German, was truly like lifting a huge weight off my shoulders. I know that my German will suck for months until it doesn’t anymore; I know I won’t be in my comfort zone in terms of skills and knowledge until I will again; and I know I will struggle to solve most customer problems until I have mastered the most important of them.
Growth is less about perfection and more about perseverance. It’s more about embracing limitations and focusing on incremental improvements than setting flashy goals and unrealistic expectations. When we restart with a series of overwhelming challenges ahead of us, it’s really okay to feel uncomfortable, to struggle, and to sound silly while speaking a very complex foreign language—that’s learning right there, that’s growth right there! Nothing could be better than that.
Things take time, especially when there are big changes involved that we are not used to handling. But things are difficult until they aren’t anymore.
I’m really looking forward to seeing where I’ll be one year from now. At the same time, I want to exorcise from my future any freaking layoff shadow—even though now I know that I can overcome that too.
I initially wanted to write yet another 2024 wrap-up, which would have most likely turned into a me-me-me redundant post filled with complaints about my “almosts” and “not yets” from the past year. Instead, I prefer to share something that brought clarity to previous years and became a reliable tool for a hopeful start to each new year.
Nowadays, we receive end-of-year wrap-ups and new year’s resolutions updates from almost every app on our phones. This barrage can make reflecting on recent experiences and planning ahead feel overwhelming. However, cutting through the noise to find a tool that truly works for us can transform these reflections into powerful and inspiring activities.
For the last four years, my go-to tool has been a booklet called Year Compass (which you can download entirely free here).
I was first introduced to it by my ex-girlfriend. We began filling out our respective booklets together at her parents’ chalet-style home in Brussels, sitting in front of a rattling fireplace as snowflakes fell like tiny meteorites, driven by a strong and gelid wind. Despite this picturesque, almost dreamlike setting, my first experience was painful. It took me at least three hours to complete the entire Year Compass, as it required deep reflection across all the major spheres of life.
Each year, though, the process became easier, and its effectiveness grew to the point where I can’t imagine starting a new year without it.
So, for anyone seeking a way to process their experiences, integrate the past year with a sense of accomplishment and closure, and face 2025 with renewed hope and confidence, I highly recommend filling out this amazing and completely free tool. You can download it easily, and it’s best to complete it before the new year begins—or at the latest, within the first two weeks of January.
Before I share the tricks that help me polish my posts without distorting what I originally wrote, let me confess that I’ve cut a few corners in the past using AI prompts.
The most questionable trick I’ve used was asking ChatGPT to draft a conclusion by feeding it only two-thirds of a written post. There’s no excuse—I feel bad even admitting it—but at the time, I was overwhelmed with life and couldn’t come up with conclusions. Later, I realized that not every post needs one. Sometimes, the post is complete when you’ve run out of meaningful things to say, and it reads perfectly fine without moral lessons, unsolicited advice, or redundant perspectives.
The reason I felt guilty—if it’s not obvious—is the deep respect I have for the craft of writing and for writers of all kinds, those who carefully consider every word they use. It felt like a betrayal of my principles and my own creative process, and it’s not something I ever want to repeat.
That said, I won’t entirely dismiss the power of AI-driven tools to help proofread and refine my writing or to catch inconsistencies and inaccuracies that my own eyes might miss—especially given how little time I can dedicate to this time-consuming activity.
Here are a few helpful, ethically sound (by my standards) and simple prompts I’ve developed over time:
Proofreading
Writers know that no piece of writing—regardless of its audience or purpose—should go public without at least a second pair of eyes reviewing it. Proofreading styles vary greatly: some people practically rewrite your work, while others stick to spotting typos and fixing orthographic issues.
But here’s the thing—those “second eyes” require time, experience, and they’re rarely free (unless you know a benevolent soul whose sole priority is helping you improve). This is where ChatGPT can be incredibly handy. My prompt for this is:
Correct any grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.
Ensure clarity and consistency without altering the intended tone or writing style.
Preserve the structure and flow of the text unless minor adjustments are necessary for readability or coherence.
Highlight unclear sections or sentences that could benefit from rephrasing, while suggesting minimal, non-intrusive edits.
Fact-Checking
So far, I’ve written only a few posts that required this prompt. It’s for posts where I reference studies or attempt a journalistic analysis of societal issues. I aim to research thoroughly, check sources, and quote or paraphrase without inaccuracies.
This is something I’d like to focus on more, but it’s not a top priority right now. Here’s the prompt I use for fact-checking:
Offer concise feedback for maintaining journalistic integrity and readability.
Identify any claims, data points, or studies that require verification.
Suggest credible sources to verify the information or correct inaccuracies, if any.
Highlight sections where citations or additional clarity could improve reliability.
Ensure quotes are accurately represented and properly attributed.
SEO
I wish I could say I’m passionate about SEO, but that’s not the case—yet. Despite reading books, taking courses, and watching videos on the subject, it hasn’t fully clicked for me. Maybe one day!
For now, I use this prompt to tackle SEO-related tasks:
Propose broad categories that accurately reflect the main themes and context of the post, ensuring they fit a typical WordPress blog taxonomy.
Suggest relevant tags to help readers and search engines quickly identify key topics or concepts discussed in the post.
Write a max 100 characters, human-readable excerpt summarizing the core idea of the blog post in an engaging and SEO-friendly way. Aim to capture the reader’s interest while reflecting the content accurately.
There you have it—my secrets. I hope you find them helpful! Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any tricks to share, resources you recommend, or books and authors that have inspired you.
I had forgotten how, at the end of each day, work can deplete us of the energy to create anything beyond what we are expected to do at the office. This is not a complaint—it’s just an acknowledgment of reality. As I write these words, I’m squeezing my neurons to produce something meaningful, even though I know it might be a failed attempt.
I usually write my posts well in advance, which allows me to reflect on what I wrote and polish it if necessary. I focus on a specific topic that I’ve had in mind for a while, or sometimes on something that comes up spontaneously. Regardless, I usually schedule the post to be published on Fridays. Today, however, I’m writing a very spontaneous post on no particular topic, which I will publish immediately.
I’m not sure why I feel this need to justify myself—to whom? What I write is barely read by anyone. Even my girlfriend and a really good friend—whom I forced myself to send links to a couple of posts—aren’t particularly interested in my “work thoughts,” and honestly, I don’t blame them. This can be an exhausting topic and difficult to follow purely on a personal impulse, as I tend to ping-pong here and there without a precise plan, guided only by my love for writing. But I love it the way it is. I don’t seek much visibility; I really enjoy my “wannabe” blog/personal website that never quite takes off, with its occasional visitor who drops by briefly—and the rare reader who shows appreciation with a like.
I guess I’m not justifying myself but rather reflecting on this nonsensical train of thought on a very long and tiring Thursday.
There are a lot of topics I want to discuss in my future posts, including the following draft titles that I have in mind:
A good manager and a good team are the most important things in a job
Understanding that I can overcome any struggle helps with challenges (I think I will repeat this topic over and over, as it’s some sort of “resilience-building mantra” for me)
Perspective and free writing
How I use AI in my blog posts
Reflections on the end of the year: a tough one
So, for my courageous (or imaginary) readers, stay tuned, as 2025 is going to be filled with boring, probably badly written, and unexciting topics.
