#soo often you meet the most proud special people with elaborate cvs and then afterwards the ambassador is like what was that. anyway.

[sadclowncentral]

hey lew i have a question about fitting in - do you know how to get over that feeling of insane inadequacy caused by meeting young people in un / eu structures? children of diplomats who went to the best universities in europe and speak 5 languages? i know all i can do is just work on myself but i've met some people who seem born to do it and i'm a little taken aback now lol

here is the thing - i know the international organizations space makes you feel like everyone else is always light years ahead of you and as if you are surrounded by unwavering, committed wunderkinds while barely hanging on. but that's not because you are any less committed or capable of doing the work, or because you failed at choosing your career or lifepath, but because making half-truths seem promising is the first thing you learn in the sector. soft skill numero uno. so of course everyone is great at presenting themselves - that's their expertise! don't let them fool you into thinking that they never fail or struggle. that's just how they learned to talk about themselves in their expensive grad school.

speaking of which. what you see as your disadvantage is actually your biggest asset. because while these people have expertise in talking about world history in five languages and brandishing expensive degrees, they have never interacted with a normal person in their life. you can tell, and other diplomats can tell, and hiring managers can tell, that they are full of shit, and most of the jobs in the international sphere if not all require the level-headedness and the humility of having done your own laundry at least once, and most of the people who seem so great with their slightly to bright smiles during small talk do not have that humility, and it will bite them in the ass.

is it advantegous to have been to a big uni name and speak a lot of languages? of course. but so is hard work, a clear portfolio and set of skills, enthusiasm and knowing why you want to do what you want to do and, most crucially, the ability to hold a conversation that is not about yourself, and many of the most shiny people lack all of those. you can use that to your advantage. the fact that you are considering the sector seriously and know who you are up against is your biggest asset. don't let them psych you out, find your field, and go for it. let them trip over their own pompous cloaks in their due time . you got this brother. godspeed.