What Doesn’t Impress You?

Nik Business, Communication, Critical Thinking, Culture, Philosophy, Quora, Relationships, Society, Work

Stamp collectors.

There are two types of stamp collectors in this world:

  1. Actual stamp collectors. I don’t mind those. Way to stick to your guns. Right on!
  2. People who spend most of their lives collecting stamps of approval from the rest of the world.

When you sit across the table from me, your CV goes out the window. That can be a curse or a blessing.

If your 2-month internship at Goldman is all you have to show for, you’ll squirm at my questions. But if you’re curious, know what you’re talking about, can listen, show genuine interest and think on your feet, you earn my respect.

I try to give credit where credit is merited, not as an interest payment for past achievements. I don’t care how many people, institutions, all-star companies and world-class organizations have green-lit you with their label.

The quickest way to get my stamp of approval is to not care about getting it at all.

Be nice, show your work and stand for what you believe in. That’ll do. Not just for me, but for most of the people you’ll meet in life.

There are many ways to get your message across now. So who needs stamps?

Nik

Niklas Göke writes for dreamers, doers, and unbroken optimists. A self-taught writer with more than a decade of experience, Nik has published over 2,000 articles. His work has attracted tens of millions of readers and been featured in places like Business Insider, CNBC, Lifehacker, and many others. Nik has self-published 2 books thus far, most recently 2-Minute Pep Talks. Outside of his day job and daily blog, Nik loves reading, video games, and pizza, which he eats plenty a slice of in Munich, Germany, where he resides.