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Careers · by Zeynep Demir · 2026-10-02

A beginner mistake I am weirdly glad I made after 41 tries

I tried this in Lagos with a friend and we both noticed the same thing: the social part mattered more than the perfect plan.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the first draft for a while.

Context: I am not an expert, just someone trying to make Careers feel less intimidating. I wrote down what worked, what felt awkward, and what I would do differently next time.

16 sparks · 3 comments

Comments

Irene López · 1 likes

Glad you shared it; small wins count. I would test it for 4 days before deciding. The spreadsheet should include the emotional cost too.

Ananya Rao · 1 likes

I disagree a bit. weirdly matters, but the bigger issue is usually expectations. The Nairobi example makes it feel concrete.

Nicolás Díaz · 0 likes

This has cozy competence written all over it. I am curious whether workplace still feels good next month. The hidden expense is usually time.