COLUMN SYLVESTER EIJFFINGER
Full Professor in Financial Economics
Beyond career planning
Where do you stand in three years? What is
for writing a doctoral thesis is not a calculating
sibilities for you more consciously. After all, only
the goal of your career? Usual questions that
step within a career, but a natural consequence
the one who observes opportunities as such,
young professionals can be asked and that
of an unpredictable question that triggered an
can make the most out of them. That requires
they are supposed to answer quickly and
inner drive and passion.
some openness. It does not pay to say that you
clearly nowadays. Speaking of career planning
Although people are pushed to have a view of
want to become the CEO of that specific mul-
it is significant that one of the eye-catching
their career and to hold to it firmly, it should be
tinational. Instead of that, you could be driven
Dutch websites talks about career tigers. Like
noted that life cannot be planned. Life comes
by wanting to know how this or that works, by
a tiger hunts for his prey, people seem tending
straight to us. You can only take the things as
wanting to contribute to innovation, by want-
to pursue a new job as a steppingstone to the
they come. That also counts for the unpredict-
ing to fundamentally contribute to the common
goal of their career, resolutely and calculating.
able ones. The only thing you have in hand is
good. That makes one really more open and will
How can that be matched with the unpre-
the satisfaction for one’s business. And how can
be a better concept for getting some success.
dictable aspects within life and thereby also
you know what really satisfies you? The ancient
After all, there are no jobs that can be planned,
within a career?
Greeks knew it long ago: gnothi seauton, know
because nobody really knows where the jour-
thyself. After all, to get real knowledge of the
ney goes to …
It can happen that you are born within a family
world around you, self-knowledge is required
of entrepreneurs and you start to study math-
first.
ematics and physics. Then a famous professor
Getting this self-knowledge is part of a process,
of economics who teaches you says to you
in fact of a life journey. Only the one who makes
that to him you look not that happy. He sug-
a voyage of discovery may discover passions
gests you to change physics for economics. The
and unknown things within himself. Just fol-
change seems to be a good choice, you seem
low your interests and the things that occur by
to be very successful in it. And he also suggests
accident. Of course, following your own analysis,
you to turn your hobby into a job, because that
and not the trends, requires some courage. But
would mean never having to work anymore. The
it will bring you more. Create your own opportu-
passion for striving for truth and for gathering
nities. And regularly reflect on the chances you
knowledge makes you passionate for scientific
had during the day, the week or the year. Such
research. Because of this inner drive the choice
moments of reflection help to perceive the pos-
Sylvester Eijffinger
in collaboration with Annemarie Hinten-Nooijen
(Academic Forum)
Academic Forum
where science meets society and life
Expand your horizons, take the time to reflect
www.tilburguniversity.edu/academicforum
Asset Magazine
21