Absence of Ego (or, unlocking your inner force)

Hosted by Stephen Fischer and Jamshid Asadzadeh

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Feb 2026

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About the show

"Absence of Ego" is an innovative podcast series designed to guide listeners through the multifaceted journey of professional development and career transition. Hosted by Stephen, a seasoned career counselor, and Jamshid, a data scientist with a rich background in neuroscience, each episode delves into the psychological and practical aspects of making a career change, from understanding one's own value to mastering the art of the job search. For more info, check out our website: https://www.careerthrivability.com/

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14 recent

February 9, 202648 min

Showcase your whole self: why personality, workstyle and character do matter for the final choice of candidate.

Our guest, Bertrand Willi, is a specialist in helping clients create positive work atmospheres in order to attract, retain and co-develop talented professionals at all levels. Most recently, as the facility manager for the Swiss Federal Railway system, he also manages a very large time across language, culture and ethnic origins, from technicians to sales and marketing roles. He gives us an insider's view of how in the final selection, often it comes down to the soft skills and potential for growth of the person who is chosen for the job, with the hard skills more important at the initial stages of selection. Once you have been invited for the interview cycle, both you and the company should be confident you could do the job, but are the position, the team and the company values the best fit for you, and vice versa? As always, we welcome your own experiences, feedback and suggestions at: absence_of_ego@sustainable-outreach.com. You can also reach out to Jamshid or Stephen on LinkedIn, too.---------------------------------------------------------CreditsGuest: Bertrand WilliIntro:Karin HagemannCo-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠⁠⁠Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠⁠⁠ MusicTheme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

December 19, 20251 hr 5 min

Swimming with sharks: interviewing is not for the faint-hearted!

In this episode, we are again fortunate to have as our special guest Ms. Natalya Izergina, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner for CS Behring, doing what she knows best: interviewing kindly but persistently our second guest (and willing sacrificial lamb), Ms. Regina Fakhretdinova, a gifted mathematician about to finish her PhD in Mechanics. Luckily for her, Regina has a natural sense of calm, but as you will hear, it would still have been much less stressful if she had known how to prepare better for typical HR questions. Once again, you will enjoy the lively exchange and feedback from three perspectives on how to succeed in those nerve-wracking job interviews with non-specialists. You will also learn a lot about certain kinds of important analytical processes in the oil and gas sector as a bonus. Remember to share the link with friends and colleagues, and we love to hear from you about your own experiences. In fact, we may even invite you to be a guest on a future episode! Write to us at: absence_of_ego@sustainable-outreach.com---------------------------------------------------------Resources STAR method: https://www.themuse.com/advice/star-interview-method---------------------------------------------------------CreditsGuests: Natalya Izergina and Regina FakhretdinovaIntro:Karin HagemannCo-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠⁠⁠Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠⁠⁠ MusicTheme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

November 8, 202554 min

A Mock Interview So Real It's Scary

Two special guests put theory into practice in a genuine exchange between a real candidate and a very experienced recruiter. While we always delve into the mind games we have to face in different professional situations, and there are many in the interview cycles of recruitment, for the next two episodes we are fortunate to share with you "live" exchanges to both underline successful strategies and illustrate areas to focus on improving. Our special guest, Natalya Izergina, who brings more than 20 years' recruitment practice to the role play, is the Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at CSL Behring, a life sciences company, and in today's exercise, her willing "victim" is Andrei Variu, an astrophysicist cum data enthusiast who is currently making the transition from academia to industry, so the opportunity to have an exchange with a recruiter on the kind of HR questions which drive techies mad (like, "tell me about yourself") was too good to pass up. As a monitored exercise, he received feedback not only from Natalya but also from Jamshid and Stephen. We hope this and the next simulation will help you in your own job interview preparation. Let us know what you think and share any examples from your own experience of best practices and what to avoid at: absence_of_ego@sustainable-outreach.com ---------------------------------------------------------Resources STAR method: https://www.themuse.com/advice/star-interview-method---------------------------------------------------------CreditsGuests: Natalya Izergina and Andrei VariuIntro:Karin HagemannCo-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠⁠⁠Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠⁠⁠ MusicTheme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

September 24, 20251 hr 0 min

An inner view of the INTERVIEW cycle - Part 1

Even for very experienced candidates with several professional transitions to their credit, the job interview cycle can be grueling, sometimes horribly so. At the very least, given that one normally applies for a variety of positions during a given period, they demand a significant amount of time and energy. We continue to explore what goes on in our psyche during this process and suggest ways to improve your confidence before, during and after each interview or related step in the recruitment process. Being a bit nervous is a good thing as it provides an adrenaline buzz you can use to your advantage, but thorough preparation and a few tricks to slow down the exchange will also help you proceed in a more confident manner. Remember that you can contact us at absence_of_ego@sustainable-outreach.com with your feedback and suggestions. If you like the episode, why not follow us, too?---------------------------------------------------------Resources https://ikigaitest.com/ (free test to identify what you are best at, most passionate about, and where and how you can find ways to be remunerated for doing this)Impostor Syndrome:Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247.Easy summary: APA article on Impostor Phenomenon Dunning–Kruger Effect:Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121–1134.Easy summary: Psychology Today – Dunning–Kruger EffectStress and Performance (Yerkes–Dodson Law):erkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (1908). The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, 18(5), 459–482.Easy summary: Verywell Mind – Yerkes–Dodson LawAmygdala and Threat Response:LeDoux, J. E. (2000). Emotion Circuits in the Brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 23, 155–184.Easy summary: Harvard Health – The Amygdala and Fear ResponseSocial Threat & Pain Overlap:Eisenberger, N. I., Lieberman, M. D., & Williams, K. D. (2003). Does Rejection Hurt? An fMRI Study of Social Exclusion. Science, 302(5643), 290–292.Easy summary: Greater Good Science Center – Why Social Rejection HurtsPrefrontal Cortex Regulation & Stress:Arnsten, A. F. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410–422.Easy summary: Two Parts of the Brain Govern Much of Mental Life---------------------------------------------------------CreditsIntro:Karin HagemannCo-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠⁠⁠Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠⁠⁠ MusicTheme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

July 6, 202558 min

Strategic thinking can grow both vegetables and companies.

Even someone in our most intimate circle can still surprise us when we get them toshare their life stories with us. In this episode, Stephen’s life partner, Karin, explainshow from her earliest memories, she was drawn to nature and that no matter howexhilarating her myriad challenges in organic farming, running a health-orientedNGO or doing strategy and management consulting around the globe, she stillrecharges her energy by time in the garden or walking in the Jura with her Englishsetter (and sometimes with Stephen, too).She shares her early experience at the UN, the independence she may have beenforced to develop at a very early age but which helped her keep her priorities clearas a parent and a professional and underlines the importance of staying healthymentally and physically in order to commit to working in line with one’s personalvalues. Along the way, she took two Irish setters to Stanford, helped a ball bearingfactory ready itself to make the transition from Soviet central planning to Westerninvestor-driven capitalism, and funded mother-child health initiatives in EasternEurope and Africa. She has spent much of her career working with different entitiesin the UN system on governance, communication, fundraising and strategy, and thismission continues today.Let us know what you think about her career story, and share your thoughts on futureepisodes, too: absence_of_ego@sustainable-outreach.com---------------------------------------------------------CreditsIntro:Karin HagemannCo-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠⁠⁠Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest:Karin HagemannMusicTheme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

April 22, 20251 hr 7 min

Opportunistic and flexible : from Boy Scout to talent scout, selling calendars to software, the story of an usual career path far from finished.

Listen to the intriguing narrative of a young professional who might have ended up working in energy or big pharma except that he was a bit 'math phobic,' and who preferred launching a startup to finishing a degree in business. Hear how Raphael reinforced his natural talents at sales (and cycling) from childhood, discovered a passion for new technology almost before the term existed, and parlayed this combination into a successful career in recruiting IT professionals and software sales at a B2B level internationally. His ideal future career aspiration? Well, it's a navigator's dream of alternating arrival and departure, sharing with others and caring for the planet. Along the way, you might also get inspired to try serious sports as a motivational driver for your professional success.---------------------------------------------------------CreditsIntro:Karin HagemannCo-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠⁠⁠Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest:Raphael PeterMusicTheme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

March 13, 202542 min

Career Pathways, Part 3: the Drifter

In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of the three modes of career approaches, focusing on the least planned, the potentially most frivolous yet freedom inducing, which contrasts with the other two sides, "Navigator" and "Explorer " principally by its free form nature and lack of attachment to specific outcomes. Ready to ride the waves before testing the surf, or more inclined to check the Windsurf app and the local meteo before donning your wetsuit? Either way, watch out for the sharks of unplanned circumstances!---------------------------------------------------------Creditsintro:Karin HagemannCo-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠⁠⁠Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠⁠⁠ MusicTheme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

January 25, 202549 min

Career Pathways, Part 2: the Explorer Mode

As we continue to look at different modes of managing career pathways, we share our fascination with you about the Explorer approach. Perhaps with less strategic planning than in the Navigator mode, this way of operating still requires planning, research and preparation, with big doses of self-confidence and a willingness to stretch beyond your comfort zone. Explorers are not risk averse, as we'll hear from our special guest, Ruppert, who shares his life journey till now. Grab a strong beverage, and get ready for liftoff!---------------------------------------------------------Credits:Guest: Rupert Krebsintro:Karin HagemannCo-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠⁠Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠⁠ Music:Theme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

November 27, 202450 min

Career pathways, planned or unplanned? - Part 1

In today's episode, we'll talk about three different modes of approaching your career: the Navigator, the Explorer and the Drifter. It's quite likely you will choose different approaches as you evolve and in response to changing circumstances and external pressures, and each can bring you a range of opportunities of varying value. We will hear from Jamshid about his own journey to date, and another historical champion of self-made progression, Benjamin Franklin. As usual, we will also share insights on what games your mind plays as you move through the labyrinth of choices in your professional life. --------------------------------------------------------- Credits: intro: Karin Hagemann Co-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/saffischer⁠ Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠⁠ Resources: Music: Theme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

August 31, 202445 min

Resilience reprised: further insights into improving your strength of character - Part 2

As a follow-up to our exciting and insightful exchange with fellow career change enthusiast, Gary Anello, we delve into the workings of your mind during stressful periods of your life, with a view towards monitoring tendencies and seeking to focus on positive outcomes. Find out why tough times tend to generate heavy negative feelings and discover how you can work to change that as you move forward towards your next success. --------------------------------------------------------- Credits: Co-hosts: Stephen Fischer, LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/saffischer Jamshid Asadzadeh, LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/jamshid-asadzadeh⁠ Resources: 23 Resilience Building Activities & Exercises for Adults (https://positivepsychology.com/resilience-activities-exercises/) James-Lange Theory of Emotion: Definition and Examples (https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-the-james-lange-theory-of-emotion.html) Storytelling Brain: The Left-Brain Interpreter (https://www.mindunderstandingitself.com/2019/03/31/storytelling-brain-the-left-brain-interpreter/) THE LEFT BRAIN INTERPRETER - Chasing Consciousness Podcast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N3PzxG1R2c) Carol Dweck: A Summary of Growth and Fixed Mindsets (https://fs.blog/carol-dweck-mindset/) The power of yet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic) Shifts to and from Daylight Saving Time and Incidence of Myocardial Infarction (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc0807104) Music: Theme music: Inside You - Leva (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA⁠⁠⁠⁠) Interlude music: Futuristic Beat - ⁠⁠⁠⁠RoyaltyFreeMusic (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goo.su/janevo)⁠⁠⁠⁠ Outro music: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/