The fox knows many tricks, the hedgehog only knows a good one. Some people are hedgehogs. I'm a fox. Unfortunately the professional world seems to favor hedgehogs. Especially in academia you are often asked to focus on one thing and one thing only. This is how careers advance and people are hired. Over the last three years I tried to focus doing one thing extensively (research) it didn't make me happy. It took long for me to realize that the fundamental problem limiting my happiness was trying to be a hedgehog. Putting on a spiny suit didn't make me a hedgehog. When I finally realized I fail if I try to be someone else I shifted. Right now all I try is to be the best Me there is.

I recently interviewed with a company whos equipment I've been using doing research. They looked for someone to train people to use it. The job sounded fantastic at first: Well paid, travel, different work environments etc. During the interview I realized that although I was perfectly qualified for the job (a person working there told me I had the job before that already, based on my qualification) I was not the person they were looking for. They also did and turned me down. This would be a dissapointing turn in a career, it wasn't. Honestly it was liberating. I took a position I applied for before even noticing this was around: The austrian internet users interest group VIBE! was searching for a person to do political and public work. Since freedom in the digital age is a great passion I've been ignoring for too long I am excited having a position that pays me (significantly less, but I don't need much) for doing what I love. And it's only 15 hours a week, allowing me to spend time developing my own line of research on the side. Instead of money and prestige this position gives me something much more valuable: personal freedom.

I am a fox and I love to be a fox!

post scriptum: Some people argue there is a third kind of people: the curious squids. They are fine in their position but like to put their tentacles out everywhere.