Working Hard or Hardly Working?

Insights: Real-life lessons from my journey
The Art of ‘Looking Busy’ in Different Countries

We’ve all done it. That strategic alt-tab to switch from YouTube to an Excel sheet when the boss walks by. The deep, thoughtful sigh as you scan an email for the tenth time, making sure anyone passing by sees just how in the trenches you are. The art of “looking busy” is universal—but what “busy” actually looks like? That depends on where you are.

Japan: The Land of the Eternal Grind

In Japan, looking busy isn’t just a skill—it’s a way of life. Here, hard work is measured in visibility, which means leaving before your manager does is a bold move (read: career suicide). If you’ve finished your work early, congratulations! Now you get to pretend to work.

Looking busy checklist:
✅ Sit up straight, never slouch.
✅ Type quickly, even if you’re just backspacing the same sentence over and over.
✅ Keep an open notebook with a pen ready—nodding while “jotting things down” is peak professionalism.
✅ Stay late. Even if you’re playing Minesweeper, just being present earns you points.

The real challenge? Making it look effortless. If you seem too stressed, you’re inefficient. If you’re too relaxed, you’re not serious. The trick is the perfect level of controlled intensity—calm, but undeniably absorbed in “important work.”

The U.S.: The Cult of Overbooking

In the U.S., looking busy is less about being at your desk and more about making sure everyone knows how much you have going on. A packed Google Calendar? A badge of honor. Speed-walking between meetings with an iced coffee? Power move.

Looking busy checklist:
✅ Overbook yourself with meetings (bonus points if you have to reschedule something).
✅ Answer emails at lightning speed—but start at least one with “Apologies for the delay” to imply you’re too busy.
✅ Use phrases like “I’ve been swamped” and “Let’s touch base” frequently.
✅ Have at least one document open at all times that you can quickly click to when needed.

It’s all about hustle culture—if you’re not constantly moving, you’re falling behind. But the secret? Many of those meetings could’ve been emails.

Europe: Work Hard, Break Harder

In much of Europe, looking busy means actually being productive, but only for a set number of hours. The idea of “work-life balance” isn’t just an HR buzzword—it’s a human right.

Looking busy checklist:
✅ Work diligently… but take your coffee break seriously.
✅ Step away for lunch without a laptop.
✅ Casually mention that you’re “fully booked” but somehow still have time for a scenic stroll.
✅ Never check your email after 6 PM—because why would you?

In Europe, working yourself to exhaustion isn’t a flex—it’s a sign you need better time management. The goal is to work efficiently, then log off guilt-free. Imagine!

Other Regions: Different Takes on Busyness

• South Korea: Similar to Japan, but with extra “pali-pali” (hurry, hurry!) energy. Expect rapid-fire emails, late-night hours, and an entire workforce moving at double speed.

• Australia: Work gets done, but no one’s afraid to say, “Mate, let’s call it a day.” Looking busy isn’t as critical as looking competent—as long as you hit your targets, no one cares if you do it from a beach.

• Remote Work Anywhere: The modern “busy” is juggling 20 open tabs, responding to Slack messages instantly, and moving your mouse every few minutes so your status doesn’t turn “away.” Bonus points for strategically scheduling emails to send at 8 AM—even if you wrote them at midnight.

So, What’s the Lesson Here?

At the end of the day, every culture has different expectations for what “work ethic” looks like—but actual productivity is another story. Some systems reward efficiency, others reward visibility. Some prioritize deep focus, while others celebrate being constantly engaged.

The key to success? Learning the unspoken rules wherever you work. If you’re in Japan, understand the power of presence. In the U.S., learn how to network through meetings. In Europe, recognize that work-life balance isn’t laziness—it’s sustainability.

Most importantly, don’t just “look” busy. Find a way to work smarter, not harder. That’s the real power move.

Strategies: Actional tips to develop skills and adapt
Why No One Reads Your Resume (and How to Fix That)

Let’s be honest—your resume isn’t getting read. At least, not in the way you think.

You picture a hiring manager sitting down with a fresh cup of coffee, carefully analyzing every bullet point you meticulously crafted, nodding in admiration at your “strong communication skills” and “proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment.”

Reality? Your resume got scanned for maybe six seconds. And half that time was spent deciding whether to close the tab.

Why? Because hiring managers and recruiters don’t read resumes—they skim them. And if your resume isn’t immediately grabbing attention, it’s getting buried faster than your gym membership after January.

So, how do you fix it?

Step 1: Ditch the Fluff, Get to the Good Stuff

Let’s play a game. Imagine you’re a recruiter reviewing 200 applications for a single job. Would you rather read this:

✅ Version A: “A highly motivated individual with a passion for teamwork and success, seeking to leverage my skills in a dynamic and challenging environment.”

Or this?

✅ Version B: “Increased sales revenue by 35% in six months by optimizing client engagement strategies.”

If you chose Version A, congratulations—you’d be fired.

Hiring managers don’t have time for vague corporate poetry. They want results. Numbers. Clear impact. If your resume isn’t showing exactly what you did and why it mattered, it’s getting ignored.

Step 2: Make It Painfully Easy to Skim

Your resume isn’t a novel. It’s a highlight reel. And just like a highlight reel, no one’s watching the slow parts.

✅ Use bullet points—long paragraphs are a death sentence.
✅ Front-load your achievements—don’t bury the best part at the end.
✅ Keep job descriptions short—no one cares about “other duties as assigned.”
✅ Make your headers clear—if a recruiter can’t find your work history in two seconds, they’re moving on.

Pro tip: Run your resume through a "squint test." Blur your eyes. Can you still pick out the key achievements? If not, time to reformat.

Step 3: Speak the Recruiter’s Language (a.k.a. Keywords Matter)

Remember that scene in action movies where someone is locked out of a building, and they type random passwords until one works? That’s what resume screening software (ATS) does.

Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes before a human even sees them. If your resume doesn’t have the right keywords, it won’t even make it to a recruiter’s inbox.

✅ Find the job posting.
✅ Highlight the important skills and requirements.
✅ Make sure your resume actually includes those words.

No need to stuff in “synergizing cross-functional B2B frameworks” for no reason—but if the job description says “project management,” and your resume says “led multiple initiatives,” you might be missing out on an easy win.

Step 4: Ditch the One-Size-Fits-All Approach

I know, I know—rewriting your resume for every job is annoying. But so is applying to 100 jobs and hearing nothing back.

If you’re applying to a marketing role, and your resume starts with “Dedicated sales professional with expertise in closing deals”—congrats, you’ve just told them you want a different job.

Tailor your resume by:
✅ Rewriting the summary to match the job focus.
✅ Reordering bullet points so the most relevant experience comes first.
✅ Making sure your job titles align—if you were a “Brand Coordinator” but the company is hiring for a “Marketing Specialist,” use the more recognizable term (if it accurately reflects your duties).

You don’t need to rewrite everything—just adjust the top 30% so it immediately screams, “Yes, I’m perfect for this job.”

Step 5: If It Looks Ugly, It’s Getting Ignored

Your resume should be easy to read. Not a puzzle. Not a medieval manuscript.

🚫 No fancy fonts (Times New Roman or Arial will do just fine).
🚫 No photos (unless you’re applying somewhere that requires it, like Japan).
🚫 No weird columns that confuse ATS systems.
🚫 No “References Available Upon Request.” (Everyone knows. No one cares.)

Think clean, simple, and formatted for speed. If someone has to “figure out” where your experience starts, they won’t.

Final Thought: Your Resume’s Job is to Get You the Interview—Nothing More

Your resume doesn’t have to tell your life story. It just needs to get you to the next round.

So:
✅ Make it easy to skim.
✅ Show clear, measurable results.
✅ Use keywords that match the job posting.
✅ Tailor it for each application.
✅ Keep it clean and readable.

If you do that, people will actually read your resume. And when that happens, you’ll start getting interviews.

Now, go forth and fix that resume. Your dream job is waiting

Stories: Humbling, funny, and inspiring anecdotes
Would I Still Move Abroad If I Knew Everything I Know Now?

If I could go back in time and tell my younger self everything I know now about moving abroad, would I still do it?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Yes, but also… wow, I had no idea what I was getting into.

There’s something blissfully naive about deciding to pack up your life and move to another country. You picture yourself sipping coffee in a charming local café, effortlessly speaking the language, seamlessly blending into a new culture like you were born for it.

What you don’t picture is:

• Spending 30 minutes staring at a washing machine because all the buttons are in kanji.

• Nodding politely in a conversation where you understood exactly two words.

• Trying to open a bank account and realizing bureaucracy is universal (and possibly worse abroad).

• Getting homesick but also feeling weirdly out of place when you visit home.

And yet, for all of the challenges, the highs are so high that they make the lows worth it.

The Reality Check: What No One Tells You About Moving Abroad

1. The Excitement Fades, But Something Better Replaces It

At first, everything is new and exciting. Even the smallest things feel like an adventure—grocery shopping, public transport, just walking down the street.

Then, at some point, reality kicks in. You’re no longer just visiting; you’re living here. And that means dealing with everyday frustrations just like anywhere else—bad days at work, confusing tax forms, and days where you just really, really want a sandwich from back home.

But something amazing happens. You adapt. You stop feeling like an outsider. One day, without realizing it, you catch yourself casually doing something that once terrified you—ordering food fluently, giving directions in your new language, navigating bureaucracy without breaking down.

That’s when you realize: you actually live here now. And it feels good.

2. Loneliness Hits Hard—But It Also Makes You Stronger

The hardest part of moving abroad isn’t the language barrier. It’s not the culture shock. It’s not even the logistical nightmares.

It’s the loneliness.

No one tells you how isolating it can feel to be surrounded by people but not fully connected. There are moments where you miss the ease of old friendships, the ability to make a joke without explaining it, the comfort of being effortlessly understood.

But this is also where you grow the most.

You learn to be independent in ways you never imagined. You start building a new support system. You meet people from all over the world, and suddenly, your definition of "home" expands.

And eventually, you find your people—the ones who get it, who understand your experiences, who make the hard days easier and the good days even better.

3. You Become a Different Person—And That’s Both Exciting and Terrifying

Moving abroad forces you to grow in ways you never expected. You gain confidence, resilience, and a deeper understanding of yourself.

But here’s the thing no one talks about: You also outgrow things.

You might outgrow friendships that no longer fit. You might outgrow old career aspirations. You might even outgrow the idea of “home” as a single place.

And that can be unsettling.

At some point, you start asking yourself: Where do I truly belong? Am I a foreigner in my new home, or has my old home become foreign to me?

The answer? Both. And that’s okay.

Because the truth is, moving abroad doesn’t just change your location. It changes you. And if you embrace that, it opens up a world of possibilities.

So, Would I Do It Again?

Even knowing all the challenges, the struggles, the nights where I questioned everything—I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

Moving abroad taught me resilience. It forced me to be uncomfortable, to adapt, to grow. It gave me friendships I never would have made otherwise, career opportunities I never expected, and a perspective on life that I wouldn’t have gained staying in my comfort zone.

Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Would I do some things differently? Oh, for sure.

But at the end of the day, the risks, the mistakes, the tough moments—all of it led me to where I am now. And for that, I wouldn’t change a thing.

So if you’re wondering whether to take the leap, here’s my advice:

You’ll never be fully ready. Do it anyway.

CONCLUSION
Final Thoughts: The (Mostly) Controlled Chaos of an International Career

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from navigating different workplaces, job markets, and cultural expectations, it’s this: no one really has it all figured out.

Some people just look more confident while winging it.

From mastering the fine art of “looking busy” to cracking the code on resume black holes, and even questioning whether moving abroad was the right choice (spoiler: it was), the journey is never straightforward. It’s full of trial and error, awkward missteps, and moments where you just have to laugh at yourself.

But here’s the good news: every challenge teaches you something valuable.

• Struggling to adapt? You’re building resilience.

• Getting ghosted by recruiters? You’re learning how to stand out.

• Feeling lost in a foreign workplace? You’re developing cultural intelligence.

• Wondering if you made the right life choice? You’re growing in ways you don’t even realize yet.

No matter where you are in your career—whether you’re job-hunting, navigating office politics, or just trying to survive a meeting without zoning out—the key is to keep going. Keep learning, keep adapting, and most importantly, keep a sense of humor.

Because at the end of the day, no one remembers the perfectly executed career plan. They remember the risks you took, the challenges you overcame, and the unexpected, ridiculous, and amazing stories you collected along the way.

And trust me—you’ll have plenty of those.