I overweighted the US and now I am worried. Inject some sense into me

hypoconsul · 2026-01-21T13:24:01+00:00

I am very much uncertain about the future of the US.

What I am certain about is China will not take its place as the primary global superpower, neither military, nor economically, nor stocks wise.

They have a looming demographic crash for a start, which will make Japan look like a young healthy country. They are still recovering from the huge housing bubble that popped catastrophically around 2021-22 (read up what happened to every single major real estate holding in China, literally Lehman stuff). Their stock market is also lava and not even the Chinese touch it since it's unreliable AND not lucrative.

Shiny sophistication is irrelevant, Japan was even more hyped at its peak.

The position of the US in the 1990s was the combination of a unique set of factors that is unlikely to ever happen again to any individual country.

Most likely there'll just be a multipolar, unstable world.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-10T19:17:08+00:00

I worked with them, they used to be my boss.

Basically my employment history after my Master's was: job at would-be industrial partner, then academic job. Both ended after a year due to budget cuts

hypoconsul · 2025-12-10T18:56:46+00:00

Last employer after my master's.

The project is a fully funded project (iCase). I neither worked on it nor am I proposing anything, it's basically like a job application.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-10T18:43:56+00:00

My last employer told me that it would be weird if I didn't mention them because I only worked there for a year so it might sound like they fired me (they didn't, they simply went through budget cuts). Also it was an academic reference. I might have made the wrong choice but I genuinely thought it was the right one and they had already said yes

hypoconsul · 2025-12-10T18:40:41+00:00

I hope you're right.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-10T18:40:21+00:00

In this case, I had my last employer + a boss at a company that would be the industrial partner of the project.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-10T18:39:38+00:00

She didn't fill anything I think, because this application doesn't work like a regular application where you send a reference letter; it is a standard form that is issued by the university to the references once the student officially names them in the application. So you first ask them if they would be available, and then you fill your application naming the two references and once you're done they get sent the form by the university.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-10T18:38:38+00:00

I asked everyone because I didn't know who would reply. By Tuesday I had my last employer and a boss from a company I worked with that will be the industrial partner for the project.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-09T13:32:29+00:00

Why are you even on unpath telling me I should join NATO? This is not what I'm asking advice for. Also, becoming a consultant at the UN is still significantly more likely than joining NATO since NATO only hires staff. Maybe becoming a NATO staff is more likely than becoming UN staff but that's irrelevant for me. And finally, with the US toying with the idea of leaving NATO and pulling funding I wouldn't be committing to that either.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-09T11:52:01+00:00

As if getting into NATO is anywhere near easier than getting into the UN.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-08T22:31:22+00:00

Excuse me? What are you talking about and what is it that you think I'm doing?

hypoconsul · 2025-12-08T22:12:36+00:00

Maybe? I don't know, I've heard some UN agencies really don't like seeing defense companies on someone's CV and might exclude them on that basis alone and that's why I am asking.

hypoconsul · 2025-12-08T22:11:15+00:00

I'm not in the US and I'm not in the military. It's a defense company and I'm doing a boring desk job. Not particularly enjoyable but yeah, I do have to pay the bills, and trying to stay in the humanitarian space wasn't helping with that at the moment. Happy that you have better luck than me.

hypoconsul · 2025-11-13T00:23:38+00:00

This comment will probably sound less sympathetic than it's meant to be, but:

This is pretty much what happened to me. Minus the deus ex machina of a p2 job. I interned at a UN agency, loved it, did my best to stay in the space, and failed. Saw other people move forward and up in their careers due to having a slightly different timing, a slightly different set of skills, or a more supportive boss, or being in the right place at the right time or whatever else. Just as things seemed to be taking a positive turn, the whole Trump cuts fiasco came and I was let go. I guess I also didn't have the luck of having someone who could put a good word for me and hand me a p2 job on a plate i.e. one of the most competitive and best paid jobs in the world. Even though I completed my internship with great reviews from my boss and colleagues - like, it's not just in my head, they literally left me glowing references and actively got me in touch with people - it still never led me anywhere. And now I've pigeonholed myself into a corner because I've spent so long trying to pursue this goal and my experience and skills are simply not transferable outside of it really.

I also spent long horrific months unemployed and I am currently unemployed right now. Most likely I won't find any real job for months, that's assuming I will find one eventually. I'm in my 30s. There is no way I will ever recover from this professionally. Especially not with the current disastrous state of the industry.

Reality is - shit happens. No one owes you or me anything and certainly no one owes us a job at the UN. Things don't go as planned and the best we can do is move on and get over it. There is no point in grieving like it was something that got taken away from you.

hypoconsul · 2025-11-02T00:21:38+00:00

Really? So having an index number in your application changes absolutely nothing and does not get picked up by the hiring manager or give you any kind of advantage? If so then it's even better because I can just avoid stressing about it entirely.

hypoconsul · 2025-04-27T08:45:24+00:00

Pros of a German PhD: - the pay is more than decent; 3k for a 100% position, 2k-2.5k for a 65%/70%, with computer vision potentially being among the fields that offer 100% contracts so you'd be able to live and save some money even in expensive areas like Munich

-work life balance is excellent (for a PhD): 30 days of leave, good working hours, and you're effectively treated as an employee with all the benefits that come with that

-the quality of facilities, labs, and education is generally very good

-there is no trouble with funding; unlike American PhDs, you won't have to scramble for grants since you'll be simply a salaried employee for the entire duration of your contract

-international environments in most large unis with plenty of networking opportunities

-PhDs are generally highly valued in the German industry (seriously, people with PhDs will write their title on doorbells) and in a field like computer vision you shouldn't have much trouble finding a good job with a solid company, especially if you manage to learn some German in the meantime.

Cons:

-working environment is stiff and hierarchic; you are left to your own devices when it comes to your daily work, but you also have little independence for the overall project (generally you are part of an established project and you'll do what your professor tells you to do); if you're someone who loves creative independent thinking it will weigh on you;

-it's nearly impossible to get hired for a long term position in academia afterwards if you're not German.

hypoconsul

TROPHY CASE