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In this week\\u2019s show, Phil talks to Ulf Schwekendiek, the first mobile engineer at Siri before it was acquired by Apple as well as a co-founder of Ditto which was acquired by Groupon.

He is now the co-founder and CEO of Centered, designing the platform and building a team that shares his passion for achieving mindfulness at work.

Ulf talks about the importance of keeping your creative spirit alive as your career progresses. He also discusses the value in documenting your ideas.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

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TOP CAREER TIP

If you have a creative spirit, always make sure that you keep this spirit alive in whatever you do. Make time to create and always be curious about what could be.

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WORST CAREER MOMENT

Ulf experienced a time in his career when he felt as though he should become a manager, because of the expectations placed upon him by others. He soon realized that this was not where his passion truly lay.

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CAREER HIGHLIGHT

Ulf prefers to focus upon the failures of his career, rather than become too nostalgic for the highlights. He feels that this spurs him on to do better.

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THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

Ulf is most excited about the accessibility of the IT sector, and how it allows anyone entry, no matter what their background is. He also finds himself intrigued by the advent of \\u201cemotional software\\u201d

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THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? \\u2013 Being from Germany, engineering was always a part of Ulf\\u2019s DNA.

What\\u2019s the best career advice you received? \\u2013 You always want to have a smaller piece of a much larger pie.

What\\u2019s the worst career advice you received? \\u2013 That he should not speak his mind for fear of offending someone.

What would you do if you started your career now? \\u2013 Ulf would focus on AI, ML and other technologies that are changing the world.

What are your current career objectives? Ulf is focusing upon the non-technical side of running and operating a business.

What\\u2019s your number one non-technical skill? \\u2013 Learning about human psychology and how the brain works.

How do you keep your own career energized? \\u2013 Learning about new things and iterating constantly.

What do you do away from technology? \\u2013 Ulf is dedicated to his newborn daughter. He also enjoys hang gliding.

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FINAL CAREER TIP

Get out of your own head. If you have ideas then make sure you are documenting them always. Ideas never come to anything if they remain internal ones.

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BEST MOMENTS

(10:57) \\u2013 Ulf - \\u201cIf you are a maker or a builder, just make sure that you never lose that\\u201d

(13:07) \\u2013 Ulf - \\u201cFind something that you\\u2019re really passionate about, and not something society shows you as your next step\\u201d

(13:30) \\u2013 Ulf \\u2013 \\u201cIt\\u2019s fun to talk about your highlights, but it\\u2019s so much more powerful to talk about your failures\\u201d

(23:14) \\u2013 Ulf \\u2013 \\u201cIf nobody understands what it is that you\\u2019re doing, then there\\u2019s no point in doing it\\u201d

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ABOUT THE HOST \\u2013 PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.\\xa0 Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.\\xa0 And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

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CONTACT THE HOST \\u2013 PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

Phil is also reachable by email at phil@itcareerenergizer.com and via the podcast\\u2019s website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

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ABOUT THE GUEST \\u2013 ULF SCHWEKENDIEK

Ulf Schwekendiek was the first mobile engineer at Siri before it was acquired by Apple as well as a co-founder of Ditto which was acquired by Groupon.

He is now the co-founder and CEO of Centered, designing the platform and building a team that shares his passion for achieving mindfulness at work.

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CONTACT THE GUEST \\u2013 ULF SCHWEKENDIEK

Ulf Schwekendiek can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sulfme

Website: https://www.centered.app/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sulf