If you learn in time, you can succeed in times of need.

When we were mostly farmers in Europe, we knew: "If you save in time, you'll have in need." But today, it is less about having and more about being able. Therefore: "If you learn in time, you can in need." It holds true that "Knowledge is gold." It is a globally valid currency, inflation-proof, not taxable, and unstoppable by any customs control. However, it would be criminal to rely solely on one's knowledge and abilities. But for those who invest purposefully and decisively in their skills, the world is open to them. Literally. Former students write to me from Singapore, Sydney, San Francisco, Cape Town, Kabul, or New York. They work for companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google, or Gucci.

Three reasons why qualification is becoming increasingly important

First and foremost, for three reasons, we should all, from top managers or university professors to craftsmen or skilled workers, pursue our qualification as the highest professional priority. Firstly, apart from civil servants, no one is truly crisis-proof. History teaches us that nothing lasts forever. No downturn, but also no upturn. The financial crisis of 2008 was not overcome by profound reforms, but by historically low interest rates and an unprecedented flooding of the markets with fresh paper money. What should central banks and governments do if the bubble bursts again? No company has a guarantee of existence. In the - unfortunately not so unlikely - worst-case scenario, those who master several foreign languages and are not tied to a country or industry are well advised. Basic knowledge of business administration is therefore good, fluency in English is a must, and proficiency in another foreign language such as Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic is a great advantage. Secondly, digitization is just gaining momentum. It will sweep away many professions and along with them, numerous jobs. Those for whom new jobs are created will rarely be the same ones losing their positions elsewhere. It is not socially romantic but irresponsible to claim that the skilled worker becoming unemployed due to automation technology will effortlessly succeed as an AI programmer. And to dispel any suspicion of academic arrogance - I can very well imagine that artificial intelligence will soon significantly and consistently deliver lectures worldwide. For us lecturers, there might be a bit of tutoring and supervising thesis work left. So the question is: what are digitization-resistant activities that we excel in and can easily expand? Thirdly, and here the fun finally begins, we were not equipped with near-limitless learning brains just to slog in the rat race towards retirement and death after completing our education or studies. We should awaken what lies within us. I know people who are pursuing a medical degree in their 40s. Sean Connery was a lifeguard, excavator operator, and coffin polisher at a funeral parlor before James Bond. Elon Musk systematically studied everything he needed for his entrepreneurial rise, while Steve Jobs, seemingly unrelatedly, took all sorts of courses that interested him.

The career strategies of the falcon and the spider

The paths of Musk and Jobs represent the two fundamentally different strategies we can pursue. Musk is the falcon, soaring high in the sky with deadly precision to swoop down on his prey (even if it's the German automotive industry). Those who follow his example already know as children what they want to become and learn everything they need in school, university, and through practice. Jobs is the spider, weaving a skillful web from various competencies, waiting attentively, and seizing the opportunity with ruthless determination as soon as it arises. This path is less predictable but no less promising. If you want to work as a programmer in a startup, you don't stay in Hamminkeln but move to Berlin or Silicon Valley. If you want an Oscar, you go to LA. If you want journalism awards, you go to Der Spiegel or The New York Times.

We as entrepreneurs of our lives

More than ever, we should consider where we want to go in life. Education is not just a humanistic virtue but a competitive advantage. We should know our strengths, develop them, and know how to best utilize them. The more goal-oriented we learn, the better we can determine our professional destiny ourselves. We are the entrepreneurs of our lives. We owe it to ourselves to lead it to the fullest bloom.