The First Two Years The Ken

“I don’t add any real value to the team” 

“I don’t know how good any of my ideas are” 

“I am not good enough” 

Imposter syndrome. You’ve probably heard about it. You’re probably experiencing it right now. And you’re not alone. Two weeks back, we at The Ken put out a survey on imposter syndrome. Since then we have received over 115 responses from young professionals in the 18-25 age group. The survey was titled “Are you good enough at your job?”

You probably took the survey. I read and reviewed each and every response and called up over 30 people from the survey who consented to have a follow-up conversation with me. There was only one thing on my mind: why do so many of them in the first two years deal with imposter syndrome? 

Before the survey, we looked at imposter syndrome as something you get over as it hinders progress. But after the survey, it’s clear that small doses of workplace imposter thoughts can fuel your growth and help you get ahead, too. 

Host Akshaya Chandrasekaran will take you inside the minds of fascinating people, highly ambitious and top performers – who all consider themselves imposters at work.

Have a work bestie who makes your days at the office brighter? We want to hear from you. Take the survey and let us know: 

Download the brand-new app here.
Recommended reading: You can check out Basima Tewfik's study here.

If you have a career question you want us to cover? Tell us. 

This episode was written and hosted by Akshaya Chandrasekaran, and produced by Anushka Mukherjee, with audio engineering by Rajiv CN. 

The First Two Years is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. 

Subscribe for more exclusive business stories, deeply-reported newsletters, and a whole lot of stuff. 

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang wants to completely do away with 1:1 meetings. “They (1:1s) are really not necessary. If there is a strategic direction, why do you tell one person? You tell everybody,” he said. 
Most 1:1s meetings are ineffective, inconsistent, and often futile. In companies that mandate it, it is simply a check in the box. Employees use it to lobby for promotion, crib about annoying co-workers, or overshare personal details. So, managers hijack these meetings and turn them into monologues. 
But 1:1 can be a gamechanger, if used well. It makes the workplace more democratic, especially if the organization is hierarchical, and gives employees a dedicated space to express themselves fully and make themselves heard. Research suggests that employees who do 1:1s well, and regularly, are more engaged at work and productive.
Host Akshaya Chandrasekaran talks to the world’s leading expert on meetings, Steven Rogelberg, and Kamal Karanth, the founder of specialist staffing firm Xpheno to find out ways to make it work and get what you want in these 1:1 meetings. 
Introducing surveys. Want to do more than listen to the podcast? You can suggest new topics, contribute to the narrative, and even be on it by taking our weekly surveys.
Have you ever felt like an imposter at work? Undeserving of the opportunities you get? And overall feeling not good enough? Then, you can take the survey and let us know: Are you good enough at your job?
FREE READ: TCS offers quirky titles and little else in recruiting revamp to attract 40K hires
If you have a career question you want us to cover? Tell us. 
This episode was written and hosted by Akshaya Chandrasekaran, and produced by Anushka Mukherjee, with audio engineering by Rajiv CN. 
The First Two Years is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. 
Subscribe for more exclusive business stories, deeply-reported newsletters, and a whole lot of stuff. 

You want to be visible at work, build a reputation, and be known for your strengths. Research suggests that there is no guarantee that putting your head down and doing good work pays off. Neither can you always count on your manager to notice and amplify your achievements. 

Self-promotion gets a bad rep because it sounds a lot like bragging. But if done well, it can be a game-changer at work. Learning how to talk about your strengths, accomplishments, highlights, and milestones, can help you access the right opportunities and gain the right kind of visibility. 

Host Akshaya Chandrasekaran talks to Charu Sabnavis, HR consultant and author, and Navin Madhavan, Chief of Staff, Amagi, to figure out how to advocate for yourself at work and communicate your strengths without coming off as a braggart. This season of the podcast is all about the firsts one might encounter in the world of work. This is the seventh episode in the lineup, let us know what you think? 

You can write to Akshaya, the host, at akshaya@the-ken.com. 

If you have a career question you want us to cover? Tell us. 

This episode was written and hosted by Akshaya Chandrasekaran, and produced by Anushka Mukherjee, with audio engineering by Rajiv CN. 

The First Two Years is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. 

Subscribe for more exclusive business stories, deeply-reported newsletters, and a whole lot of stuff. 

​​Pearl embellished jeans. Pretty pink bows. Summery pinstripe vest. Vintage corset tops 

2024 fashion is all about glitz, glam, and reminding everyone that we are no longer holed up in our houses. Sweatpants, the peak pandemic uniform, may be officially gone 

For many Gen Z workers, this is probably the first time they are having an office job. They are inevitably romanticising the idea of going to work. Imagining themselves as the main character of a workplace. The new ‘corpcore’ or office siren trend is both reflective of changing workwear trends on the runway and on social media. It is super reminiscent of 90s, dripping in nostalgia, and a hyperfeminine understanding of classical workwear. 

Host Akshaya Chandrasekaran talks to fashion features writer Garima Gupta and Bangalore-based fashion stylist Aashita Mani to figure out what the cool kids are wearing in 2024. Think of this episode as a tiny makeover in your years. This season of the podcast is all about the firsts one might encounter in the world of work. This is the sixth episode in the line up, let us know what you think?
Find 'Corpcore' moodboard on Pinterest here.
Here for Daybreak's episode on deep fakes in democracy? Listen to it on Spotify or Apple!

You can write to Akshaya, the host, at akshaya@the-ken.com. 

If you have a career question you want us to cover? Tell us. 

This episode was written and hosted by Akshaya Chandrasekaran, and produced by Anushka Mukherjee, with audio engineering by Rajiv CN. 

The First Two Years is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. 
Subscribe for more exclusive business stories, deeply-reported newsletters, and a whole lot of stuff. 

You made your first mistake at work – and it feels terrible. Maybe you messed up on an important project or failed to meet the expectations set for you. In your first two years, these mistakes can feel devastating. You don’t have years of experience to fall back on and it can feel like you’ll forever be defined by this mistake at the workplace. 

The next few months can feel like an extended interview where everyone overanalyzes your subsequent moves. The pressure to regain the lost trust and prove yourself is high. How do you truly own up to your mistakes beyond just saying sorry? What are the concrete ways in which you can recover from this mistake? How do you earn the trust of your peers? 

Host Akshaya Chandrasekaran talks to experts who’ve truly mastered the art and science of bouncing back from a mistake. On this episode, you’ll hear accounts of crises and turnaround and pragmatic ways to mend the tricky situation at hand. 

This season of the podcast is all about the firsts one might encounter in the world of work. This is the fifth episode in the lineup, let us know what you think? 

You can write to Akshaya, the host, at akshaya@the-ken.com. 

If you have a career question you want us to cover? Tell us. 

This episode was written and hosted by Akshaya Chandrasekaran, and produced by Anushka Mukherjee, with audio engineering by Rajiv CN. 

The First Two Years is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. 

Subscribe for more exclusive business stories, deeply-reported newsletters, and a whole lot of stuff. 

In your first job, you can feel like a fish out of water. Confused, lost, and unsure of how to proceed. You don't have any connections or networks yet. You've just got a foot in the door. At this juncture, finding a mentor can dramatically change your career trajectory.

Research suggests that just having a mentor can improve your performance at work and having a strong relationship with a mentor can directly result in promotions and raises. 

The truth is nobody wants more mentees. But you still have to find one to succeed at work.
You often feel like you’re making this grand request from someone who is probably way more busy or has way more things on their plate. And reaching out to someone you admire — especially if that person is more senior than you — can be super intimidating. 

So, how do you find a mentor to best help you and your career? 

Host Akshaya Chandrasekaran talks to people who’ve benefited from healthy mentoring relationships, those who’ve been mentors and mentees, to find out the steps it takes to begin your mentor hunt. On this episode you’ll hear about what makes a good mentor, how to establish the right dynamics with your mentor, and how to nurture the relationship. 

This is our fourth episode in season 1, let us know what you think? 

You can write to Akshaya, the host, at akshaya@the-ken.com. 

Have a career question you want us to cover? Tell us. 

This episode was written and hosted by Akshaya Chandrasekaran, and produced by Anushka Mukherjee, with audio engineering by Rajiv CN. 

The First Two Years is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. 

Subscribe for more exclusive business stories, deeply-reported newsletters, and a whole lot of stuff.