I had to learn that the hard way when I started as a freelancer.

In an environment where your reputation precedes you, you don't have to do much to be seen as the best choice. But in a new environment, you have to do a lot more than you think. You have to overcome your ego and start over.

At Jung von Matt they affectionately called me the "CSS God". I have worked hard to achieve this status over the years. If there was a styling challenge, I was asked for advice. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

Last week, I surprisingly received a rejection for a potential job. An assignment that met my expectations exactly. The talks went very well – at least that's what I thought. I was sure they needed someone like me. With my open and self-confident manner, I told them what I could do. For every question, no matter how tricky, I had an even more convincing answer ready. CSS? That's what I do best! Accessibility? Sure, I'm a professional in that too! I don't know why, but somehow I assumed that my interlocutors knew who they were dealing with. I was used to that from the past. I talked about the high bar we had set for ourselves in my old team. Then I even took the liberty of saying that most developers don't really take CSS seriously and don't exploit its full potential.

I received harsh looks. Looking back, I see these looks very self-critically. There were no angry looks. They were skeptical looks with a good portion of mistrust. I was arrogant. I seemed like a smartass who knows everything better, but can't prove anything. Like an impostor. In Hamburg, we call such a person a Schnacker. I'm not a slacker, that doesn't fit my self-image.

But how do I prove this to others? I think by shifting down a gear (or two). I should say goodbye to the status thinking of my old environment and concentrate more on making a lasting positive impression in my new environment. In all humility and modesty. I think that's also part of leaving your comfort zone. Michael Jordan didn't become a great golfer overnight just because he was the greatest basketball player.

The lesson I learned from this: It's better to stack low and shine later than to pile high and fall immediately.

P.S. It took me courage to publish this article. It is not easy to report on your own mistakes, because it makes you vulnerable. Nevertheless, I would like to share my thoughts and feelings with this post and thus help people who feel similarly. Be more critical of yourself than of others. We learn. We grow.