Jiska van der Reest encountered a heady mix of meme-mastery and compelling honesty at the Naturejobs Career Expo. But there was a simple underlying message: scientific success is about effective communication.

For me, the Naturejobs Career Expo in London was a happy mix of career development advice, networking, aspirational talks, and a bird’s-eye view of the various opportunities that exist for scientists in a variety of fields. With so much going on, I was surprised to walk away with what seems to be a very simple realisation: that the main skill that will make the difference between being a good scientist and having a successful scientific career is your ability to effectively communicate. Continue reading →