Storytelling is a part of everyone’s lives, from childhood to parenthood, and even at career path transitions.

{credit}Credit: Arya-Marie Ba-Trung{/credit}

On Thursday June 19th I chaired a panel discussion on how to decipher a job description for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) conference themed “Transferable skills: added value for your CV“. The idea of the session was to help the MSCA fellows identify the transferable skills that they have developed during their day-to-day scientific research, and then how to relate them to the skills that potential employers are looking for. I was joined by three other panellists: Mark de Vos (Euraxess Copenhagen), Soren Bregenholt (Novo Nordisk) and Claire Hewitson (Copenhagen Business School).

Transferable skills are a hot topic amongst postgraduate students, particularly when looking for a new job either within, or outside of academia. It appears to be such a hot topic, because many fail to identify which ones they have, or how to properly communicate them in a job application or interview. The session at MSCA tried to show that scientists build up many of these transferable skills in their day-to-day activities as a researcher both in and out of the lab. 

When you’re in a job interview, you are often asked questions like “could you please demonstrate how you are an excellent team worker?” Or “when have you ever had to deal with a difficult situation at your previous job?” This type of question is looking to tease your transferable skills from you . But you cannot simply respond with “I used my diplomacy and communication skills.” You’re expected to tell the interviewer a story about the situation, and how you faced the challenge using those skills. Telling stories on the spot can be intimidating, so it’s best to have a few up your sleeve. Continue reading →