Category: Soft skills development

Categories
Soft skills development

Debating: you know you are right – but can you prove it?

Daniël explaining an exercise to the participants

Proving factual claims with evidence is what great science is all about. Yet, we may get difficult questions at conferences and we all have to defend our thesis. It can be a nerve-wrecking experience and scientists can benefit from learning about debating and argumentation skills.

In the 8-hour on-campus workshop on “Debating: you know you are right – but can you prove it?”, Daniël Schut from BHertz gave us very useful tips about structuring your argumentation on a sentence, paragraph, and article level. He gave us tools for answering (difficult) questions during your PhD defense, or after a conference presentation. There were a lot of interactive exercises in the form of smaller groups, as well as with the whole group, leading to plenty of opportunities to practice. In the afternoon, the debating form was introduced and it was refreshing to experience how discussions can be held by solely focussing on the content instead on the person!

You can read more about Daniël Schut at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schutdaniel/

“Great opportunity for developing and practicing our skills.”

Anonymous participant

“ I am super greatful for how much I learned and also had fun”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Emotional well-being at work Soft skills development

How to Cope with Burnout by Victor Kraak

Filling yourself with a sense of wellbeing is an important factor that carries you, as junior researchers, through your (post-)doctoral journeys. Only then will you be able to boost your productivity and career development.

Addressing that topic, Forum for Young Scientists organized a 90-minture workshop in which Victor Kraak – PhD psychologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam – raised awareness amongst participants about symptoms of burnout, and more importantly, offered participants different ways and means to reduce the risks of developing burnout symptoms.

The workshop led participants through several research findings related to the topic, and multiple exercises where participants share their own take on the issues. It was well-received by the participants who came from different schools/faculties of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

“I liked the interactive mode; instead of just giving a lecture and sending off the participants to do the homework at home, having the audience do a few exercises in the workshop and then reflect on them created a space where the participants could take a few minutes to reflect on themselves without outside pressures.”

Anonymous participant

“The topic was extremely relevant; I also find the timing of the workshop very helpful – at the beginning of the academic year when people are getting busier and busier after summer.”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Tips and Tricks for Interdisciplinary Research with Dwarsleggers

Researchers, especially those at junior level, are often encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and collaborate with others from different disciplinaries. Being capable of connecting and cooperating with others in an inter- and trans-disciplinary environment therefore becomes an X factor for their academic career development.

Addressing that topic, Forum for Young Scientists organized a Science Communication workshop in which Geertje Tijsma, Marijke Visser and Tessa Roedema – or the so-called the “dwarsleggers” – offered young researchers tips and tricks for interdisciplinary research. During the four-hour interactive workshop, the three inspiring “connectors” helped participants explore one’s thought patterns and feelings, as well as develop valuable tools tor turn conflicts into constructive collaboration based on mutual understanding and respect.

The workshop was well-received by the participants who came from different schools/faculties of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

“The setting was cozy, the trainers were super friendly and nice and helpful, and just everything really!”

Anonymous participant

“Though interdisciplinarity is challenging, it is also full of unique opportunities. And it’s possible changing our own behaviour, both to alleviate the challenges we face and to improve communication.”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Marketing your Research by Lennart Wesel

As researchers, we are deeply invested in our work, yet presenting our findings in an accessible and engaging way to diverse audiences, both online and offline, can be quite challenging. Striking a balance between avoiding overly technical language and not oversimplifying the significance of our research is essential.

During this 4-hour workshop, PhD candidates and Postdocs participated in a series of dynamic exercises that integrated group discussions, writing tasks, and creative thinking activities. They practised delivering self-introductions in a speed-dating format, identified the fundamental values of their research and discussed what platforms are useful for scientists to engage with the public on.

You can find more information about Lennart Wesel on his website: https://expertexpert.nl/

“Communicating with the general public is probably more important (and more easy) than one thinks!”

Anonymous participant

“I liked that the workshop was tailored to what the participants requested.”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Presenting yourself in your CV and motivation letter by Marieke Hohnen

Apart from research, it is important to think about the next career step after you finish your PhD or postdoc. Your CV and motivation letter allow you to make the first impression on HR manager and get your foot on the door of the company.

In the 3.5-hour on-campus workshop on “Presenting yourself in your CV and motivation letter”, Marieke Hohnen from Hakuna Matata gave tips on how to structure and tailor CVs and motivation letters to a particular job offering to the VU PhD candidates and postdocs. There were a lot of group discussions where the participants could learn from each other´s experience of writing CVs and motivation letters. More importantly, in this workshop, the participants had a unique opportunity to get personalized written feedback from the trainer.

You can read more about Marieke Hohnen at: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/mariekehohnen

“I liked the structure of the workshop and the variation in listening to the trainer and talking with the other attendees.”

Anonymous participant

“I gained some valuable tips for tailoring my CV/motivation letter”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Time Management with Jeanine de Bruin

One of the significant advantages of being a PhD student or Postdoc is the flexibility to plan your own agendas. However, this may pose challenges for time management, which is essential for reaching your goals. In a workshop tailored specifically for PhD students and Postdocs, we explored strategies to optimize time utilization and minimize stress levels.

The workshop, given by Jeanine de Bruin, began by defining time management and identifying factors influencing our schedules and stress levels. Delving into Steven Covey’s time management quadrant, we gained insights into effective prioritization regarding email management, supervising students, holding meetings, writing and reading articles, and much more. Drawing on Jeanine’s expertise, we collectively devised personalized agendas, integrating practical tips to tailor schedules based on individual preferences and work styles. At the end, we shared our resolutions for the upcoming period that we want to apply in our researcher’s life!

After the workshop, participants shared their newly acquired insights over a drink, enabling supportive thoughts and comments and allowing participants to connect with other researchers.

or more information on Jeanine de Bruin and her contributions, visit Hakuna Matata’s website at https://hakunamatata.nl/

“It gave me insight in one of my biggest pitfalls: having a too big task to oversee. And it gave a practical solution: divide a big task in smaller pieces. Sounds simple, but for me it was one of the most enriching experiences of 2023.”

Anonymous participant

“Interactive. Tips and tricks how to properly time manage and deal with work stress”

Anonymous participant

“Jeanine manages to teach a lot without tiring the audience. Also like the interactive exercises.”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Engaging in Public Conversations by Sem Barendse

As a scientist, one of your responsibilities is to report your findings and communicate them to your desired audience. This is often done through scientific articles published in journals. However, sharing your science with a non-scientific community can be challenging. It requires simplifying your findings, omitting important nuances, and negotiating your position as an expert, which may risk engaging in "false balance" conversations.

The workshop provided valuable tools to address these dilemmas. Initially, we explored various roles of a science communicator. Are you inclined to be a "fact-maker," solely reporting new studies, or would you consider participating in talk shows, podcasts, and engaging in public debates? Subsequently, we identified crucial factors, including uncertainty, values, emotions, framing, and more, essential for delivering your message effectively. Finally, the workshop concluded with a discussion on current opportunities for becoming a science communicator, highlighting the VU's significant efforts in acknowledging science communicators and education.

“Good informal setting! Lots of interactions”

Anonymous participant

“Interactive discussions/"games" ”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Supervising Students by Jeanine de Bruin from Hakuna Matata

As a Postdoc or PhD student, one of your tasks may include supervising students. While we all have been students before, taking on the role of supervisor can be new and give you the feeling of being lost. This does not benefit you or the student that you are supervising. Fortunately, the workshop given by Jeanine de Bruin aimed to give us some practical tools to become more comfortable with the role of being a supervisor.

The workshop gave several insights about better communicating with your student. We first learned about the importance of discussing expectations between you and your student – a process that goes both ways. Also, we discussed and practiced the concept of situational leadership, which is crucial for guiding students according to their skills and motivation. Finally, the last part of the workshop was about giving feedback in a deliberate, meaningful way without offending each other.

After the workshop, we were able to share our newly learned practical tips over some nice drinks!

You can find more information about Jeanine de Bruin at Hakuna Matata’s website https://hakunamatata.nl/home/over-hm/46-jeanine/

“Concise information in short time”

Anonymous participant

“It helps researchers in many levels”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Marketing your research by Lennart Wesel from Hakuna Matata

As researchers we are passionate about what we are doing, but presenting our research with unfamiliar audiences in a clear and engaging manner in online and offline settings can be a very challenging task. How do you avoid sounding too complex, but at the same time not downplaying the value of your research to the lay audience?

In this 3-hour workshop, the PhD candidates and Postdocs performed a number of interactive exercises, which combined group work, writing, and abstract thinking. They did a self-presentation in a speed-dating format, reflected on the core values of their research, practised writing a researcher’s bio for the website, and created a lay story of a scientific paper for LinkedIn.

These exercises helped the researchers to get out of their comfort zone, activate creative thinking, and come up with non-trivial ways of presenting their research.

You can find more information about Lennart Wesel on his website https://expertexpert.nl/

“It was a real workshop. Nice activities. And not too much talking on ‘how it should be done’ but rather let us work and find out.”

Anonymous participant

“Very practical and useful expertises that get you results, not just vague fundamental concepts with no way to apply them to your own situation.”

Anonymous participant

“What we work on during the workshop we can reuse in real life.”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Talk like TED: confidence in public speaking by Jan Scheele

During the “Talk like TED” workshop, PhDs and PostDocs had the chance to experience what is like to give a TEDx talk from an expert, Jan Scheele. Jan has organised multiple TED events, and he has given countless presentations and talks in a variety of environments and occasions. He shared tips and tricks on how to gain confidence during presentations, and how to avoid the fear of public speaking.

The 3-hour workshop was a great opportunity for participants to ask questions and have personal feedback about their communication and presentation skills. It has also allowed participants to share their obstacles and to develop together techniques on how to overcome their fear.

You can learn and read more about Jan, and his “Talk like TED” workshops at http://www.talkliketed.nl/

“I found the speaker was well prepared and the topic was in a good way and in deep discussed”

Anonymous participant

“Nice speaker, small group, chances for colleagues to practice their own presentations”

Anonymous participant

“Enjoyed the tips given for confidence and clear message”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Career orientation Emotional well-being at work Soft skills development

FYS Social Event

We finally organized the first social event for the FYS community since the pandemic started! It was a real pleasure to see you all networking, enjoying drinks and snacks at Bar Boele. The evening became even more ‘gezellig’ once we discovered that one of the PhD candidates had his birthday on that day. What a coincidence!!

We wish everyone a good start of the new academic year and we look forward to seeing you in the forthcoming FYS workshops. We have a lot of exciting workshops planned!

Categories
Soft skills development

Transferable skills by Thierry Delatte from bHertz

In this 3-hour interactive workshop, PhD candidates and Postdocs did a series of practical exercises to re-discover which transferable skills they already possess. It is hard to believe, but there are around 52 transferable skills, such as relationship building, idea development, assertiveness, ability to write clearly, to delegate, to say ‘no’, and many others!

The workshop gave a great opportunity to reflect on the participants’ capabilities and competences. It also allowed participants to identify their strongest transferable skills that they may showcase during their job interviews in the future. The workshop ended with a nice lunch to share experiences.

You can read more about Thierry Delatte at https://delattecoaching.nl/

“Thierry Delatte did an excellent job in including everyone, creating a safe space for exchange and discussion, and giving great first-hand advice for specific challenges”

Anonymous participant

“Great interaction and the workshop leader was kind”

Anonymous participant

“It showed me in a simple and intuitive way how to talk about my skills”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Scientific storytelling for grant writing by Marieke Hohnen

Writing grant proposals is challenging. Your readers are not specialists in your topic, you have to show why your research is interesting, and you have limited space. This requires specific writing skills. 

In this 2.5-hour workshop, Marieke Hohnen from Hakuna Matata taught participants how to engage readers by writing memorable introductions and avoiding common pitfalls. Together with the group, Marieke talked about the aspects of grant writing that they need to keep in mind, such as avoiding technical concepts or being direct and concise when expressing ideas. After this, PhDs and Postdocs from different disciplines worked in pairs sharing what motivates them about their respective research topics. Finally, Marieke gave individual feedback to each person. In the last section of the workshop, participants worked on integrating these comments into their documents to develop stronger proposals.

You can read more about Marieke Hohnen at: https://mariekehohnen.com/en/

“I liked that it was personalized (we got to practice right away / feedback) and overall information and tips were very clear and useful!”

Anonymous participant

“Exchange with other peers from different areas of research. Tips to improve the story for a grant application. I now see myself closer to be able to do so :)”

Anonymous participant

“It was very clear that Marieke has experience on grant application, and her practical approach made it much more useful compared to theoretical approaches”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Time Management Workshop by Jeanine de Bruin

The academic journey can be seen by many as a marathon. PhD candidates, especially at the beginning of their career, often struggle with managing tasks and workload efficiently. In academia, many tasks are often required to be performed in a limited period of time and many can start feeling overwhelmed. 

This online workshop on “Time Management” provided by Jeanine de Bruin from Hakuna Matata (https://www.hakunamatata.nl) helped young researchers to understand how to assess the time needed for a task and how to set priorities. During the workshop, Jeanine also covered ‘how to deal with stress’, discussing the five origins of stress: 1) lack of concentration and focus, 2) no control over the situation, 3) reluctance for vague and difficult tasks, 4) having high expectations, 5) unclear assessment criteria. Participants learned techniques and tips to help with time management, and had the chance to share experiences with each other.

You can read more about Jeanine de Bruin at: https://www.hakunamatata.nl

“Very structured, nice balance between instruction and exercises in break-out rooms”

Anonymous participant

“I liked that we needed to actively participate and that we started to actually write short paragraph”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Supervising Students by Jeanine de Bruin

PhD candidates and postdocs have many responsibilities besides working on their research. Supervising students is one of them. As young researchers, we are expected to know how to provide constructive feedback or how to negotiate expectations with bachelor or master’s students. This, of course, is not an easy task.

This offline workshop with Jeanine de Bruin of Hakuna Matata combined theory and practice. The goal was to give a solid foundation on relevant topics, such as influencing styles and strategies to provide direct and clear feedback. At the same time, Jeanine gave concrete tools to be effective while supervising students. These tools were discussed in a collaborative environment by PhD candidates and postdocs from different disciplines.

You can read more about Jeanine de Bruin at: https://hakunamatata.nl

“It was concrete and gave specific tips, being able to learn from my peers”

Anonymous participant

“The teacher and her style was really excellent”

Anonymous participant

“I learned a lot of useful tips and got to know many things I never paid attention to”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Science Communication: how to effectively blog? by Marieke Hohnen

As PhD students and postdocs, we have to be able to present our research to different audiences. While we are used to talking about our projects to peers in conferences, sometimes we are faced with the challenge of discussing our findings with the general audience. Many questions appear in this process: How technical should we be? How in-depth should we go? The goal of this workshop was to learn the basics to write an effective blog post. During the 3-hour session, Marieke Hohnen from Hakuna Matata, presented the advantages of scientific outreach. Researchers from various disciplines learned about the multiple options on the web to write about their project. 

After the introduction, Marieke introduced the benefits of blogging. Relevant aspects, such as the audience (who are you writing for?) and the content of the post (what are you going to write about?), were discussed through group activities. Participants were asked to write the first lines of their post and provide feedback to each other. Finally, Marieke gave tips for starting (or continuing) their writing journey.

You can read more about Marieke Hohnen at: https://mariekehohnen.com/en/

“Very structured, nice balance between instruction and exercises in break-out rooms”

Anonymous participant

“I liked that we needed to actively participate and that we started to actually write short paragraph”

Anonymous participant

“Marieke has a lot of knowledge and she was able to keep my attention!” (translated from Dutch: “Marieke heeft erg veel kennis en ze kon goed mijn aandacht vasthouden!”)

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Presentation Skills by Marieke Hohnen

Speaking in front of an audience is an essential part of being a scientist. Presentations can be formal or informal, the amount of time that you are given can vary, or, especially in these times, you might have to speak in front of a computer screen. Regardless of the setting, talking in public can be scary. But it is also a skill that you can practice and improve, and even learn to enjoy!

During this 3-hour workshop, Marieke Hohnen presented some of the tips and tricks to prepare and give a convincing (online) presentation. Participants from different disciplines worked in breakout rooms to practice different exercises. They also gave each other feedback to create strong openings and closings for their presentations.

You can read more about Marieke Hohnen at: https://mariekehohnen.com/en/

“I really took very important tips with me”

Anonymous participant

“Dynamic, engaging, well facilitated”

Anonymous participant

“I liked meeting and talking to other people than the ones I usually talk to”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Job Application Skills by Ingrid Scheijven from De Groeizaak

Ingrid Scheijven from ‘De Groeizaak’ gave an interactive workshop on Job Application Skills. In this workshop Ingrid explained the how to tune our CVs and cover letters to the vacancy we want to apply for and how to prepare for a job interview. We also discussed which questions to ask and not to ask during a job interview. Participants gave each other feedback on their CVs and cover letters and the workshop finished with an interactive play role activity where we interviewed each other. In addition, one of the participants was selected for a free coaching session with Ingrid! It was a successful morning!

http://www.degroeizaak.nl

“The topic was highly relevant and the speaker was experienced on job hunting in the Netherlands.”

Anonymous participant

“The small breakout rooms worked well. It was nice to get to know others on a more personal level.”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

How to defend your PhD thesis by Daniël Schut from bHertz

Defending your dissertation in front of the opposition can be nerve-wrecking and stressful. Luckily, there are strategies to adopt to prepare yourself optimally for your defense. In this online workshop Daniël discussed and interactively practiced strategies to confidently work towards your defense. What questions can you expect the opposition to ask, and therefore prepare for it? How do you respond to difficult questions? How to deal with different styles of questioning?

The participants were invited to make a short two minute pitch of their defense to present to a colleague in 3 rounds – questions and feedback was given by the other colleague and roles were changed. Each round focused on one of the three key aspects, mentioned above. To successfully complete the assignment, participants had to focus on key points of their thesis, but the content was not everything – clarity, intonation and confidence were tested as well. The best practice is practice, practice, practice – so that’s what they did!

www.bhertz.nl

“Very dynamic, well structured, active participation”

Anonymous participant

“I usually need to know about the ‘framework’ of what I am doing in order to be able to know what to expect. This workshop has helped me in that”

Anonymous participant

“Practice with people from different fields is insightful, because it forces you to rethink terminology that you use every day and is completely obscure to others.”

Anonymous participant

Categories
Soft skills development

Conflict Management by Daniël Schut from bHertz

Conflict management by Daniël Schut from bHertz
Conflict management by Daniël Schut from bHertz

PhD-candidates and Postdocs often find themselves in situations where good communication skills are called for. Whether it is on deciding upon the right direction for the research, or negotiating on how many experiments to include, young scientists can find it difficult to pursue their own ideas while keeping a good relationship with their peers and supervisor. Researchers in the academic world are already negotiating without being aware of it! In this workshop participants learned how to prepare negotiations thoroughly and how both parties can book success. Daniel brought interactive activities in how to prepare negotiations thoroughly and how to identify our individual conflict style!

www.bhertz.nl

Conflict management by Daniël Schut from bHertz
Conflict management by Daniël Schut from bHertz

“Practical application; roleplay; interactiveness; trying out negotiations”

Anonymous participant

“I was really curious to the setup of this workshop of 3 hours. I think the lecturer has done a great job of teaching us on conflict management in an interactive way. The structure was well-thought and I liked the assignments and theory.”

Anonymous participant

Follow by Email
LinkedIn
LinkedIn
Share