What I teach

I explain, stage by stage, how to gain the necessary research tools and working skills to build a career in academia and beyond. To this end, I focus on three essential elements:

  • To make your science known – writing scientific papers, handling submission and referee’s reviews is a must.
  • To advance your career – reporting progress to your supervisor and work colleagues, face-to-face and remotely, is essential.
  • To make yourself known in the scientific community – preparing and delivering talks for conferences, virtual and live, is a skill which improves with practice.

Article writing and feedback handling

Writing by non-native speakers for international audience, both native and non-native English speakers, is a challenge. However, there are several rules which make it easier. A good article should read like a story…

…but has to have an accepted structure, such as IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion)

I advise to avoid lengthy descriptions – simple though informative is beautiful. Once the first draft of an article is completed, special attention is needed for an abstract, conclusions and summary. These parts will be read by busy people first.

While working with me, you would have done your research, checked literature and identified a specialist or an interdisciplinary journal. Then we work together on a submission of your paper followed by replies to referee’s comments. Please note that I cannot be responsible how the quality and originality of your science is received by experts in your field.

Reporting progress and updates on projects

In order to communicate with others, you need a clear view of the project(s) that you’re working on. Whether you’ve just started, or are in a middle of a project, similar principles apply. Do you know the scope of the project? Have you got a defined role and tasks, time deadlines, and any milestones (defined as a completed stage in a project)? Is your work going smoothly, or have you got difficulties? Are you reporting informally to your boss, or is it a part of an official report to funders? Do you know your team mates, or is that an international, remote collaboration?

All the above factors will influence your reporting, be it in writing or orally. Together we will develop your personal ‘blueprint’ best suited to current project, and to your way of working.

Delivering talks and presentations

There is only one steadfast rule to ensure that your research talk is a success: know your audience. There are different types of talk: working group seminar, research seminar, conference seminar and public seminar. All must have in common three elements:

  • Good science
  • Good storyline
  • Good delivery

There are eight other points to consider when you start preparing your talk. I’ve mentioned the audience already. In practical terms, we will apply all essential points to your presentation.

For presentation, the most important is practice and the voice. For the latter, if you’re non-native English speaker, you may consider voice coaching classes. Technicalities of delivery will depend whether it is remote or live, but be prepared to spend a lot of time on a good presentation.

Positive influences for your career

In the course of your working life you will be managing your career and approaching new challenges. This will require a clear vision what you want to achieve in your life, and what other factors apart from work are important for you. While there is no ‘one size fits all’, there are generic elements that you need to address in order to lead a fulfilled life. Some are interacting with and managing others, handling stress and long-term planning. This requires developing and maintaining resilience.

There are many resources to help you to address the above questions, see for example books in Resources part. For me mindfulness meditation practice provided a stable basis for many years but there are other ways for finding balance in life. I’d be happy to help you to find your own path.