12 Ways To Boost Your CV While in Self-Isolation
BY ALLY HUGHES
Missing The Sea? Welcome to your very own ‘Marine Entertainment from your Home’! Each day for the next 10 days, we’ll be releasing a blog article full of juicy, ocean related content for you to explore from the safety of your living room couch...
You all know why I’m writing this article. I don’t even want to mention you-know-what as this article should serve as a catalogue of pure ocean-y escapism to help you get through these days stuck inside away from the salty air, sandy footprints, and soothing sounds of our beautiful oceans. I know many of you are concerned about how this period at home will affect your ability to add stellar experiences to your resume so we have come up with some CV-boosting STEM activities for you to get involved with from home!
Write For US! - Just a subtle self-plug here. Women In Ocean Science wants to hear from women in ALL areas of ocean science so why not consider writing a blog on your favourite ocean topic, request to be interviewed by our brilliant editing team, sign up to our mentorship programme (as a mentor or mentee), or send us some fab photos to feature on our social media! Contact media@womeninoceanscience.com
Become an Editor - A great way to improve your writing and comprehension skills is to become an editor. Contact your favourite journals to ask about becoming an editor (the requirements for this will vary significantly depending on the journal), or go onto BioRxiv to check out pre-prints and send the authors some constructive feedback and critique of their work. You can also contact your favourite science or ocean magazine/blog and ask to write an article for them or get involved as a specialist editor.
Write A Review - I know, I’m starting to sound like your postgraduate supervisor now. But seriously, this is a great opportunity to start researching a review article. Check your favourite journals for upcoming Special Editions to give you inspiration and ask the science Twitter community to help you build up sources to cite. Review articles not only help your understanding of a topic, but allows you to network with others working in that field and get your name published!
Global Science Show - Organised by Sam Langford, the first of these events took place on Twitter on March 27th and will run again on April 24th. Starting in Australia and making its way around the globe, the Global Science Show will bring live demonstrations and pre-recorded video content to anyone with internet access. You can design your own video/demonstration, practice your creative skills, and increase the visibility of your work...all from home! Contact Sam (@scottishscicomm) or The Global Science Show (@Global SciShow) on Twitter if you’re interested in participating.
Skype a scientist - This programme wants to give people the opportunity to meet a scientist. It is primarily focused at schools but has now shifted towards pairing scientists with families. Sign up for 30-60 min Q&A sessions and help spread the ocean love.
I’m A Scientist...Get Me Out of Here! - This online activity allows school children to connect with scientists in all different areas of research. Since these school children are now locked up at home, the organising team has rolled out I’m A Scientist, Stay At Home which allows groups of children and youths to ask scientists questions. I did this during the first year of my PhD and one question a child asked me will probably stay with me forever as one of the great mysteries of our world…”If people can’t see air, can fish see water?” The next session starts April 20th, so get your application in!
Three Minute Thesis - This annual competition is run in over 200 universities worldwide. The concept is simple, present your research in 3 minutes for an educated audience that are non-experts in your field. It’s a widely accredited competition and will allow you to practice your presentation and communication skills.
Dance Your PhD - A slightly different slant, this annual competition engages scientists to interpret their research and present it in a more expressive way. So get choreographing those chromista!
Online Presentations - Get in touch with your local Skeptics society, Pint of Science, or science outreach group and offer to present an online talk to their audiences. This could be on anything from debunking myths about sharks, impacts of climate change, or powering our cars using microalgae. These groups love hearing enthusiastic scientists that have expertise in exciting areas of research. It will also look fantastic on your CV that you are interested in improving science literacy.
Contact Your Old School - Get in touch with your old/local schools and offer your expertise. You may be paired with students for tutoring, create workshop-type content for children at home, or to give a lecture on topics that interest you.
Ocean Classroom - Operation Bring Ocean Science to the Classroom broadcasts every Friday at 13:30 GMT through Zoom. The host, Amber Cobley, will teach a session, introduce a guest to teach a session, or interview a guest about their work.
Website/YouTube/Blog - We have all thought about how great it would be to start our own website/YouTube channel/blog/podcast, so why not do it?! With that extra time on your hands, you could start an ideas board on layout, design, and content. Take note of the media that you enjoy and why you find it engaging before looking into the best platforms or methods for creating your own content. Increasing your visibility in this way will expand your network and you can print business cards to hand out at meetings and conferences to further promote yourself and your passions.