This is a guest post by Leibniz PostDoc Network spokeswoman Marta Ferreira-Gomes
The annual networking meeting 2023 of the Leibniz PostDoc Network was held at the DRFZ Berlin on September 21st and 22nd. This year, with the theme “Effective Networking”, the meeting centered on the workshop “Make an Impact! – Networking and Self-Marketing Skills for Scientists” given by actor, director and trainer Guido Molina.
The key takeaways from the workshop were:
The power of networking lies in your ability to be positively remembered. From this meeting, I gained fresh perspectives on what to pay attention to when networking
- Go with a plan – do your research on who you want to meet / how you want to be perceived
- Be prepared to introduce yourself briefly – who are you & what do you do
- Work on how you talk – speak clearly and slowly
- Keep the conversation going – yes/no answer won’t do that for you!
- Be authentic and confident
- Follow up within 48 hours
In this meeting, the participants – coming from different Leibniz institutes throughout Germany – also had the chance to meet for food, drinks and engaging discussions!
My conclusions:
In the brief duration of the event, I received many tools to work on myself and how I want to be perceived during short interactions. The workshop was very hands-on, with several occasions to put the concepts we discussed into practice while networking with peers in this networking meeting. Most importantly, it made me think about how I can improve my active networking for my own benefit but also to foster cooperation. Overall, I am grateful for this experience!
This and other Leibniz PostDoc events are only possible due to the work and feedback provided by the many Leibniz PostDocs. We invite each one of you to join us at our Annual Meeting, where we collaboratively discuss and determine the future directions of our network. Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for the 16th and 17th of November 2023 and will be conducted via Zoom, ensuring that everyone is able to join. Your active participation is essential, and we look forward to engaging in fruitful discussions together. More information can be found here.
