Professional careers are partially based on technical, scientific, and professional skills (“what you know”) and partially on social networks and professional networks (“who you know”). However, many young professionals are surprised to discover that “who you know” is often
much more important than “what you know” in determining interesting job offers and careers. This is especially true for researchers and academics who have spent much of their young lives perfecting their technical and scientific skills and to be the best in their schools, universities, and PhD programs, and women, who have internalized counterproductive stereotypes.
This workshop is designed to give participants the tools and techniques to develop, maintain, and harness professional networks. In particular, we will examine general principles concerning network building and how cultural differences in communication and collaboration may influence best practices and expectations in social relationships in different contexts.

Approach
The workshop will be interactive, and based on the questions and concerns brought by the participants. We will use role playing and concrete exa ples to experiment. The workshop will be held in English, but some challenges concerning cultural differences can be discussed in French or German, depending on the language and preferences of the participants.