The formula as you enter the chamber

Here it is, your first day at work. You enter the chamber. No one notice you. There are all busying talking to one another. It is a networking event. You do not know anyone apart from your boss. He is busy chatting up with who you assume is one of your colleagues.
What to do?
You are a competent, warm person you tell yourself, walk up to your boss and say hello. The machine will start spinning from there. Or grab anyone and start up the conversation. It is an opportunity to start forming alliances in this competitive room. How to do it?

Maurice Schweitzer, Ph.D. and Adam Galinsky, Ph.D. suggest in their book ''Friend and Foe'' that the scientific formula to gaining people's trust more quickly is to strike a balance between warmth and competence - so that you seem credible but also human.

Introduce your talent, keep smiling and be genuinely interested in what the person is sharing with you. It will take you places.

Let's live together

Most families around the world live in communities. In the western world, this concept has been replaced by a single-family household. Yet, the latter struggle to meet their needs through the ages. With a young family, parents are overstretched with family and work commitment. The olds struggle with illnesses and social isolation. What can possibly be done? Well, let's live together. Look up co-housing and specifically retrofit co-housing so we can start where we are to build the community that we dream of.

When you do not pursue a career in academia after your Ph.D and do a job unrelated to your field of study

It is absolutely OK. Many people do not pursue a career in academia after their Ph.D and even do a job unrelated to their field of study. I am amongst those people I completed my doctorate in the field of Design for Sustainable Behaviour and I looked at the factors influencing people to repair small electrical items. I took the opportunity during my doctorate to organise repair events, and a festival to engage people with this concept of repair. Then, in my discussion, there were some elements about the impacts of poor design decisions on women's wellbeing and sense of worth. I thought that if I had to focused on violence towards women, I would like to focus on the worst. When I submitted my thesis, I looked for a position in gender-based violence field. I wanted it to be part-time so I could pursue my other passions such as writing, arts, travelling, gardening, appreciating the idle time while looking after my family. I also wanted to work closed from home. Quetzal, a charity bas...

What is your job you do?

What is your job you do? Where do your work? are probably the hardest questions to answer to in a short sentence. It is great when you have a title, it gives a splash of your awesomeness in the face of your interlocutor. I am 'Consultant Associate'. I am 'Customer InSight Officer'. I am 'Data analyst Manager'... ( in your face) . Where do I work? I am a flexi-travelling worker. I mainly work from home. BUT, I also work in various places in the Midlands (Leicester, Northampton), also London, I jet set to Paris and Amsterdam sometimes... ( splash in your face) ... Those two questions are set to gauge both interlocutors' status. It is quite sad, the longer the title and list of places you go to, the more you appear awesome. Truth to be told, I love working from home and have a family to come back to after a long day making decisions. In my own perspective, the question should be reframed to 'What are you passionate about?' At least, you will connect mo...

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