Authors: Inés Vega González, Carmen Martín Valderrama

While in the lecture hall, the relationship between students and professors usually does not leave much room for discussion. Nonetheless, the need to defend your own interests and ideas is becoming more and more frequent as the career level advances. Without the tools to effectively present your ideas, such situations can be frustrating and demotivating and eventually, hinder a career in both academia and industry.

To equip the sections with the important skill of getting what you want when you want it, the Young Minds programme hosted a dedicated online Zoom workshop on Assertiveness Training. Two slots were scheduled on the 25th of September and on the 16th of October. Here is what one of the participants said:

“Back in September of last year I was offered the opportunity to attend a quite enriching course, on the topic of assertiveness and self-improvement. This matter at hand has gained a lot of relevance among the scientific community over the last decades, as being assertive is a pivotal trait for anyone with a will for sharing their ideas.

The experience surpassed all my expectations, the small group favoured a more personalised attention from the speaker. The seminar as a whole was a well-structured guide over what attitudes would lead to a more efficient work environment. Through different methods and examples, the presenter showcased how to balance between your needs and other’s needs, that way avoiding the risk of falling on sub-assertive or over-assertive roles, creating tensions which may compromise your work and well-being. The reduced number of attendees offered the chance of sharing our own experiences, subsequently working together to solve more efficiently similar situations for the future.

Overall, it may be said that this experience had a positive impact on how we confront certain events, not only in a working environment but also in all aspects in life. I would certainly recommend a similar course to everyone working towards improving their professional presence.”