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Asked by anon-255705 to Tiffany on 1 Jun 2020.
Question: Other than being good at science to be a scientist what other talents you could you develop?
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Tiffany Chan answered on 1 Jun 2020:
Hi Areeba! Great question. There are a lot of skills that are useful for science, such as being good at communication (both writing and speaking; there’s no point in making big discoveries if no-one understands what they are!), teamwork (scientists almost always work in teams, often with people from different subjects), and thinking outside of the box.
Comments
Greg commented on :
For what it’s worth I think creativity is really important. It’s important if you want to find solutions that no one else would
Krishna commented on :
There are a few things that I have valued most about my journey as a scientist. The first is developing an understand of how to scrutinise information effectively, this has enabled me to ask deeper questions on a subject. The second, is how to draw out information to solve problems, for example learning how to use textbooks more efficiently to find solutions. Lastly, and probably most important is being comfortable with failing. Science is about experimentation, about trying and sometimes you fail, and this is ok. This is part of learning and discovery and should be encouraged.
Chloe commented on :
I’d just like to say you don’t have to be good at science to be a scientist! I wasn’t that great at it I got a C and D in Chesmistry and Physics A Levels. I think you just have to be passionate about what you do and prepared to work hard to get there. I think a good skill for a scientist is the ability to question everything. For example is this the best way to do that or Is there a better way to explain this, How can I improve this etc
Niamh commented on :
I think you need to be good at communicating; it can be really hard to explain your science to people but it’s so important. You have to have passion for what you work on. It helps to work well with other people; although I work by myself a lot of my best stuff comes to chatting with colleague about my work.
Andrew_Y commented on :
For skills, doing anything that helps with your writing and presentation is a good idea. While not all science jobs use it all the time, definitely keep a hand in with your maths. And in terms of doing the actual job, work on staying enthusiastic even when things go against you, listen to what others say but think for yourself too, and generally be as interested in the world as you can be. And don’t forget that there’s no one way to be a scientist – even among my immediate colleagues, I’m surrounded by people who got to the same place lots of different ways.
Radha commented on :
One can be average, yet still be a great scientist. Most of the time, it is the creativity and the passion that leads to discoveries. Perseverance is something i developed doing science. Conducting team work, sometimes as a lead, othertimes as a member – communicating the findings, these are few skills i have learnt. Adapting to various cultures, both while travelling to visit collaborators, and being with group members.
Martin commented on :
A sense of humour is essential. You don’t have to be a funny person, or able to make other people laugh. And you won’t necessarily agree with your colleagues when they find something funny. But taking yourself seriously is not helpful if you want to keep an open, creative, and active mind.