Since I am looking for jobs that sometimes do not relate to my current or past experience, I have made a list of the skills I can bring to any position I apply for. Please read this carefully, as my sole education and experience could give you a wrong idea of my capabilities.

My transferable skills include, but are not limited to, the following:

Analytical thinking

As Engineers, we are taught and employed to look at fine details, data patterns and inflection points. We are used to analyse and use data constantly. Moreover, because of my STEM background, I have always considered myself an observer and a challenger: Why are things happening? Why are we reacting in a determinate way? What can be changed to make things better? I would say it is both in my nature and the studies and experience I have.

Leadership and Team Management

I have always considered myself a natural-born leader. I have always loved to get involved in knowing other people’s views and why they were clashing with other team members’. Ultimately, I like to make those relationships work, so the group benefits and works full steam even when there are evident judgement differences within the members of the team.

Problem Solving

Everyday we encounter from little hiccups in our way to big issues we have to resolve. The idea is that we need to look forward for a solution, rather than concentrate in finding who was responsible for it. If anything a root cause needs to be found, then procedures need to be updated so a more robust working process is in place and the mistake is easily avoided next time. Sometimes to solve a problem you need to be creative. In some ways I would compare myself with a chess player, evaluating thousands of different possible solutions and iterating them to make any changes in order to find ‘The Solution’ and execute it.

Decision Making

When I worked in the United Kingdom most of the people did not like to make decisions. As an old colleague of mine would say: “nobody wants to put his c*** on the block”. I have always dared to make decisions, if I think they are well-thought and sensible ones, without hesitating. I have always been responsible for my decisions, and able to communicate even to C-Level what was the reasoning behind those, and why the decision was made even if it did not have the expected consequences. There is always risk in doing this, especially when time is scarce and you need to react quickly, but the real skill comes when you are able to make a quick and deep risk assessment on the consequences your decision will have both technically and commercially.

Communication Skills

I am able to communicate to a fluent/native level in English, Spanish and Catalan, and can also read, write and speak French to a pre-intermediate level. In other communication terms, I am proficient in presenting to audiences, leading meetings and other types of presentations, technical or not. I also consider myself a good and active listener, something I am particularly proud of.

IT Literacy

I have always liked computers. There was always one at home, since very early age. Nevertheless, a couple of years after starting at Uni I worked as IT in one the top Hospitals in Spain and probably the best in Catalonia: Hospital Clinic de Barcelona. I had two different positions there, as Helpdesk Operator and IT Operator. When I finished Uni I concentrated on finding a job that was related to Chemical Engineering.

Commercial Awareness

Before I went to the United Kingdom, I had already dealt with Terms and Conditions in Spain. But once I started working for Alderley things escalated, and I was dealing with very long and detailed sets of T&Cs. I was always communicating with the Commercial Manager, Trish Smith (see her Testimony in the right hand menu), but I started to learn what red lines the company had and also highlighting them to her. It was a steep learning curve, but a very productive and interesting one. Also, in a broader sense, it gave me an idea of what commercial goals the company was aiming to achieve, and how these were changing with the time, as they were always attached to the severity of the T&Cs we were accepting or negotiating and to what level. Apart from Terms and Conditions, I was used to negotiate with customers and suppliers on a daily basis. From document submission, so we were able to manage our deadlines, to discounts and anything in between.

Teamwork Ability

I have always been a team player. Don’t get me wrong, I can work on my own if I need to, but when you have three or more disciplines involved in a project you need to coordinate and talk to each other so everybody is in the same boat. For some people teamworking is waiting to see if others do your job. I think teamworking is finishing your assigned tasks in time, and also having intra or interdepartmental coordination to see how other’s work can or will interfere in yours and how to change them in time to avoid project delays.

Work Ethic

C.S. Lewis once said: “Integrity is doing what is right when nobody is watching”. Well I think work ethic has a lot to do with C.S. Lewis’ quote, and I am fully aligned with it. Also I think work ethic relates to being loyal to the company you work for and also going the extra mile when needed.

Adaptability

I have worked in three different countries with cultures from the five Continents. I moved to the United Kingdom in 2013 and lived and worked there until end of 2020. I not only consider myself a person that can adapt to all sorts of circumstances very quick, but have also demonstrated it several times by having a positive attitude, being creative, flexible and patient with the outcome.