A person's career path can be a long and winding one. Along the way, you collect two types of skills - Hard skills & Soft skills. How you present those skills; on a resume, or in an interview can make all the difference when it comes to getting hired. Or in this case, selected by a Researcher for a project!

Think about your education, the jobs you've had, and the career path you're headed on now. What skills have you learned that really stand out and make an impression?

Hard Skills - Have you ever heard the term "Subject Matter Expert?" Job-specific abilities or responsibilities, good old hands-on training, and the wealth of knowledge from your education and work experiences have made you a subject matter expert about a particular subject or two.

Whatever you know, and have learned, search a few of those hard skills by keyword, and then list a few on your profile to stand out to Researchers looking for subject matter experts that can speak to the project's specifics and details.

Soft Skills - How you interact and communicate with others is what determines your soft skills over time. Make sure to include a few attributes that describe how you work versus what you do. It's okay to brag a little, after all, your soft skills represent your personality and WHO you are! 😊

Keep improving both these kinds of skills and make sure that your participant profile is regularly updated to showcase your experience and skills. Just as with a professional career, the secret to getting paid to participate in research, is to be honest, diligent and thoughtful in your approach.