The next new buzzwords for your resume: “Social Sensitivity”

Journal reference: Science, DOI:
10.1126/science.1193147

That’s
right; Social Sensitivity.  The referenced Science article is yet another study providing evidence for the
value you can bring to a team or work group as a full participant while demonstrating
your ability to foster the full participation of all other team or work group
members.  It’s another study that finds
the collective intelligence of the group (called the “c factor”) to be better
than any one individual, especially the real-bright bulbs! Social sensitivity
has hit the Wall Street Journal and
every other business journal.

What
this implies for resume writers and readers is that it will soon be NOT GOOD
ENOUGH to use “I was a team member” language. 
The behavior-based interviewers will be asking, “Give me your most
recent experience in the role of a team member when you demonstrated exception
social sensitivity.”  As for the resume,
you need statements like “… as a team, we adopted social sensitivity techniques
which I reinforced by taking the time necessary to ensure every member of the
team provided input before we…”.   Start
thinking about when, if at all, you ever practiced social sensitivity at work
or any other environment. 

Social sensitivity will be especially difficult
for postdocs to master.  As a budding
EXPERT, the need to answer questions first and with authority is coupled in the
mind as demonstrating scientific expertise. This will not be welcomed behavior
in industry.  So who do you think will
get the job: the “me sensitive” scientist with publications, first-in-class
citations, and the immature need to be recognized as the smartest one in the
group; or the equally published scientist, top 10% of class, but with a focus
on developing the best science in fellow team members?