| Get your diary out and note down these exciting STEM events in your calendar, learn about resilience, and get tips on navigating a competitive job market 💜 |
Key STEM Dates For You 2026 Calendar 🗓️
| STEM in the UK is full of exciting events this year! Here are three you might want to mark in your calendar: 💜Tomorrow’s Engineers Live – 10 February 2026 A full-day conference for the engineering and tech community, focused on outreach, networking, and sharing best practices. Tomorrow’s Engineer 💜The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair – 7–10 July 2026 The UK’s largest celebration of STEM for young people, showcasing innovations, competitions, and inspiring projects. The Big Bang 💜British Science Festival – 2–6 September 2026 An annual festival bringing science to the public with talks, exhibitions, and workshops across multiple disciplines. British Science Festival |
Weekly STEMspiration ⭐️
Resilience is particularly important in early academia and career stages, but it’s often talked about as something you either have or don’t. Psychology actually views resilience as a skill that’s developed through experience, reflection, and support.
Resilience doesn’t mean “bouncing back instantly’ or ignoring disappointment, it involves being able to tolerate uncomfortable emotions and making sense of setbacks without reverting to excessive self-blame. Studies show that self-efficacy (the belief that you can cope) is closely linked to long-term success in persistence, and contrary to popular belief, it’s also something that’s built through experience and not just confidence.
Another key finding is that resilience is something that develops through repeated exposure to challenges, accompanied by supportive coping strategies. Learning how to reframe rejection as situational rather than personal allows for setbacks to become less destabilising over time.
Developing these skills can help shape how challenges are perceived throughout academic and professional life. Resilience can become a protective factor for well-being, confidence, and career sustainability.
In our upcoming webinar, we’ll explore the psychology behind rejection, evidence-based coping strategies, and hear firsthand from a guest speaker about navigating setbacks in STEM.
Career Tip 💜
Navigating a Competitive Job Market
It can often feel intimidating navigating a competitive job market, especially when rejection feels personal. Staying resilient while continuing to grow is a skill, and proactive actions can make you more competitive and help you turn setbacks into learning opportunities.
Here are some tips to help you with that ✨:
💜 Treat rejection as feedback, not a reflection of your worth
💜 Practice new skills in small projects or side assignments to build confidence and experience.
💜 Tailor your CV and applications to each role, highlighting your strengths.
| Get Involved |
| Got an idea for newsletter segments? Let us know by replying to this email! If you’re a STEM employer >> talk to me about your plans to improve inclusivity for women in STEM, let’s see how we can get you there together. If you’re a woman in STEM >> reach out and have your story featured! Young women need to see the generation of women before them working in industry to be inspired, that could be you! |
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Erin 💜
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