I am Sofia Santos Nunes, project officer at AGE Platform Europe – European Network with more than 100 members that promote the rights of older people. I am responsible for implementing research projects on smart and active ageing, digitalisation, age-friendly environments, and value-based care, making sure the voice of older people is heard. My background is in Clinical and Community Psychology with postgraduation in Neuropsychology and Social Psychology. I have been working in European and community-based projects since 2018 in Portugal, Spain, Colombia, UK, and Belgium.
Meet the professional
Europe has conquered longevity with 20% of its population aged 65. In 2050, almost 30% of Europeans will be aged 65% with some member-states having almost 40% of people aged 55. At AGE, we celebrate longevity as one of the greatest achievements of humanity. We raise the aspirations and needs of older people bridging the gap between them, researchers, professionals and policymakers. I support to transform our members’ experiences and ideas into policy proposals, advocacy, campaigning, dissemination actions and projects. The support provided by STEM professionals and research is integral to my job to understand, address, and improve the experiences of older individuals and to create a society for all ages through scientific research, technological innovations, and evidence-based policy recommendations.
Skills
Find out the key skills to becoming a Project Officer I have an evidence-based approach to all the tasks I have to do within the projects from policy recommendations to writing articles for our newsletter. To create bridges between older people and the different society stakeholders is essential to have high-level communication skills. Given that a lot of projects involve digitalisation, it is important to have an overview of how technology work and is developed. To assess that the projects deliver the expected outcomes. Working in the advocacy field, these skills are the most important to fight for social change!Analytical Skills
Communication Skills
IT Skills
Management Skills
Personal and Social Skills
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Advice to take away
Volunteer and put yourself in contexts outside your comfort zone. Take advantage of global and European funding opportunities for volunteering as ERASMUS+, European Solidarity Corps, etc. Volunteering gives you important skills that will facilitate a lot the labour market, independent of the area. Being able to communicate, creating bridges and to put ourselves into others’ shoes are the key skills that will define the future of humanity. Humans are social animals, and no field is an island, specially when it comes to science! So, invest in transversal skills and in developing work-life balance. Only if we have a balanced life, we can have the energy to go far! There is a common African expression that says “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, let’s go together” and it is true.
Disclaimer
This Career sheet has been provided by means of the URBANAGE project.
Scientix, an initiative of European Schoolnet.