10 Questions with Joanna Weng

1) When did you work at CERN (including its Scientific Collaborations) and what did you work on?
"CMS, 2003-2011. Data analysis, Higgs Search, Detector Simulation, Data Quality Monitoring."

2) What is your best memory of working at CERN?
"Meeting people from different countries."

3) What is your current job and where is it located?
"Senior Lecturer at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) SeE."

4) What skills did you develop during your CERN work experience which have been particularly useful in your subsequent career trajectory?
"Making presentations, working in the international community, data analysis."

5) Which skills (if any) did you need to develop further when you left CERN to face your next professional challenges?
"Many skills: functional safety, probabilistic safety analysis etc."

6) What tips would you give to someone who is considering a career transition from academia to industry?
"If you want to change to industry, do it after the PhD or the first post-doc."

7) What advice would you give your younger self?
"Go to Fermilab instead of waiting endlessly for the LHC."

8) Do you still keep a close eye on what’s going on at CERN?
"Yes."

9) In your opinion, what is the unique value of the CERN Alumni Network?
"Stay in touch, be updated about CERN, look for synergies, help young people transfer to industry."

10) Imagine you are stranded on a desert island. You can have one piece of music, one book and one luxury item. Which music, book and luxury item would you choose and why?

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