CERN Alumni Awardees 2021 - Spyridon Papadopoulos
At CERN: Fellow 2009-2011, USER
Now: Quantitative Officer at European Investment Bank (EIB)
1) What does winning the CERN Alumni Award to you?
"It made me particularly happy as I realised that I have contributed significantly towards the growth of the Network. It also has a high emotional value. Every time I look at the trophy it evokes many pleasant memories from the years I spent at CERN. Plus, having a trophy made of superconducting material from CERN in your living room is very cool!"
2) How did your CERN experience contribute to your subsequent career, if at all?
"My experience at CERN had a profound impact on my career. It was instrumental for me to both identify and achieve what I wanted to do next."
"During my Fellowship I had the chance to follow career coaching courses. One of them helped me identify the sector I wanted to move to next – quantitative finance. My experience at CERN made this move – essentially a career change – possible. Having a PhD – which would have not been possible without the funding I received from CERN – and the CERN brand on my CV led to many invitations for interviews and resulted in a job in the sector."
"So, yes, my CERN experience not only contributed to but defined my subsequent career. "
3) Where do you see the value in being an active member of the CERN Alumni Network?
"I have very fond memories of my time at CERN, so for me keeping this connection alive is important. On top of that, it is a lot of fun engaging with other like-minded people."
"The network provides multiple practical benefits, too. For instance, as CERN Alumni are dispersed geographically and follow diverse career paths after leaving CERN, one can obtain a lot of information regarding how it is to live in another country or work in another industry."
4) Is there anything else you’d like to add?
"Yes, I would like to urge all members to keep their profile updated and get engaged! Engagement does have multiple benefits and it is a lot of fun!"