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How do you get to know everyone?
In the first weeks, meetings are scheduled with partners, principal researchers, and seniors. These are colleagues who often act as project leaders. Through one-on-one conversations, you will get to know them well, and they will get to know you. These conversations provide insight into the different specialisations within Dialogic and the types of research you can contribute to.
Apart from these meetings, you get to know most colleagues informally. We all have lunch together at a long table every day. It is during these table conversations that you really get to know your colleagues best. There are no fixed workstations in the office, so you often sit next to different colleagues, getting to know them better.
Additionally, I participated in 'Dialogic FM', a radio show organised every year on the last working day before Christmas. Taking part was a fun way for colleagues to get to know me better.
How do you get involved in your first projects?
My first research project sort of came my way. Sometimes at Dialogic, there are projects that require additional capacity, and if you are interested in that research, you can immediately join to make a contribution.
What I have also noticed is that taking initiative may be the most important way to get involved in new projects. By keeping an eye on the list of new research requests, you can express your interest in the projects you find intriguing in a timely manner. This way, you are involved in the research process from the start. As colleagues get to know you better, they also approach you with new tasks that suit you.
Right from the start, you have a lot of autonomy over the projects you join. I chose to participate in a wide range of projects to gain a good understanding of the different domains in which Dialogic conducts research.
How are you guided and given time to learn?
I found the colleagues around me very helpful in the first few weeks. Everyone is willing to help you get started. All doors are normally open, so the threshold to ask for help is very low. Furthermore, a lot of relevant information can be found on Dialogic's internal 'wiki'.
In the initial projects you work on, you receive extra guidance from the project leader. This was the most valuable guidance for me. You learn the most by getting involved, but it's nice to have someone watching over you and providing tips.
How do you experience the difference from studying and completing your thesis?
There is quite some overlap between doing research during your studies and conducting research at Dialogic. Many of the methods and theories I use now were also covered in my studies. This enabled me to contribute relevant input to projects right away.
For me, the biggest difference between writing my thesis and doing research at Dialogic was the fact that here, you work as part of a team. While with your thesis, you are mostly reliant on yourself, here you are truly engaged in research as a team. This not only makes research much more enjoyable but also allows you to learn a great deal from others. Furthermore, the work here is much more dynamic than thesis writing. You work on multiple projects simultaneously, which provides enjoyable variation.
