Wall of Success

Low-skilled migrants are often in a precarious position: they do dirty, dangerous and demeaning work for little pay. In 2017, I was awarded a €1.3 million ERC Starting Grant to study what origin countries do to improve the rights of their low-skilled workers abroad. Origin countries are often overlooked as stakeholders in studies on migrant rights, as, with a perceived oversupply of low-skilled migrants, they seem to have a weak bargaining position. Case study evidence, however, suggests that they can nonetheless achieve major improvements.

For my ERC interview, I had the daunting task of preparing a five-minute presentation of my proposal and myself. The Text Consultant helped my cut down my presentation and develop clear and attractive slides. By being both critical and encouraging, he helped me build the confidence needed for a convincing delivery. The Panel report made specific reference to how my presentation had contributed to the Panel’s evaluation of my application.
 
Evelyn Ersanilli
Assistant Professor of Sociology at VU Amsterdam