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Academic career advice

Tips and resources to help you build a successful career in academia. From skills development during your PhD to preparing for a role in university administration, all academic career steps are covered. Here, you will find advice on promoting your work, growing your professional reputation and developing collegiate networks to support your academic career progression - or to help you move into industry.

Early career researchers not let previously invested time and money impact the decision to leave university and research

Is the ‘sunk cost fallacy’ sinking your career?

Making the decision to move away from research can be daunting, but a big dose of rational thinking can help you make the right choice, says Emma Williams

Emma Williams

EJW Solutions

IT technician with a laptop computer and black male engineer colleague in data centre

Connecting on-campus learning with preparation for careers and life beyond the hedges

Career preparation begins before graduation. Ellenor Anderbyrne and Daniel Youd describe lessons learned from building a student career-readiness programme from the ground up

Ellenor Anderbyrne, Daniel Youd

Beloit College

Design thinking can be used in universities and by academics to help bring about new approaches to working in teams

Five tips for using design thinking to transform your academic practice

Jenny Moffett explains how embracing design thinking may offer ways to combat academic perfectionism and develop vital skills for navigating uncertain paths

Jenny Moffett

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

A guide to gathering student feedback that can help you refine your teaching

How to systematically improve your teaching using student feedback

Jochen Wirtz introduces a simple but effective tool for gathering student feedback that will help educators to cement strengths and reduce weaknesses in their teaching

Jochen Wirtz

National University of Singapore

How university researchers can say goodbye to the lab and hello to an admin role

Are you a researcher who’s ready to move away from the bench? Here’s how

Deciphering job titles, utilising your network and coming to problems with ‘fresh eyes’ are all crucial for those moving from the lab to an admin role

Lia Paola Zambetti

University of Sydney

An explanation of the application process for academic jobs in the US

Applying for an academic position in the US: the basics explained

Considering academic job opportunities in the US? Angela Douglas provides practical advice to help understand the application process and secure the right position

Angela Douglas

Cornell University

Career planning advice for early career researchers on how to secure your first permanent academic job

Landing your first lectureship: top five academic career planning tips

Utsa Mukherjee shares five tips to help early career researchers build their professional experience and CV in order to secure their first permanent academic post

Utsa Mukherjee

Brunel University London

Engaging with LinkedIn is essential for the modern university academic when looking for a new job

Academic snobs can’t afford to ignore LinkedIn any longer

Considering a career move? When asking for a favour, such as info or an introduction, it helps to build a chain of trust. Which is where LinkedIn comes in, says Emma Williams

Emma Williams

EJW Solutions

University academics can take risks to get to the top

I took an alternative route to academic success – and I’m happier than ever

I ignored senior management and marketing departments and experimented with making my work more accessible and interesting – it paid off, says Jonathan Wilson

Jonathan Wilson

Regent’s University London

Too many university academics complain that the leadership talent pool is running dry without making any attempt to reach out to fresh talent

Complaining that the leadership talent pool is running dry? Here’s how to fill it

Abandoning traditional hierarchies and allowing mid- and early-career staff to experience leadership creates a thriving, diverse talent pool, say Jo Cresswell and Peter Hogg

Jo Cresswell, Peter Hogg

Dr Joanne Cresswell Coaching, University of Salford

If universities push staff towards social media, they must protect them, too

At the very least, there should be training on managing online discourse, blocking tools and recognising when ‘robust debate’ becomes abuse or libel, says Andy Phippen

Andy Phippen

Bournemouth University

University researchers are too critical of themselves and others

Researchers are too critical – we need to give ourselves (and others) a break

It doesn’t have to be like this. Critical thinking means looking for the evidence – that is evidence both for and against, says Hugh Kearns

Hugh Kearns

Flinders University

Turning an idea into a commercial interest is a hugely rewarding but challenging journey for university academics

Dragon’s zen: how to handle the jump from HE to a commercial venture

The learning curve is steep when leaving academia for an entrepreneurial adventure. John Miles outlines what to expect and says the skills you learned as a researcher can help

John Miles

Inkpath

Being an early career researcher does not need to be lonely

Don’t believe the hype: being an ECR needn’t be a lonely existence

Finding ‘PhD pals’ in the same boat, but also learning to communicate your work effectively outside the research bubble, is crucial for ECRs, says Rebekah Ackroyd

Rebekah Ackroyd

University of Cumbria

How to have an "overnight" scientific success in 20 years

How to create an overnight scientific success (in 20 years)

Inspirational moments don’t usually happen by chance. Instead, many enabling factors must be put in place over the course of a career, say Peter Hogg and Jo Cresswell

Peter Hogg, Jo Cresswell

University of Salford

Now could be a good time to move into environmental research in universities

Now could be a smart time to move into environmental research

Against a backdrop of increased funding and publishing output, aligning yourself with the green economy early could be a shrewd move, says Tim Smith

Tim Smith

IOP Publishing

New approaches to bringing students and businesses together can help address employability issues after university

Four practical tips for bringing students and businesses together

New approaches to student and employer “matchmaking” can help address graduate underemployment – and bring enjoyment for both sides, says Adele Browne

Adele Browne

De Montfort University

Supervisor bullying of PhD students is a stain on universities and higher education

Bullying by supervisors is alive and well – now is the time to tackle it

The arrangements that trap PhD students in toxic relationships with abusive supervisors must be reformed – here’s how, says Timothy Ijoyemi

Timothy Ijoyemi

UCL

Megaphone shouting. Researchers at universities must overcome the struggle with self-promotion

Researchers: fight back against your struggle with self-promotion

Postdoc or professor, the self-promotion struggle is real. So, how can we promote ourselves without sounding too ‘sales-y’? Emma Williams has the answers

Emma Williams

EJW Solutions

After spending my entire career climbing the university career ladder, I'm now wondering what's next

I’ve successfully climbed the academic career ladder − now what?

Having spent my entire career trying to get to where I am now, I’m working out how to slow down and seize the opportunities ahead, says Lucas Lixinski

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney

International students needs careers advice too

Don’t forget that international students need careers support too

Just 2 per cent of international students find jobs through UK universities’ careers services – a big failure given their economic input, says Alexis Brown

Alexis Brown

��Vlog Policy Institute

Stanford University illustrating article about terminology for teaching and research in the US

Coming to terms with terminology: the basics of university teaching and research in the US

Looking to teach or do research in America? Angela Douglas explains the basic terms, acronyms and structures of US academia to ensure everyone is speaking the same language

Angela Douglas

Cornell University

The secret to success as a researcher at universities is the ability to manage people

Want to get on in research? You need to manage people effectively

From supervisors to friends and family, the key to success is organising the people around you, says Ellie King

Ellie King

The University of Warwick

Advice on fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations early in your academic career

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: investing in early career interdisciplinarity

Three PhD students share tips for embracing an interdisciplinary approach to research from the start of one’s academic career to aid progress towards tackling the Sustainable Development Goals

Roxanne Keynejad, Poushali Ganguli, Manisha Yapa

King’s College London, UNSW Sydney

Advice for early career researchers on handling challenging workplace issues and misconduct

Advice for early career researchers on handling workplace inequality, prejudice and exclusion

Sarah Jasim and Shaakir Salam offer early career researchers advice on how to navigate issues of inequality, prejudice and exclusion in the workplace and handle misconduct without risking their own positions

Sarah Jasim, Shaakir Salam

The London School of Economics and Political Science, King’s College London

Early career researchers must master the art of saying no and not be too eager to please

Early career researchers can say no, too

Coming up with a series of questions for ECRs about each ‘opportunity’ as it arises can help them decide what is worthy of their time, says Lucas Lixinski

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney

Selection criteria in academia often creates invisible barriers for underrepresented groups

We must dismantle the invisible career barriers in HE

Despite surface appearances, universities’ recruitment and selection practices still present hidden obstacles to under-represented groups

Rebecca Jarrett

Cranfield University

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

THE podcast: making the case for better faculty training

How should the role of academics evolve to ensure students receive the high quality teaching they deserve?

Brian Schmidt, Alexandra Mihai

Australian National University, UCL

Advice on what to do and what not to do when writing diversity statements for online courses

Diversity statements: what to avoid and what to include

Diversity statements are increasingly important for faculty, both when teaching online and applying for jobs. Pardis Mahdavi and Scott Brooks outline what to avoid and what to include when drafting a diversity statement

Pardis Mahdavi, Scott Brooks

Arizona State University

Advice on supporting the well-being of overworked academics

Supporting academia’s well-being during Covid-19 and beyond

With an unprecedented global mental health crisis and rising stress among university staff, six academics come together to propose how best to support faculty and new ways of working now and well beyond the pandemic

June Gruber, Lisa Miracchi, Sabrina Marques, Kirk Ambrose, Becca Ciancanelli, Paulo Boggio

The University of Colorado Boulder, University of Pennsylvania, Western Connecticut State University, Mackenzie Presbyterian University

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