Networking is one of the most important parts of a conference, but lots of people find it hard to engage with other people. At conferences it's even more difficult: you're talking with so many people, many of whom are successful businesspeople or established academics. But a good way to contend with this is to be well-read. There are some specific books you can pick up which can help you specifically with speaking publicly and networking. Read on for our list of aforementioned books.

In 2018 we at INOMICS released another of our Salary Reports. The report provides an overview of a survey conducted of 2175 people in 2017 and contains insights into the job market, specifically the economics job market. Respondents came from 117 countries, 17 more than the year previously, and the figure of those asked represented an increase of 11% on the previous year. The report takes into accounts of gender, level of academic degree, sector, number of years of experience and seniority.

Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming an engineer. From playing with LEGO to being an active member of my high-school robotics team, I loved building things and breaking them down to learn how they worked. This being said, I have kept an open mind about a position in management down the road and from this perspective it was important to me to prepare for a career in both business and engineering. My answer: a dual degree program whereby I completed a BA in economics alongside a BSc in Mechanical Engineering.

Once you've handed in your thesis, you still have one big challenge to overcome before you're finished with your PhD: the thesis defense. This is an opportunity for you to present your research publicly and to answer questions about it from your thesis committee. The process can be tough going, especially if you've never had to do anything like this before. That being said, there are a few ways to make sure you survive – and even perform very well in – your thesis defense.

Economics is serious business, but sometimes we all need a break! And that's when the internet is there: to sympathise, to commiserate, and to make us smile at the end of a tough day. Fortunately the stereotype of economists being humourless is not true – there are plenty of fun and funny economists who are out there sharing their humour. From students to senior professors, there are memes on the internet to express all aspects of the study and practice of economics. Below you'll find 10 of our favourite memes that we know all economists will love!

Doing a PhD will make you an expert in your research topic, but, beyond that, it will also teach you a number of valuable lessons which are applicable to other jobs and your personal life. Here are some of the most useful lessons that you'll learn from undertaking your own independent research project.

More than 43.000 foreign students are currently studying at universities in the Czech Republic. Many of them don't have to pay tuition fees, because they are enrolled in Czech taught degree programmes and therefore they study under the same conditions as Czech students do. While it might be difficult right now to move during the pandemic, it's always worth keeping yourself informed of what your future options are.

Regardless of where you are applying, nearly every course requires at least one, if not two or three letters of reference. Such documents are sometimes also referred to as letters of recommendation. In general, it is best for reference letters to be written by professors with whom you have worked closely, so they can offer detailed insight into you and your work.

Every year thousands of economics students decide to continue education, either straight away after graduation or after a year or two of “real world” work experience. Often at this point comes the question: should I pursue a PhD or enroll in a Master of Business Administration program?

When it comes to choosing a career path, pragmatic people know that they shouldn't select a job purely based on how interesting they find it. In order to have a stable, long-term career, the job path chosen should be based on the needs of the market as well as the interests and skills of the individual. For this reason, we've rounded up some potential jobs for economists which are highly in demand today. 

If you're doing an economics degree and thinking about ways to maximise your career prospects once you graduate, there are lots of courses outside the realm of economics for you to choose from. From business to programming to statistics, there are plenty of areas which can help you improve your chances of getting a job and widen your skillset more generally, if you've got the money and time to enrol on one.

Upon completion of a Master's degree or PhD, the big question arises: what next? Although it seems like natural progression to continue with further research, there are many other careers open to academics in business, education, or communication and journalism, to name but a few examples. So how do you know if research is the right career choice for you? A good way of figuring it out is weighing up the pros and cons. Browse our job listings for economics opportunities

Our favorite caricature of a post-doctoral researcher: a frail man (or woman) with unkempt hair, hunched in front of a computer screen, with a half-filled cup of coffee by his side. As the coffee gets colder and time flies by, he appears oblivious to his surroundings – he is happy spending long hours at his desk conceptualizing arcane theory on obscure topics the real world does not care about. He is in a state of eternal tapasya – meditating on his eternal love-affair with knowledge… because, life is an eternal quest for knowledge!

When you apply to present at an economics conference, you'll often be asked to provide a letter of motivation along with your abstract and CV. This is used to decide which applicants will be invited to give a talk or poster presentation at the conference. But what information should this letter of motivation contain, and what's the best way to increase your chances of being accepted to present?

When applying for a academic position as a researcher, lecturer or for a fellowship, a cover letter is usually required to accompany your CV. Stating your particular interest in the role, and showing how your experience enables you to excel at the job, is the aim of a successful cover letter. They can be one of the most important parts of your application, giving the recipient an idea of who you are and what your relevant expertise is. Essentially, it's the first impression an institution will have of you, so it's important to get it right.

With university life still suffering major disruptions and COVID fatigue reaching new heights, we at INOMICS felt it time for the latest instalment in our ‘online course’ series. We understand how difficult it’s been in these last months, the fear, frustration, and now, more recently, the boredom. Many have picked up new hobbies to pass the time, some have started learning a new language, and others, even, have experimented with exercise... As admirable as these endeavours are, a trick is still being missed.

Innovation Economics is a relatively new branch of economics that focuses on (rather predictably) innovation, alongside the study of technology, knowledge, and entrepreneurship. It aims to understand where new ideas come from, and how we can put forward policies which will encourage the development of new ways of thinking. As many nations move away from an industrial model of production and towards a knowledge-based economy, the economics of innovation becomes more and more relevant.

There are now more online learning options than ever available, including courses which are absolutely free. Whether you want to prepare for your upcoming university course, you need to pick up some extra skills to help with your job, or you are just interested in a subject and want to learn more, there will be an online course which you can take to help you achieve your goals.

The current circumstances can be tough: being isolated from families and friends is difficult, and having to spend most of our time inside isn’t particularly healthy. However, there is one thing you can spend a lot of time doing which will improve your quality of life exponentially: reading! If you’re on the hunt for a behavioural economics program, or if you’re currently studying and just want to make sure you stay in the know, it’s definitely worth browsing some of the best books which have been written on the subject over the last few years.

Despite the easing of Corona-induced restrictions in certain places around the world, many universities and centers of learning remain shut, and will likely stay so for some time. For the foreseeable future then online learning will fill the void and become the default means of study. Yes, these are strange times. If you aren't already incredibly familiar with Zoom/Whereby/Skype we advise you to download them all now!