Chiara Yates, professor of economics at Southern New Hampshire University, offers advice to aspiring economists navigating their studies and the early stages of their career. The following article first appeared in the INOMICS Handbook 2022. Download the INOMICS Handbook

In spite of all its distracting qualities, your phone is one of the most useful tools you’ve got, whether you’re studying or working in the field. It’s simply a question of how you use it. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of apps that are helpful for economists to have. They can help you find data, stay up to date, and crunch numbers on the go. INOMICS takes part in the Apple affiliate program. This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn money through any qualifying purchases made after you click through. However, this is not a sponsored post.

Online learning is not a novelty anymore. During the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown, many institutions were forced to invest in their online program offerings - or simply adjust their courses to be online-friendly. But sometimes it’s nice to learn without having to fully commit to a long program. Other times, learning from a different source can help new concepts make sense, or can refresh the memory.

Economics PhDs are aware of the transferable skills they should master to land a job in industry. But what about the reverse: is prior industry experience valuable for a PhD program?

What does it take to succeed as an economics student? What qualities make a good economics student – one who thrives at university, enjoys their economics degree, and then, once it's all done and dusted, who goes and gets a good job? These are big questions – there's no doubt – and their answers may not immediately be clear. 

Getting published.

Starting a PhD is an incredibly daunting task. Normally at least 3 years, there are some challenges that you are almost certainly going to have to face during the program. Below we look at some of the biggest (and most common) problems that PhD students encounter.

When you're just beginning your economics degree, you'll quickly come across two very important branches – microeconomics and macroeconomics. It's highly likely that you'll study both at some point during your degree, as they are two of the foundational planks of the subject. It is also likely, however, that you will have to choose which to take first, prompting the question: which is the best theoretical starting point for your studies? Having just started out, this can be a tough question to answer. That's why we're going to give you a little run down of each, to help you make the most informed decision possible. So let's begin.

Whether you are applying to a structured program like those typically found in the United States, an independent research PhD like those in much of Europe and elsewhere, or a hybrid of the two, the first step is to gather your thoughts (and paperwork) in an effort to convince the admissions board that you are the most qualified and motivated candidate for the position. Regardless of location or discipline, your application will almost certainly include a personal statement, transcripts, copies of your previous degrees and letters of recommendation. If you plan to start your PhD application this autumn, download our free guide "How to successfully apply to a PhD in Economics".

If you're an economics student currently doing your undergraduate or Master's degree, you might be considering doing a PhD at some point. The idea of dedicating another three years or more of your life to original research is both exciting and terrifying, and the experience of actually doing it can be both exhilarating and harrowing. Taking the step towards doing a PhD is a big decision, and one that shouldn't be made without the proper research and consideration. Once taken, however, it can be an extremely valuable experience and one that can set you up nicely in the future. Here we consider some of the things you should definitely think about before taking the plunge.

A new initiative from Hamburg University, Universität Potsdam, and the Berlin School of Economics is helping economics students get ahead in the fundamentals of econometrics. The online tool mcEmpirics offers econometrics practice tests for students and is now being rolled out for whole economics departments with new campus-licenses. Especially with the challenges of remote teaching resulting from the ongoing global pandemic, mcEmpirics is gaining notice as a digital solution for economics students and teachers worldwide.

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.

So you've coming up to exam season? Maybe you've already sat your written exams, and the only one left is the oral. Oral exams can be an daunting experience for students, so today we're sharing some advice on how to get through an oral exam with as little pain as possible.

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.

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. If you plan to start your PhD application this autumn, download our free guide "How to successfully apply to a PhD in Economics".

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?

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.

No need to stress about your university exams – INOMICS is here to help! (Well, stress a little bit, that's healthy and can serve as motivation, but no need to freak out). Having already dispensed advice on facing down essay exams, this article turns to two other  university exam formats – short answer questions and multiple choice tests. These kind of exams require a different sort of preparation from essay or oral exams, preparation that the following will take you through.

Given the excellent feedback we received from our audience on an earlier blog post that compiled a list of free econometrics courses online, we have now prepared for you a list of free online courses (MOOC format) that you can take in the discipline of mathematics. Like econometrics, proficiency in math is a prerequisite for performing well in economics courses at all reputable universities around the world. The knowledge required may range from high school algebra and differential equations to understanding the basics of logic and analysis of algorithms.

Microeconomics is the study of what economic actors - be they people, firms, or whole industries -  do when confronted with choice, and how this affects the distribution of resources. It’s fascinatingly revealing but can be frustratingly complex. And regardless of which direction your economics career takes, it’s likely that, at some point, it will have to be mastered. But that’s fine, INOMICS is here. 

INOMICS has seen a surge in demand for online courses recently, with far more students searching for higher education alternatives. With the effects of COVID-19 ongoing, and many institutions still closed, enrolling in a fully online program or online degree has clearly become the best way to continue self-improvement and career development. Institutions offer a variety of online degree programmes and massive open online courses (MOOCs), which often have less expensive tuition fees. Additionally, you will save money by not having to commute to a campus. Distance learning can improve your technical skills too, as you navigate new learning management systems. Before you choose a course, though, there are a few things you need to consider. Here INOMICS’ walks you through the basics!

When you think business school, you probably think MBA. A Master’s of Business Administration has long been a coveted — and often essential — qualification for business professionals. In recent years, however, the tide has begun to quietly shift, with more business school students than ever pursuing master’s degrees in specialized fields such as accounting, economics and business analytics.

Been meaning to brush up on your econometric skills, not got round to it, and now worried you won't be able to due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic? No fear - there's plenty of studying you can do from the comfort of your own home online. While nothing beats face-to-face interaction between student and teacher, online courses have other advantages, not least being that you can study when you want and at your own pace.

In these weird times, many (though by no means all) of us find ourselves with a lot of time on our hands, stuck at home with not much to do. But actually, there are plenty of things you can get stuck into to keep you busy, and not all of them involve watching ten hours of Netflix a day. We here at INOMICS are big fans of convincing people to learn a language, because we think it's one of the best things you can do for your brain. And the modern world lends itself nicely to this undertaking: technology, downloadable directly to the smartphone, turns your social media device into a potent learning machine. There are a range of language learning apps available, many free, many with paid features, all useful in their own way. What better way to spend the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic?

The list of reasons to learn a new language is endless. Not only does it open up a whole other world of culture and history for you, there's a growing body of research which suggests becoming multilingual can help stave off dementia, improve your memory, improve your cognitive control, and even make your happier and boost your pleasure levels. Employers also often say they value bilingual candidates more highly, and much research shows after learning one new language, learning others becomes easier.