What kind of teacher do you want to be? Early on as an economics TA, whether inadvertently or by design you will establish what kind of teacher you are. Will your teaching style resemble that of a coach, an instructor or a taskmaster? And will you aim for an informal, friendly relationship with students or will you establish yourself an authority figure with a degree of professional distance? All this hinges on the choices you make and the actions you take during your first few weeks. 

Independientemente de si es un estudiante de posgrado que va a dar una presentación para un curso o un investigador que presenta en una conferencia, ser capaz de ofrecer una presentación atractiva y bien preparada es una habilidad inestimable para cualquier académico. Hoy en día prácticamente ya no se imparten charlas o conferencias sin una presentación acompañante de PowerPoint repleto de gráficos e imágenes llamativas y, en ocasiones, demasiados puntos temáticos.

For those planning a PhD in economics, check out our Sample Motivation Letter for some specific guidance as to how to get yourself prepared. For those applying for either a research role, teaching role, or for a fellowship – you lot stick around. The following are a collection of sample cover letters that you can use as a basis for your own. Yep, we got you covered! 

Es tu primer día en el trabajo, y, naturalmente, estás nervioso. Decides, por el bien de la catarsis, hacer una recapitulación rápida del camino que te llevó hasta la pantalla del ordenador a la que miras fijamente y con determinación, un camino que muchos lectores de INOMICS conocerán muy bien. 

It should be noted that a European-style motivation letter focuses on academic background and research history, avoiding too much personal information. The US-style personal statement, on the other hand, is much more 'life experience' based. Here, we focus on the European-style.

Ser publicado. Es la perdición de las vidas de muchos economistas, y nunca ha tenido tanta importancia. Los puestos de trabajo, la permanencia, por no mencionar la reputación, todos dependen ahora de ser publicados, a menudo regularmente. Como no es de extrañar, dada su importancia, hay mucho que considerar a la hora de acceder a las revistas. El lugar donde se publique tu trabajo puede tener un enorme impacto en cómo se perciba, en el número de personas a las que llegue, y en el tipo de perfil al que atraiga interés.

1. Economic Times This handy news app covers the latest developments in the field of business and the stock market. If you’re looking to stay up-to-date on developments of economic news, then this app has a global perspective that includes news, slideshows, stock tracking, and push notifications for important updates. More international than other economics news apps, this gives you a perspective on economic stories from around the globe.

With vaccine rollouts now gathering pace, returning to classrooms and lecture halls will soon be a reality – indeed, in some places it already is. And with the return, will come the old challenges, most notably, when giving a lecture or holding a seminar, how best to keep students engaged? It will no longer be possible to achieve ‘class control’ through muting somebody’s Zoom account; more traditional means will, again, be needed. With that in mind, here are INOMICS’ top 10 tips to keep students present and attentive when you're teaching.

Si estás pensando en qué dirección tomar para tu carrera de investigación, una posibilidad es hacerse profesor, enseñando e investigando en un contexto universitario. Éste es uno de los trabajos más deseados entre jóvenes académicos, y algo por lo que la gente suele luchar. ¿Pero cuáles son los pros y los contras de trabajar como profesor de universidad?

Actualmente hay más opciones de aprendizaje en línea que nunca, incluyendo cursos que son - gracias Internet - absolutamente gratis. Si quieres prepararte para tu próximo curso universitario, necesitas aprender algunas habilidades extra que te ayuden con tu trabajo, o simplemente estás interesado en un tema y quieres aprender más, ahí fuera habrá un curso en línea que te pueda ayudar a alcanzar tus objetivos.

If you're working on a degree in economics with a specialisation in finance, or if you're considering doing such a course, then you might be wondering about the career options that it will open to you. Here are some of the top career paths for financial economists. Browse our finance economics job listings

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.

When discussing jobs in the government, the type of work that comes to mind is most likely influenced by your particular background. In countries in which large segments of the economy are nationalized, it’s possible to become a civil servant in nearly any field. In other places, your options might be more limited. Regardless of where you’re from, or where you’d like to work, however, every government employs economists, and it’s easy to argue that they’re needed now more than ever - though in the weird times of the pandemic, finding a government job may be more complicated.

Studying macroeconomics, as many INOMICS users have done, opens doors to countless different jobs down the line.

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.

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. 

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. Of course, not everyone will be able to attend these courses due to aforementioned money and time limitations; however, those who are able to will find that improvement in these areas will greatly help your career prospects, and of course, if one looks to websites like Coursera and Udemy, many introductory and intermediate courses can be found for free.

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!

Cuando apliques para dar una presentación en una conferencia de economía, a menudo te pedirán que proporciones una carta motivacional junto con tu extracto y CV. Ésto será usado para decidir qué aplicantes serán los invitados para dar una charla o una presentación de póster en la conferencia. ¿Pero, qué información debería de contener esta carta de motivación, y cuál es la mejor manera de aumentar tus posibilidades de ser aceptado para dar una presentación? 

All of that not enough to put you off? This INOMICS writer admires your determination. Despite the many pitfalls on the way to becoming rich, and despite the fact it might not be all that good when you get there, it is true that an economics degree can stand you in good stead to make some decent coin. An investigation from GoodCall found the third most likely degree millionaires have is one in economics, behind engineering and an MBA.

If you’ve ever researched how to write a cover letter, you probably know  that career experts from all over the internet agree you should never address your cover letter with a generic introduction like “To Whom It May Concern.”

You are educated, qualified and consider yourself reasonably intelligent. You have handed in countless papers, proposals, and at least one thesis. You probably have some experience under your belt, maybe already landed a pretty good job with good prospects. You are confident of your ability, ready to work evenings and weekends, and keen to impress.  You may also have a steady partner, or are thinking about settling down in the next few years, which opens the possibility of starting a family, if you haven’t already. The game is about to change.

The courses listed here don't require enrolment in an institution, and are all free of charge. Yep, it's free learning! So, no matter where you are (in your home) - at your kitchen table, armchair, or even in bed - you can have econometrics taught to you by some of the top professors, hailing from some of the world's leading universities, ALL for free! Yes, maybe we could all get used to this!