There was a certain naiveté in the air when I went to my first academic conference. I thought that all I would have to do is to write a decent paper and to present it to the public. In retrospect this could have ended badly and I wish someone had intercepted me on the way to the airport and given me some key-warnings to know in advance. Thus, after this multifaceted experience, I thought to write the following points in a humble and only half-serious manner.

Organizing a small conference or workshop – why and how to do it  Your working hours as a PhD student or postdoc are already busy and full of demands on your time and your brain, but it’s a great idea to make room in your schedule to organize a small conference or workshop.

Whilst most students still do the bulk of their learning in traditional educational institutions, alternative learning possibilities are becoming more and more common. One such possibility is taking an online course, in which materials and teaching are provided over the internet. Online learning is advantageous in that you can learn at your own pace, in an environment of your choosing, and in some cases at no cost to yourself.

Photo Credit: Flickr @ITU Pictures

While we try to keep you up to date on top conferences around the world, for instance in two recent posts on 2014 conferences on econometrics and finance, sometimes it’s difficult to know which events are a good fit for you.

You've been accepted to give a talk at a conference, you've worked on your presentation, and you're ready to go – now you just need to keep your nerves under control! It's very common to struggle with nervousness when presenting, so consider these tips to help you deal with this.

Nowadays it's almost expected for academics to be active on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. For a generation who grew up with internet technology as a part of their lives, it's natural that young academics would share their thoughts on academia with an online audience. There are distinct advantages for academics in making use of social media too, for career goals as well as personal fulfilment.

Despite great progress that has been made in recent years in making academia more friendly for women, it still remains hard for women to be accepted and to excel in many academic institutions. Many women in academia, especially those in male-dominated fields, report that they find it more difficult to be taken seriously and more difficult to get promotions to senior roles than the men in their departments.

If you're attending an academic conference for the first time, it can be a rather overwhelming experience! Follow these five tips to make your conference trip as smooth and productive possible. 1. Choose the sessions you attend carefully

Attending an academic conference is a great way to hear about new research in your field, to network with other researchers, and to present your own work to an engaged audience and receive feedback. Conferences are generally open to anyone from the field who wants to attend, however, you will get much more from the experience (and be much more likely to receive funding for your trip) if you are presenting some of your own research at the conference.

Co-teaching has become popular in recent years, especially in university teaching training. It involves two teachers, one experienced and one in training, coming together to teach a class together. They share the instruction, the setting of tasks, the marking, and the physical classroom space. The idea is that for a profession like teaching, in which teachers are constantly learning even after they finish their teacher training, more direct instruction is helpful.

Applying for an academic job can be a frustrating process. If you've been rejected from an academic job and you're stewing over why, read on to find out the reasons that your job application might have been unsuccessful. You don't have enough experience

Applying for academic jobs can be a fraught process! If you haven't had much experience with the academic job market, it can be hard to learn as it is quite different from applying for places at a university to be a student. Even if you have experience with applying for professional jobs, there are different norms in academic hiring which can take some time to grasp.

Applying for a PhD can be a long and difficult process, with not many opportunities for you to hear feedback on your application. If your application was not successful and you're not sure why, here are some of the most common reasons for PhD applications to be rejected: 1. Your project proposal was too vague

If you are thinking about moving from the field of economics into business, here are some tips on surviving the shift. Less theory, more practical information

Hard skills are abilities such as technical skills, programming, or factual knowledge, which can be tested and which generally form the basis for academic assessment. These skills are surely important for you to achieve your career goals. However, there are other important skills which aren't usually taught, but are just as vital for success. They are known as soft skills, and today we're considering some of the soft skills you'll need to distinguish yourself in a career in economics.

With the arrival of reliable, high-speed internet, distance learning for university students has become much more feasible. Students can now sign up for single classes or whole courses to be taught online, which may include streaming lectures, live Q&A chats with tutors, and submitting coursework electronically. But how does an online course compare with a traditional course at a brick and mortar university? Today we're looking at both the pros and cons of learning online. Pros of Online Learning Flexibility

If you're applying for a PhD, the process can be rather complex, so here are our answers to some frequently asked questions about applications. What should my research proposal be about?

As businesses and individuals become more aware of climate change and environmental issues, a stronger focus is being put on the ways in which we use resources – especially energy. A whole industry has grown which supports the production and management of energy resources, as well as advising companies on how they can become more energy-efficient. With the growth of this industry, new career paths have opened up from many fields which are related to energy research or consumption. 

To keep up to date with the latest news in economics and business, there's more that you can do than just reading! Events such as lectures, workshops, and debates are excellent ways to keep up with developments in your field. Plus, they give you the chance to meet and network with other people in your field and to hear new perspectives on your work. If you're interested in attending events in economics or finance, then today's article is a list of some of the greatest events coming up soon from around the world. May 2016

If you're thinking about doing a master's degree in economics, or you're already studying for one, then you're sure to be interested in the job prospects for economics students. What kind of job can you get with a master's in economics, and in what kind of organisations do graduates end up working? We covered this issue last year, but now we've got new data on the employment of economics students for this year, so we're sharing an updated perspective.

Peer review is one of the cornerstones of academic progress, and it's vital that papers are reviewed by a knowledgeable party before they are published, in order to maintain quality. You see lots of advice for authors of papers, but rather less for peer reviewers. If you've been asked to review a paper, here are some tips on how to do a great job and to provide a review which is helpful to the editors and authors.

There are lots of technological tools available to help support professors in their teaching, research, and administration. But these tools aren't just for your home computer – there are lots of apps for mobile devices which can be useful in university life too. We've covered top apps for students before, and today we're listing some of the best mobile apps for professors.

When you're presenting your work to an academic audience, you want to make sure that your talk is as exciting and engaging as possible. One way to do this is to work on your slides; using something more interesting and original than standard PowerPoint. Today we're recommending some of the best alternatives to PowerPoint to make your presentation truly unique.