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With the end of the year approaching, we feel it’s time to look to the start of next year and start planning which conferences to attend. The number of events available is overwhelming, so following up on our 2014 End of Year Round Up, we decided to draft a list for the start of 2015.

Following the overwhelming interest in previous posts on free online courses in econometrics, mathematics andstatistics, as well as an article offering an overview of online professional development courses, we would now like

As the year slowly draws to a close it can be easy to focus on the work in front of us and forget about the many academic conferences still taking place around the world. Such events are a great place to build your network, boost your CV and gain new insight into your field. This list offers you a brief overview of the many conferences in banking, economics, finance and related fields that will be taking place across the globe during the last months of 2014.

Whether you’re a graduate student giving a presentation for a course or a researcher presenting at a conference, being able to give an engaging and well-prepared presentation is an invaluable skill for anyone in academia. Today, hardly a talk is given without an accompanying PowerPoint presentation full of flashy graphs, images and often far too many bullet points.

While we all know the importance of publishing widely in terms of moving forward in an academic career, what is sometimes left out of the discussion is how to make sure that your research has an actual impact in the community it is addressing, or in the world at large. If you would like your research to be read beyond the gates of the ivory tower, you need to know how to effectively promote yourself and your work.

As someone who is just catching her breath after the marathon that is applying to PhD programs, I have a few pieces of advice to share with anyone embarking on this sometimes exhausting, but hopefully worthwhile endeavor. 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.

With the start of the academic year come many changes to most university departments – new students, new courses and, every so often, a new department chair. If you happen to find yourself in the lucky position of holding this post, it’s important to be aware of the plethora of responsibilities and advantages that come with the job. In this article, we’ve gathered helpful tips and reminders from a variety of sources to create a comprehensive list of what you need to know to make the most of being a department chair.

Though most new professors have already clocked countless hours in the classroom as teaching assistants, the shift to being the sole authority in the room can be a very scary one. No matter how prepared you might feel, the first days (or weeks or months) at any new job tend to be a bit overwhelming. Whether you feel like going home and hiding under the covers until winter break or you just need a little extra boost to get you on the right track, the following 10 tips will help you stay motivated, organized and ready for the coming academic year.

With September upon us and campuses around the globe preparing for the coming school year, many recent graduates face a harsh reminder that student life is over and it’s time to plunge headlong into the workforce. Yet, sometimes landing that first career-oriented position can be tough, particularly in today’s economic climate.

Whether you’re still a student, a recent graduate, or already years into your career, mastering the art of cover letter writing is useful at every level. In one form or another, cover letters are a required component of applications to jobs, study programs, conferences, scholarships and many other important opportunities along your career path. In this post, we’ll break down how to write a successful cover letter into five basic components. This information can be applied to any type of cover letter, though it is most closely aligned with a cover letter for a job application.

A picture speaks a thousand words, an adage that also holds true when presenting data to an audience. Whether to stand out during an academic conference or a class presentation, to share statistics with your customers, to explain a difficult concept to your students or to impress your friends with something funny: if you want to convey the message quickly and clearly an infographic is the tool to use!

Although those of us in the northern hemisphere have just entered the dog days of summer, fall is just around the corner, meaning it’s the right time to start planning out your autumn conference schedule. Whether you’re dreaming of the changing leaves and crisp air or dreading the idea of darker evenings and cooler days, right now you should focus on choosing the right event for you from this great list of academic conferences taking place around the world.

For many recent PhDs and other doctoral graduates, the first step in an academic career is at least one, if not two or three post doc or junior researcher positions. Regardless of which department you work in, such a position is a great way to make connections, publish your research, add experience to your CV and get a feel for life as an academic.

Although the MBA tends to be viewed as strongly practice-oriented and the PhD as more theoretical, there are no strict lines regarding what one can do after earning either of these degrees. In a previous post, MBA vs. PhD in Economics, we highlighted the ongoing debate many people have regarding the suitability of each degree for various career paths, and how to make a decision that fits your interests.

In previous posts, we’ve delved into the pros and cons of pursuing a PhD in math, political science or economics, while also weighing in on the debate about the relative value of an MBA vs. PhD.

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.

Many people who are already years or decades into their careers find themselves wanting to build upon their skillsets and expand their professional qualifications. Perhaps they want to make a career change, feel stuck in a mid-level position but lack the qualifications necessary for advancement, or perhaps they are just interested in gaining new knowledge but don’t have the time or means to head back to school. In the past, people in such situations could enroll in evening or weekend courses at community centers or continuing education departments at local universities.

Last year, we offered you a list of 10 finance conferences worth attending in 2013. Now, with summer just around the corner and conference season already underway, we want to make sure you know which conferences to register for ASAP and which to have on your radar for the coming months. With finance such a hot topic across the world right now, we’ve expanded our list to 15, while limiting the time frame to the summer months.

With the release of the Spanish report this week in the worldwide series of INOMICS Job Market Reports, more information has been added to the wealth of data regarding the interests and experiences of economists across the globe.

Econometrics is a thorough discipline that demands time and effort to be mastered.

In our earlier blog posts we have already featured free online courses in econometrics, mathematics and statistics, as well as economics podcasts.

Pursuing an academic career is very different from working in the private sector in many ways, including in terms of the application and recruitment process, even before you start in your first job!

Anyone working as an economist, mathematician, management consultant or researcher is likely to be dealing with numbers on a regular basis. Whether to refute claims, inform decisions or to build evidence to support one’s case, a good command of figures is essential for many professions. In other words, one cannot escape learning and using statistics!

Teaching, whether at school or university level, is generally and  rightly considered a worthy occupation. As supported by some Professor Ratings, however, unfortunately not every high school, college or university can boast perfect ratings for their academic staff, and many individual lecturers and professors have room for improvement, at least in the views of the students.

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 knowl