-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
How to find an internship for 2016
An internship can be a great opportunity for you to get experience in the working world and to learn the skills you'll need in order to find a job once you graduate. But with so many students looking for internship opportunities, there can be fierce competition for the best internships and it can be hard to find the right setting for you.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Working for the government: Pros & Cons
For most academics, when they consider their future careers, they think of two options: academia or industry. There are other options, however, such as one we will be discussing today – working for the government. Academics can serve on councils and advisory boards, or work as part of a civil service, or as advisors to policy makers. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of working for the government? This is the topic we're considering in this article.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Combining Teaching and Working in Industry
For academic careers, the big question is always: academia or industry? But why not a bit of both? If you want to combine teaching and working in industry, there are possibilities for part-time teaching work or tutoring jobs which fall outside of traditional work hours. You can have an industry job and try teaching too. Below we'll look at some of the options. Working as Adjunct Faculty at a University
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Importance of research autonomy when employed in academia
One of the great advantages of performing your research within an academic setting rather than a commercial one is the degree of research autonomy which you posses. This means that you have the freedom to pursue the work which you think is interesting and worthwhile, and to pick the methods and research approaches which you find to be most suitable. In fact, having flexibility and freedom over your work was identified as one of the top advantages of working in an academic institution in our 2015 Academic Institutions Report.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Tips for academics on how to deal with short-term contracts and job insecurity
One issue for those working in academia that can be difficult to deal with is the problem of job insecurity. It is common for postdocs or junior lectures to be employed on short-term contracts of a few months to a few years, meaning that they must secure a new job when their contract ends. Today we have some tips on how to manage this insecurity if you're working in academia. Advance Planning
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
How to show the best of your study abroad on your resume
When you're been abroad for a semester or longer during your studies, you're bound to have picked up lots of new skills and knowledge that can help you to stand out when applying for a job or course of study. But in order to take advantage of this, you need to know how to convey your extra skills to potential employers or universities. So today we're offering advice on how to show off the best of your study abroad on your resume.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Teaching for varying class sizes
When you're teaching, it's important to find a way to engage with all of your students, to keep their interest and to make sure that they understand the information that you're conveying to them. However, the size of a class can make a huge difference to what teaching methods are most appropriate and effective.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Top 6 Websites for Learning a Language
When you're looking to learn a new language, there are all sorts of websites which can help support your learning. Some have lists of vocabulary, interactive games, or practise scenarios which you can work on. Others can use your computer's speakers and microphone to help you with your listening and speaking. Below we're listing some of the most useful websites for learning a language. Livemocha
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
How To Learn A New Language?
Studying a new language can be fun, exciting, and valuable for your career, and there are now more options than ever for how to learn. From casual to fully immersive, and from short-term to long-term, there are a plethora of options for language learning. Today we're discussing some of these options and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Free Online Courses
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
15 Must-Attend Conferences and Workshops 2015/2016: Social Sciences
With the summer behind us (at least for those in the northern hemisphere), now is the best time to start planning your academic calendar for the coming year. However, the number of conferences and workshops taking place in the next twelve months is enormous and may be overwhelming when it comes to choosing the best one(s) for you. In order to help you with this endeavour, we have put together a selection of conferences and workshops organized by national and international organizations, covering a wide range of topics in social sciences.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Working as a researcher in a company vs university: Social Sciences
For graduates of the social sciences, there is a wide range of career possibilities open. For people who are curious, self-motivated, and capable of both good organisation and creative thinking, research can be an extremely rewarding career.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
For-profit universities: How to avoid "diploma mill" institutions
As an academic, you may feel somewhat insulated from the profit-driven business world. Certainly, academia has traditionally been regarded as an enclave separated from corporate concerns over profits; one which is supported by governments and individuals and focuses on teaching and research rather than on making money. However, with the huge growth of the education industry over the last few decades, institutions have necessarily become more corporate.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
How to make the most of PhD journal clubs
A popular activity among PhD students, particularly for those in structured programs, is a journal club. This is a regular meeting at which PhD students gather together to read and discuss a journal paper from their field. These meetings can be a fun and educational addition to a PhD program, and today we're discussing how you can make the most of the opportunities presented by these meetings. Keep yourself informed and up to date
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Top 5 Digital Tools For Professors
If you're working as a professor, you likely have a large number of projects on the go and a lot of demands on your time. It can be hard to keep track of everything, but there are tools out there which can help you. If you have a smartphone or tablet, there are some great apps available which can make your work life a little easier: Dropbox
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
5 best tools for lecturers, professors & teachers to deal with students
For lecturers and professors, there are a wealth of technological tools to assist with teaching and class management. These tools can help to make the organisation of classes easier, and allow students to access materials that they need electronically. We've found some of the best tools for you to use in the classroom to help make your teaching more organised and more interactive. Moodle
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Open access: the case for making your research publicly available
Open access refers to materials which are publicly available without restrictions on access or reuse. To publish your research in open access means that anyone, including other researchers and the public, will be able to read your paper in its original form. In order to support this free access for users, journals which publish open-access charge a fee (often in the region of several thousand Euros) to the authors. But, this cost comes with advantages. Today we're looking at the case for making your research available in open access form. For the public good
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Supervision - tips for PhDs supervising bachelors or masters students for the first time
One part of the PhD process that students are not always aware of when they begin is their role in the supervision of bachelors or masters students.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
How To Apply For A PostDoc Grant or Fellowship
If you've completed your PhD and are looking for a postdoctoral position, career progression can be intimidating and stressful. To help guide you through this transition, we offer here a guide for finding and applying for postdoctoral funding.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
How To Find A PhD Supervisor
When planning to pursue a PhD, one of the most important decisions you must make is to choose a supervisor for your project. A supervisor supports you and advises you in your research, helps you with your career development (for example by introducing you to relevant people in your field and suggesting conferences that you should attend), and provides encouragement to you throughout your PhD.
-
- , , , , Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Networking at a Conference
Networking is a must for academics and people working in the education industry. Indeed, professional success can stem directly from an ability to make connections and build mutual beneficial relationships. In academia perhaps more than in other professions, excellence in research and sought after skills are strongly complemented by both whom you know, and who knows you.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Tips For Students: How To Find A Part-Time/Student Job To Finance Your Studies
Given the highly competitive nature of funding opportunities and the ever-increasing cost of higher education, a part-time job is seemingly an unavoidable part of the student experience. Whether it be to earn some more money to put towards tuition fees, or the cost of living expenses or even having a little aside for entertainment and leisure activities, students find themselves increasingly obliged to find a part-time job whilst at university.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Tips on Starting Work in a New Field for Your PhD or Postdoc
Starting out a new role as a PhD student or postdoc will often be demanding and involve a steep learning curve. This is especially true if you have moved into a new discipline or field than you have worked in previously. With different approaches to research, learning and assessment than that which you have experienced before, it can take some effort to adjust to a new setting.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
What can you do with a Master’s in Economics?
With your courses completed and your master’s thesis ready to hand in (weeks before the deadline, of course), all you have left to do is confront that little decision you’ve been putting off all year (or two for most European Master’s?). You know the one – what are you going to do with your life after you have completed your Master’s degree?
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 5 years ago
Networking in Academia: a How-To Guide
Networking is a concept which is somewhat alien to many academics – you may well have heard how important it is to create an interactive network with other researchers in your field, but it's hard to know how to get started. Some people have a negative view of networking; thinking that it involves being deceptive or finding a way to turn every conversation around to yourself. But it needn't be that way! Successful networking is all about putting you in touch with other like-minded academics or professionals with whom you share interests.
-
- Career Advice
- Posted 6 years ago
Teaching Tips for Teaching Assistants
Being a TA at university can be a tough job, particularly if you’re just starting out. For those of you seeking a little guidance, we’ve compiled a few tips for TAs who are assisting a professor or course instructor.