Attending university is a ton of fun, but it also prepares you for the next stage in your career. Even your hobbies can be advantages in your career development if you pursue them at a high level. Everything you do at university can be added to your CV in order to help you get a job in the future, and universities are great places to take part in extracurricular activities.

Everyone knows about the hard skills you need to be able to succeed in economics or in academia in general: excellent writing and proofreading skills, the ability to extract information from what are often dense scientific texts, and being able to evaluate and analyse data effectively, among other things. But they aren’t the only skills you need to have. There are, of course, the dreaded soft skills – a slippery term that can mean anything from being able to clearly communicate your ideas to another human being to more abstract concepts like emotional intelligence.

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.

What does it take to succeed as a economics student? What qualities do you need to thrive at university, to enjoy your studies, and to get a good job afterwards? These are big questions. To put your mind at ease, we've compiled a set of the top 10 traits, that if you possess, will help you get the best out of your university experience. Not bad!

A wise economist once said of new theories ‘if everybody likes your idea it means you’ve done nothing important’. Provocative? Yes, a little. Its sentiment though, rather than a clarion call for economists to adopt a wilfully antagonistic outlook, is better read as a request for bravery, for the courage to find answers to questions that may upset the status quo. Well, that is at least one possible interpretation…

Doing 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. Below we look at some of the biggest (and most common) problems that PhD students encounter. If you are considering a PhD, or just beginning one, advanced awareness of these stresses may help you overcome them if you ever have to make their acquaintance (don't worry, we have our fingers crossed). Plus, knowing that they are frequently experienced and nothing out of the ordinary will hopefully provide you with some comfort.

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.

One of the biggest and most exciting challenges of a young academic's career is coming up with that first research project. Knowing how much is riding on the decision, it can also be pretty stressful. With so much to consider, we thought it would be easier to break the decision-making process into 6 key points. Consideration of each will give you the best chance possible to make sure the topic of your Master's thesis in economics is the right one - both for you personally and for your future career.

When you're just beginning your studies in economics, you'll come across two very important subjects – microeconomics and macroeconomics. It's highly likely that you'll study both of these topics as you learn more about economics, as they are foundational to the subject. However, you might be in the position where you have to choose a class in economics to study now, before specialising later on – and in that case, should you take a class in microeconomics or macroeconomics first? Which will give you the best starting point for your studies in economics?

Esteemed economist, Princeton Professor, and friend of INOMICS, Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, generously took time out of his busy schedule to take part in the second INOMICS Handbook Questionnaire. Opposite him, in his customary role of quizmaster, was Professor Marcel Fratzscher, president of the DIW Berlin, and one of Germany’s leading voices in macroeconomics. Keeping with tradition, and as a nod to the heavyweight reputations of those involved, we dubbed the encounter ‘Fratzscher v Rossi-Hansberg’.

Situated in the oldest city of the Netherlands, Nijmegen, Radboud University has firmly established itself as one of the country’s most reputable institutions of higher education. Offering programmes across the academic spectrum, its MSc in Economics, in particular, is attracting students from all over the world. A growing number of graduates from this program have ascended the ranks in many sectors, from banking and consultancy, to NGOs and International Development.

Your phone is one of the most useful tools you’ve got, whether you’re studying or working in the field. Try out these apps to help you with both your studies and your research in economics. To find more pieces on economics, click the button below to download the latest INOMICS handbook. ➲ Download the 2019 Handbook now!

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.

There are many excellent economics blogs out there. Whether you want to read commentaries on economic policy, find out what people are currently researching, or simply keep up to date with the latest economic happenings across the world, there are blogs for all tastes. Economics bloggers vary widely from individual students and professors sharing their thoughts on the state of the profession to blogging superstars like Greg Mankiw, Paul Krugman and Tyler Cowen, whose analyses are backed by years of experience and a deep knowledge of the field.

A subject that many new economics students – and some older economics students too – struggle with is statistics. Statistics are an essential tool for economics, allowing data analysis and modelling to be accurate and mathematically correct.

After finishing a PhD, most researchers who want to stay in academia will go on to one or more postdoc positions. As a postdoc you may conduct your own research, but most likely you will be supporting a principal investigator (PI) who decides what topics will be investigated. As a postdoc you will perform research, supervise PhD students, teach undergraduate or masters students, and present work at conferences and workshops.

As every academic knows, writing a paper for submission to a journal is a long and arduous process. It is common for papers to be rejected from the first journal that you submit to, so you will have to reformat the manuscript and resubmit it to another journal.

Having a Master's degree is a valuable way to advance your career and gain more knowledge in your chosen field. Unlike an undergraduate degree program, you may not have to go to school full time to achieve this step in your education. However, it does require some time and effort, which means you'll need to figure out how to fit it in with your lifestyle. If that lifestyle includes travel as a priority, you may wonder how you can complete your Master's without giving up your travel schedule. The good news is that you can do both.

All academics know how important it is to get your work published. The journal which you publish your work in can have a big effect on how it is perceived and on how many people it reaches, so it’s important to make the right decision when submitting your work for publication. You want to make sure that you submit to a journal which has a strong professional reputation for your work to be taken seriously.

Doing a PhD can feel like an all-encompassing task, but it's important for your well-being that you have a social life during this time as well. It can be hard to balance the two, but if you don't, you may find yourself overwhelmed and not be ale to enjoy your time researching and writing as much. Here are tips on balancing your PhD with your social life.

Whether it is for your master’s or your PhD, picking a thesis topic is a vital step in your academic career. Choosing the right topic will give you a great head start on your thesis, so it’s worth taking your time to think through your options and to choose a subject that will suit you and meet the needs of your course well. Here are some tips for economists who are picking a topic for their master’s or PhD thesis.

It is well known that blogging can be a useful, if not essential, tool for expanding networks, creating academic dialogue, and generally fomenting ideas. Alas, as wonderful as this may sound, like always, it is not always quite that easy. It also requires time, which tends to be tight; energy, at times lacking, and dedication. With this in mind, we wanted clarity; in practice, how can blogging benefit one’s work? And, what role can it play in the career development of an aspiring, young economist?

We spoke to top hiring managers Kalpana Kochhar, Director of Human Resources Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Jordi Roca Solanelles, Head Manager of the University of Barcelona’s School of Economics (UB) and Professor Dr Florian Englmaier, Professor for Organisational Economics as the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), to discover what challenges economics post-graduates should expect from prospective careers in some of the biggest institutions around.

Here's a big question that's on the mind of many master's and undergraduate students: should I do a PhD? The idea of dedicating three years or more of your life to original research is both exciting and terrifying, and the experience can be either exhilarating or harrowing, or usually a mix of both.

When you are applying for a postdoc position, as part of the process you'll need to have an interview with the PI of the group you are applying to work with and others in the department. Here are some steps you should take to prepare for this interview.