Academic career advice

Tips and resources to help you build a successful career in academia. From skills development during your PhD to preparing for a role in university administration, all academic career steps are covered. Here, you will find advice on promoting your work, growing your professional reputation and developing collegiate networks to support your academic career progression - or to help you move into industry.

By dene.mullen, 1 May, 2023

Narrating failure in academia: how to turn trash into treasure

Instead of hiding from failure in shame and despair, and on the way to normalising it, we should learn how to better narrate it, says Lucas Lixinski

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 21 April, 2023

How to support students considering self-employment

Young male entrepreneur working in a cafe with coffee and laptop

Not all students want – nor can they find in a challenging employment market – graduate jobs after university. Victoria Prince looks at what more faculties can do to support students in creating their own business opportunities

By Eliza.Compton, 18 April, 2023

Failing your way to academic success

Failure offers students and educators a chance to explore their shortcomings and come to greater self-awareness. In fact, it can be seen as growth in disguise, write Kelvin Yihang Zhang and Kim Yong Joong

By dene.mullen, 10 April, 2023

How to succeed at policy engagement, part two: mapping the landscape

Mapping the policy landscape as an academic

In the second part of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift advises how to build a picture of the policy landscape in your area of interest and establish who to engage with

Reading time

4minutes

By Miranda Prynne, 27 March, 2023

I moved to Sweden as an early career researcher – here’s what I learned

The pursuit of an academic career can mean moving to a different country. Here, Federica Di Biase shares lessons for early-career researchers who want to move to Sweden or have already done so

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 23 March, 2023

How reverse mentoring helps co-create institutional knowledge

Older professional woman and young professional woman working together at laptop

Reverse mentoring flips traditional power hierarchies, seeks connections across generations and offers opportunities to build relationships between students and faculty. The result boosts leadership skills and institutional knowledge

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen, 21 March, 2023

How to succeed at policy engagement, part one: define your purpose

Elevator pitch and policy engagement with your research

In the first of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift provides guidance on the importance of knowing what you’re trying to achieve in order to succeed

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 21 March, 2023

How to use failure to build an academic career

professional woman in office with laptop with head in hands

Failure can be a stepping stone on the way to professional success. Here, Beiting He offers tips for finding support through setbacks and cultivating a resilience mindset

By Miranda Prynne, 10 March, 2023

Good daily work habits for early career researchers

Colleagues laughing and having a chat over coffee

A collection of good daily work habits that will help early career researchers flourish, based on insight from a number of academics

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen, 21 February, 2023

Faculty exit interviews: the when, how and why

There’s never a good time to say goodbye. But here, Eli Joseph provides tips and insights on conducting exit interviews for different types of faculty

Reading time

4minutes

Academic career advice