Career advice

Tips and resources for building a successful academic career and how to enhance your reputation or move into industry

Pile of journals

‘Researchers have a responsibility to publish’

Without publication, advancements in knowledge will be stifled or even halted altogether, writes Walid Saad. Here he explains the many benefits to publishing for established scholars and students alike

Walid Saad

Virginia Tech

Traffic light sequence from green to red

Trying to decide what, where and when to publish research?

It’s a strategic balancing act, writes Walid Saad. While academic researchers often know why it’s important to publish their work, the timing, location and medium can be less evident. These tips are geared to sharing research for maximum effectiveness

Walid Saad

Virginia Tech

A car driving on a bridge across the sea

Five actions to drive your career forward in the third space

Third spaces professionals can often find themselves excluded from traditional academic promotion or career development opportunities. Here’s how to carve your own path

Steve Briggs

University of Bedfordshire

Leadership concept

Preparing school leaders to solve problems and make a difference

Aspiring K-12 educational leaders need professional training that gives them flexibility, decision-making skills and cultural awareness. Here’s how a ‘problem of practice’ approach embeds real-world issues into assessment

Shana Matamala

University of La Verne

Multiracial group of three people looking at a computer

Inclusive co-teaching can draw on educators’ lived experience

Joint teaching between academic faculty and experts by experience offers not only professional development for future teachers, but benefits student understanding as well. Here’s how to put it into practice

Pablo Rodríguez Herrero

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Collaboration concept

Joining hands across institutions makes light work

Communities of practice can help overextended faculty and staff maximise programme impact and bandwidth for career practitioners

Karena Nguyen , Paola Cepeda, Anne-Sophie Bohrer, Matthew Warner

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities, Washington University in St Louis, University of Wisconsin–Madison, North Dakota State University

An artist in her studio

It’s time to rethink creative industries employability

Employability is often a conversation for or about students, but what if we asked them about their future hopes? How might we co-design employability provision in times of crisis?

Emma Coffield , Katie Markham

Newcastle University

Structure of teepee against blue cloudy sky

Principles of Indigenous leadership and self-care in the academy

Indigenous leadership requires resilience, humility and self-awareness. These 10 principles offer a guide to cultivating wellness and fostering a supportive community

Chris Andersen

University of Alberta

Medical students

What skills does the 21st-century medical educator need?

A faculty development programme for instructors must facilitate more than efficient knowledge transfer. Incorporating pedagogical innovation, digital proficiency and emotional intelligence will ensure the well-being of educators and students

Miklós Kellermayer

Semmelweis University

A researcher in a lab looking at her computer

Here’s how we can support long-term research staff

Language use and reskilling are just two of the considerations for higher education institutions when it comes to supporting staff who don’t fit into the early career researcher category

Rachel James

The University of Edinburgh

Detail of laboratory equipment

‘Changing the culture from academic-owned equipment to shared ownership is not easy’

With dedicated research technical professionals alongside equipment investments, universities can foster a culture of equipment sharing. Here, Sarah Bennett explains this key role in resource management

Sarah Bennett

The University of Warwick

Technicians in science lab

Technical staff who support student learning deserve more professional recognition

Technical staff who deliver student-focused learning deserve more professional opportunities. Jodie Chatfield and Lindsay Davies explain how to provide tailored activities to increase awareness of and engagement with technical roles

Jodie Chatfield , Lindsay Davies

University of Nottingham, UK Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy

A group of people sit around in discussion

Supporting education-focused academics on the road less travelled

Education-focused academics must often navigate an unclear career path with limited opportunities. Danijela Serbic offers advice on how to set up an educational group to support their career development

Danijela Serbic

Royal Holloway, University of London

Medical researchers in white lab coats

How to succeed as an early career researcher? Be motivated and inspire others

Pursuing a research career, especially in a competitive field such as neuroscience, requires commitment, early action, long-term goals and, above all, ongoing passion and curiosity about your field

András Horváth

Semmelweis University

Elements of innovation on a blackboard

Six actionable strategies to be a successful ambidextrous leader

Ambidextrous leadership requires not only strategic planning but also a deep understanding of the needs – current and future alike – of the research group, institution or organisation. Here are six aspects to consider in its implementation

Greta Faccio, Valentina Lorenzon

Independent consultant, Independent academic

Creative writing concept

A space where ideas can take shape in the creative arts

Out of writer’s block and research into the artistic process have grown a tool and a community to foster new work. Novelist Sue Woolfe describes how an international creativity bar works

Sue Woolfe

University of Sydney

Illustration of many juggling icons on unicyle

Should academics embrace ambidextrous leadership to future-proof their career?

Ambidexterity requires investing time in training that can provide the skills needed to operate in a dynamic environment but also in the future

Greta Faccio, Valentina Lorenzon

Independent consultant, Independent academic

Book with symbols

Philosophy graduates are extremely employable – but they need degree programmes that show them why

Many students interested in studying philosophy at university will be concerned about its job prospects, so they require courses that demonstrate how to translate its skills into a career, writes Jonathan Webber

Jonathan Webber

Cardiff University

A woman gives a talk to a room of people

How university leaders can hold firm on the glass cliff

In her book ‘Leading from the Margins’, Mary Dana Hinton considers the challenges facing the next generation of women and people of colour in leadership positions

Mary Dana Hinton

Hollins University

New hire shakes hands with hiring manager

Get inboarding right in five easy steps

Internal hires don’t need traditional onboarding, so how do you ensure they find their feet quickly and thrive in their new position in your university? That’s where inboarding comes in

Alexandra Head

University of Southampton

Webinar image

Campus webinar: How to present research to a wider audience for greater impact

Learn about ways to articulate and present your work to non-academic audiences from experts from Campus+ partner institutions in the UK and North America

Gregory Goldsmith, Patricia Raun, Denise Baden, Krystina Silva

University of Alberta, Virginia Tech, University of Southampton, Chapman University

Business people high five each other in the workplace

Five ways to make higher education more accessible to neurodivergent people

By making workplaces more neurodivergent-friendly, we can improve the environment for everyone. Here are five ways to do it

Valen Lollato

Loughborough University

computer technician working on mainframe

Career development for technicians in higher education

Technicians need to advocate for themselves, network and seek leadership opportunities to gain the recognition they deserve, writes Mark Dabee Saltmarsh. Here, he offers career advice for the unsung heroes of higher education

Mark Dabee Saltmarsh

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Female director supervising a film shoot

Supporting mature students into creative careers

Helping mature students pursuing creative subjects to make the most of their university experiences shouldn’t be difficult. Here are some suggestions

Emma Lennox

Queen’s University Belfast

podcast graphic

THE podcast: supporting student success at all stages of the university journey

University of Chester vice-chancellor Eunice Simmons talks about effective strategies for widening access and embedding equity in higher education

Eunice Simmons

University of Chester

Illustration of hand holding a cup aloft

Everything you wanted to know about National Teaching Fellowships but were afraid to ask…

The UK’s National Teaching Fellowships were established to recognise excellence in teaching and student learning. Fellow James Derounian asks if the scheme fulfils its goals

James Derounian

University of Bolton

Two researchers discuss their findings

How to collaborate with students on research projects

Students and academic staff collaborating on research projects offers many benefits for everyone involved. Here’s how to do it

Louise Owusu-Kwarteng

University of Greenwich

A son hugs his mother as she works at a laptop

What universities can do to help academics with caring responsibilities

Higher education institutions can help their employees balance the demands of family responsibilities with work – here’s how

Ambreen Ansar

Dubai Medical College for Girls

A woman stands up in front of a boardroom table

How to navigate your first steps into leadership

Moving from colleague to taking charge can be a daunting transition. Kingsley O. Omeihe and Ibiyemi Omeihe offer advice on your first few moves as a leader

Kingsley Omeihe, Ibiyemi Omeihe

University of the West of Scotland

Illustration of a scholar in a lightbulb hot-air balloon

The aspiring academic’s career path from PhD to professor

If you have just finished your PhD or postdoc and realised that an academic career needs more than published papers and teaching, Jan Buermann has advice on how to kick-start progress up the ladder

Jan Buermann

University of Southampton

A young woman shakes hands over a desk

A blueprint for hiring innovative educators

Academics in Pakistan found the rules for hiring university teachers were letting well-rounded candidates, with real-world experience, slip through the cracks. Here’s how they changed and improved the situation

Asghar Zaidi

University of Oxford

Hands holding a compass

Taking on academic leadership even if you are not prepared for it

The call to leadership can come before you feel ready for a more senior role, as happened to David Waller. Here he shares what he has learned from five years as a department head

David Waller

University of Technology Sydney

Medical students and tutor

How to help postdoctoral researchers gain experience in teaching

Early career researchers increasingly require teaching experience for job applications or promotion. How can we create opportunities that help postdocs gain educational experience while remaining on a research grant-funded pathway?

Nicola Englyst, Delphine Boche

University of Southampton

Professor at the front of a class full of students

Four things you can do right now to improve your teaching

With a new term upon us, here are three practical strategies to enhance your teaching practice

Rebecca Wakelin

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Leadership concept

Growing into an academic leadership role

What qualities in new faculty members predict success in academic administrative leadership? Here, William Owen explores the traits that can see junior faculty transition effectively into more senior roles

William J. Owen

University of Northern British Columbia

Lecturer giving a talk

How to be visible as an academic

Working hard and taking on extra responsibilities isn't enough to guarantee career development these days. You also have to build your profile

Rushana Khusainova

University of Bristol

Neurodivergent leadership potential concept illustration

‘It just isn’t safe to disclose’

Neurodiverse academics face real and significant barriers to achieving positions of educational leadership. Here are considerations for universities to make promotion more equitable

Adrian J. Wallbank, Andrew Page-Towers

Oxford Brookes University

Introducing a new staff member

Five tips for embedding a team member into a newly created role

How do you make sure a new recruit feels at home at your university, beds into the department and feels they have a place at the table? Here, Alexandra Head shares advice from her experience

Alexandra Head

University of Southampton

A magnifying glass searches out a wooden figure in a collection

Recruit your next president using the forensic model

In their new book ‘The New College President: How a Generation of Diverse Leaders is Changing Higher Education’, Terrence J. MacTaggart and Eileen B. Wilson-Oyelaran offer their step-by-step guide to finding the strongest non-traditional presidential candidates

Terrence J. MacTaggart, Eileen B. Wilson-Oyelaran

Association of Governing Boards

Students at an employability event at university

Empowering international students for global career success

Supporting our students to prosper and thrive is not only beneficial to them but also to the broader community

Alex Fenton, Trevor Omoruyi

University of Chester

Older woman talking to young woman in a professional setting, mentoring

Are you ready to be an invested mentor?

The ‘invested mentor’ model takes mentorship beyond process and logistics. In this model, an effective relationship is based on connection rather than formalities with a mentor who prioritises their mentee’s success

Rebecca Taylor

University College Birmingham

Lecturer gives a university lecture

How to enhance teaching skills in a multidisciplinary environment

Technical challenges as well as the personal demands that teachers face make support programmes at higher education institutions all the more important. Here’s how self-paced, modular training can boost teacher engagement and student satisfaction

Borbála Kozma

Semmelweis University

A group of people work around an office table

Create healthy relationships between faculty members for the benefit of everyone

When staff members at an institution work together amicably, student performance improves, a collaborative environment forms and the academic community is made even stronger. Here’s how to do it

Rania Shalaby

Dubai Medical College for Girls

Couple in dual career concept illustration

What can universities do to support academic couples?

What elements can make a university stand out as being partner-friendly? Here are ways for institutions to support academics in dual-career partnerships – and boost their ability to attract and retain the best talent

Torin Monahan, Jill A. Fisher

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

podcast graphic

THE podcast: how to prepare for university leadership

Middlesex University vice-chancellor Shân Wareing talks about the need to make the path to senior roles transparent and why confidence is not the be-all and end-all of leadership

Shân Wareing

Middlesex University

A group of people brainstorm around an office table

Ten tips when building a centralised evaluation unit

How can we establish and develop evaluation activities to show what support and interventions affect the student experience, as well as their learning, outcomes and destinations?

Steve Briggs, Diana Pritchard, Sibel Kaya

University of Bedfordshire

Blocks joined with string networking concept

How a strong network can enhance the PhD journey

Connections and collaborations can help PhD students (and their supervisors) cut through the isolation of research. Here’s how to leverage those links into employability

Meghan Casey , Andrew Barton , Madhu Chetty , Rose Ferguson

Federation University Australia , Australian Catholic University

A group of people work in a room full of books

Tips for moving from learning designer to educational leader

Learning designers have all the skills to make great leaders. Here’s how to transition into the role

Paul Moss, Richard McInnes, Simon Marek

The University of Adelaide

A PhD graduate in cap and gown stands with her back to the camera

Five ways to connect PhD students with industry

Developing industry experience is often the last thing on the minds of the PhD community, but nurturing partnerships between academia and industry can enrich the journey, believes Maria-Christina Vogkli

Maria-Christina Vogkli

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Paper plane with rocket-shaped shadow

Streamlining a move from a faculty position to a leadership role

Moving into a leadership role at an academic institution includes setting ambitious goals around collaboration and finding solutions to worldwide challenges. These techniques can support leadership success

Brian Lattimer

Virginia Tech