Career advice
Tips and resources for building a successful academic career and how to enhance your reputation or move into industry
Make universities disability-inclusive, part two: co-creation, workloads and promotion processes
Institutions can become more accessible by co-creating or consulting on their university strategies and strategic changes. Other ways include managing student and staff…
Managing professional jealousy: navigating challenges and fostering growth
Self-awareness, self-improvement, gratitude, open communication and a growth mindset can help you tackle inevitable encounters with jealousy constructively and…
How to help postdocs take a holistic look at career choices
After their terminal degrees, many postdocs find themselves at a career crossroads. Here, Karena Nguyen offers four key considerations across…
Why get a PhD by publication (and other career tips)
Finding the ‘golden thread’ in your academic path can offer an opportunity to reflect and grow, writes James Derounian
Advice for university staff on working successfully with HR
How can faculty ensure that all the touch points they have with human resources within their employee lifecycle are efficient, transparent and the best experience they can be?
How to strengthen your metacognitive skills to collaborate effectively with AI
To follow their previous piece on why metacognition is crucial for collaborating with Generative AI, Sidra and Claire Mason reveal how to boost those specific metacognitive…
Take these seven steps to be a great teacher
The distinction between being a good teacher and a remarkable one transcends mere transmission of knowledge, writes Gabriela Espínola Carballo
ChatGPT and generative AI: 25 applications to support administrative tasks
In the third part of their series looking at 100 ways to use ChatGPT in higher education, Seb Dianati and Suman Laudari share 25 prompts for the AI tool to assist with…
So what? Who cares? The skill of talking about impact
Darcey Gillie explains the importance of talking about impact in higher education and offers practical steps on how to do it
Create a psychologically safe space for honest feedback between colleagues
A guide to creating a culture of respect and honesty in which colleagues feel safe offering and receiving constructive feedback on their work
The ‘third way’ academic: becoming an education-focused professor
Career development tips for higher education professionals who take an education-focused pathway
An academic’s advice for navigating risk
From publication to grant applications, the rites of academia come with unfavourable odds. Yet researchers are rarely taught how to deal with uncertainty.…
The benefits of having a web presence as an early career researcher
If you can be easily found online, you’re more likely to raise your research profile, receive media requests, get involved in peer review – or even just get nice emails …
Six lessons from facilitating a formalised mentoring programme
An institutional formalised mentoring scheme can offer invaluable career guidance for early- and mid-career academics. Here, based on 15 years of managing a…
Engaging students with careers resources early and often
Here’s how career centres can reach out to students before they’ve even set foot on campus, and why it matters for their future job search and development
Pathways to prosperity in casual academia
The journey from adjunct to permanent requires adaptability, foresight and self-awareness. Here, Andrew Stapleton offers tips – such as diversifying skills, strategic…
Online teachers need professional development, too
Teacher presence significantly influences students’ engagement, satisfaction and learning. So educators need professional development focused on adjusting their…
As a researcher, you need a personal strategy…could business frameworks help?
Business frameworks could help academic researchers to develop a personal strategy to guide their work
How to improve your well-being in higher education
Gareth Morris considers the importance of well-being in HE and offers realistic suggestions on how this can be achieved by busy academics
Illuminating the shadowy path to success in academia
Postdocs and early career researchers, do not believe the myths about the route to a stellar academic career, says Andrew Stapleton. Here are better directions to get you…
Six steps to overcoming setbacks and rejection
Rejection is an inevitable part of being an academic, so it is vital to develop strategies to cope with and learn from setbacks in order to succeed in the longer term. Paul A.…
Key knowledge to be a good manager in higher education
Academics are the most important asset for any university, though they are often the most neglected, making it even more vital to be a good manager, says…
I’d tell my younger self that my chequered past would be my strength
With the benefit of hindsight, Anson Mackay re-examines their career path to see lessons in self-compassion and being their authentic self in collaboration and the…
What I’ve learned from a decade of working with a disability in academia
Meredith Wilkinson gives her younger self advice on climbing the academic ladder in an able-bodied world, but also calls for greater support for academics with disabilities
What are the barriers to success for under-represented early career researchers in maths,…
Recommendations for improving equity, diversity and inclusion in maths, physics, computer science and engineering, based on research into the barriers…
Lots to unpack: tips for those considering visiting positions abroad
Having worked in numerous countries across different continents, Farish A. Noor gives advice on what to look out for when potentially moving overseas
How to win at the part-time ‘game’ in academia
Higher education might be more accommodating of part-time employment than many private sector organisations, but working part-time comes with challenges. So how can…
Five tips for building healthy academic collaborations
Collaboration is a key skill in academia, but nobody is ever taught how to do it effectively. Martyna Śliwa gives advice on how to work well with others
The how and why of building a network in higher education
Sandy Jones gives advice to her 22-year-old self on the value of networking and how to get started – despite not owning a single high heel
How to find personal fulfilment after being a scientist
Academia encourages experimentation and innovative thinking. Why not apply these skills to finding a more satisfying job? Greta Faccio explains how she hit …
How to find passion in your work – and sustain it
A simple strategy to sustain passion and enthusiasm for your work by keeping big dreams in view while celebrating each small step
Three ways to make the most of Google Scholar’s ExCITATION plug-in
Luca Cacciolatti explains how to use Google’s ExCITATION journal-ranking tool, which can help researchers quickly identify relevant and high-quality sources
How to spin the plates of academic visibility, engagement and pleasing yourself
Think like a journalist. Think like a content creator. Think like a musician. Jonathan Wilson gives tips on getting ahead in your career without sacrificing personal…
Senior fellowship: three tips that will help your application
Gustavo Espinoza Ramos explains the importance of applying for a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and gives tips on how to be successful …
The confidence trick: impostor syndrome and PhDs in the non-academic world
Researchers have a great deal to offer the world beyond academia. But, as John Miles writes, knowing where and when to deploy these skills is crucial
How to foster a start-up mindset in creative sector students
In an ever-changing employment landscape, more students than ever are setting up start-ups after graduation. Richard Sant and Victoria Fabbri share how the …
Bridging the gap: how to enhance PhD programmes for non-academic careers
As more PhD students express interest in non-academic career paths, it’s essential to evaluate the relevance of traditional PhD programmes for alternative opportunities
One thing at a time: tips for making decisions
Academic life is rife with everyday choices that can sap your bandwidth. Here’s why this is exhausting and how to ease the load
How professional supervision can benefit academics
Common in health professions, supervision has much to offer faculty and higher education institutions – whether it takes place one-on-one or in groups. Here, Anita Volkert explains…
Making the most of social media: practical tips for academics
A guide for academics to using social media as a powerful tool to share and amplify their work and build professional networks, by David Riley
How to succeed at policy engagement, part three: building relationships
In the third and final part of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift looks at how to create positive and lasting relationships across your policy network
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
How to support students considering self-employment
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…
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 …
How to succeed at policy engagement, part two: mapping the landscape
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
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…
How reverse mentoring helps co-create institutional knowledge
Reverse mentoring flips traditional power hierarchies, seeks connections across generations and offers opportunities to build relationships between …
How to succeed at policy engagement, part one: define your purpose
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
How to use failure to build an academic career
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…
Good daily work habits for early career researchers
A collection of good daily work habits that will help early career researchers flourish, based on insight from a number of academics
