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.

Hands typing on a laptop keyboard

The unexpected benefits of academic blogging

Academic blogging can open doors to collaboration and career growth. Discover its benefits, and learn how to build a culture that supports it.

Jenny Scoles

The University of Edinburgh

Illustration of man doing hurdles

‘An academic career is not a heptathlon’

The secret to establishing a career in academia is focus and deliberate choices, whether the path is into research, teaching or impact. Here, Robert MacIntosh explains why persistence and planning are more important than ever

Robert MacIntosh

University of the West of Scotland

Image of a person taking off in a hang glider

Is your academic career cleared for take off?

Academic career advice to help you reach new heights in higher education, from crafting the perfect CV to navigating teaching and research pathways

Campus contributors

Campus

An illustration of a robot soaring upwards on an arrow

Leading a personal development review? Think about GenAI for scholarship

With personal development reviews taking place over the summer, perhaps this is the moment to focus on how teaching and learning practitioners are using GenAI for efficiency in terms of scholarship

Steve Briggs

University of Bedfordshire

Airport arrival sign with welcome in English, French and Italian

How to strengthen onboarding and integration for international scientific talent

Welcoming faculty from another country requires more than adding visa information to the domestic induction process. Joanna Daaboul shares how her institution helps international researchers settle into life in France

Joanna Daaboul

Université de Technologie de Compiègne

An academic conducting research on her laptop

How I use social media as a research tool

Drawing from her autoethnographic experiences, Bhawana Shrestha discusses how she uses social media platforms to deepen collaboration, enrich methodology and widen participation in research

Bhawana Shrestha

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Students and a teacher having a discussion in the classroom

Teaching your first course? Follow these steps

Just landed your first adjunct teaching role and don’t know where to start? Here’s how to make the most of your strengths, design a clear syllabus and deliver engaging, manageable sessions

Daniel Martínez, Robert Sanford

Independent academic

Peer review and career developing in university teaching

Peer review as a collegial approach to educator development

Expert support, structured reflection and near-peer dialogue can replace compliance and evaluation as a way to improve teaching practice. This practical framework aims to turn conversation into action

Hasti Abbasi

Deakin University

Staff meeting

A survival guide for academic department leaders

Administrators walk a line between support for faculty and accountability for performance, writes Saleem H. Ali. Here, he offers six tips for building good governance and legacy

Saleem H. Ali

University of Delaware

A hand ticks off boxes on a paper form

Is the tick-box structure of promotion preventing true collaboration?

Academics can be so focused on the hoops they have to jump through on the path to success, they forgo opportunities for genuine collaboration. Perhaps it’s time for a shift in mindset, writes Nick Quinn

Nick Quinn

University of Glasgow

A phone screen with several different GenAI apps displayed

Can we use GenAI to subvert the neoliberal university?

Generative AI can be a tool of resistance against the corporatisation of higher education – or it can be just another distraction to make us ‘zombies in the loop’ of the system. Here is how we can choose the former

Richard McInnes

The University of Adelaide

Nurse entering information into computer

Supporting pathways for nurses into clinical research

Organisational support for clinician researchers is an effective way to ensure that healthcare research is translated into clinical practice. Here’s how a partnership between an Australian university and a local health service aims to amplify impact

Natasha Roberts

The University of Queensland

A teacher helps a student

Seven tips to turn teaching practices into scholarship outputs

What are universities looking for when they ask for examples of scholarship outputs? Find out what could provide evidence of this work and how it can enhance your academic career

Steve Briggs, Julie Hulme

University of Bedfordshire, Nottingham Trent University

An academic holding a pile of books in front of a library bookshelf

Arts and humanities scholars can engage with policy, too

Advice for arts and humanities academics who want to develop their impact profile while staying true to their roots

Charlotte Faucher

The University of Bristol

Spinning plates

Preparing for a research-active career during your PhD

How can you balance the demands of your PhD thesis with publishing other work to support your academic career goals? This article offers practical strategies for managing both

Anjan Pal

University of York

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Are module leaders missing out on professional development?

Let’s support module leaders with effective and engaging training opportunities. Here are five ways to do it

Gustavo Espinoza Ramos , Louis Spring

The University of Westminster

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Key challenges for patient and public involvement leads

The research team member who leads on PPI must act in the interests of healthcare patients and the public as well as support the needs of the research project. Here is advice for how to succeed in this emerging role

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

A gardener prunes flowers

How to create an environment your employees can thrive in

Creating a workplace culture your employees can develop and grow in requires intentional leadership. Here’s how to cultivate a nurturing environment and reap the benefits

Judy Holmes

Colorado State University Global

Bridge concept

The impact of business relationship managers in higher education

The role that bridges the gap between digital transformation and the wider university is often misunderstood. Here, Bhupinder Siran explains what a business relationship manager does, and the position’s challenges and rewards

Bhupinder Siran

University of Southampton

Team meeting

How to use a ‘manual of me’

This team-building activity costs nothing and will help you and your staff understand each other better. Here’s a guide to using this simple tool

Alexandra Head

University of Southampton

A lectern with two microphones in front of a crowded audience

How to communicate your research to anyone

Presenting research to a non-academic audience requires a different set of skills compared with speaking to your peers. Follow these techniques to get your point across to the layman

Mats Vermeeren

Loughborough University

Using AI in careers services

How to make the most of AI in careers advice – and avoid the grifts

Careers services are perfectly placed to use artificial intelligence to help students transition into the workplace, both by developing expertise themselves and by training students to use AI tools in their recruitment journeys

Séan Richardson, Keiran Whitwell

London South Bank University

An academic in a library

How will AI reshape academic employment?

The rise of AI in higher education highlights the need for academics to upskill and adapt to new roles and ways of working. Read about how to future-proof your career

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

A jar with coins spilling uot of it

How to make extra money in academia

How to find and make the most of dissertation supervision, extra marking and public speaking opportunities to supplement your income

Rushana Khusainova, Edoardo Tozzi

The University of Bristol

Knowledge exchange professional services career framework

How a career framework for knowledge exchange can foster a culture of professional growth

A career framework can provide pathways for personal and professional development. Here, Jane Shepard explains how one arts-based institution identified the skills required by professional services staff who help facilitate knowledge exchange

Jane Shepard

University of the Arts London

A teacher standing next to a blackboard

Want to teach during your PhD? Here’s what you should know

How to prepare for your first teaching experience, manage your time and keep students engaged in class

Marios Kremantzis, Rushana Khusainova

The University of Bristol

A teacher speaking to a student

How to prevent compassion fatigue

Many educators experience compassion fatigue at some point in their careers. Prevent it by shifting your perspective, setting boundaries and building strong support networks

Bhawana Shrestha

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

An illustration of tiny figures putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle

Universities need to move interdisciplinary professional associations to the next step

Inter- and transdisciplinary teaching is going beyond communities of practice – but it’s still too small to compete with discipline-based professional associations. Here are the questions we should be asking to move forward

Gabriele Bammer

Australian National University

African colleagues at a conference session

International research needs international research professionals

When researchers in poorer countries are expected to deliver programmes to the exacting standards of funders in the Global North, it makes international collaboration more difficult. Here, Mary Ryan calls for skills development initiatives to align global aspiration and reality

Mary Ryan

University of Glasgow

Man sitting among piles of papers

‘Academic writing equals chaos’

If you are stalled in your latest writing project, Glenn Fosbraey shares three tips for breaking through blocks, getting organised and finishing the final draft

Glenn Fosbraey

University of Winchester

A female academic smiling to camera

How to transition from a student to a researcher mindset

Tips for developing a professional network, building resilience and making a realistic research career plan

Noman Mahtab

London College of Contemporary Arts

A woman gives a talk to a room of colleagues

A practical guide to better public speaking: part two

The second in a two-part series, here’s how to hone your public speaking skills, using the three Cs

Anna Christodoulou

The University of Westminster

A speaker stands at a lectern with a microphone

A practical guide to better public speaking: part one

Getting through long, not-so-interesting talks is a common experience in academia. But if we all agree it can be done better, how can we start delivering better presentations?

Anna Christodoulou

The University of Westminster

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

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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