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Academic

Academic Cover Letter Template: Senior Lectureship

This is an academic cover letter template that you can use together with the academic CV template. <Include your address here                                                                                     and phone number                                                                                     and email address> <Date>      Application for the position of Dear , <In the first paragraph introduce yourself generally and list the reasons…>

Top Questions To Ask Your Mentor

Why have a mentor? Wherever you are on your career journey, from starting a PhD to your first permanent academic post or to taking those initial tentative steps as a manager, other people have been there before and are often willing to share their valuable advice and insight. They understand…>

Taking a Career Break

Have you ever dreamt of taking a career break? Stepping off the treadmill of working life for a while? Of doing something completely different? We’ve all heard of sabbaticals for academics, but what about the rest of us? A planned career break could allow you to: Try out a potential…>

What You Need to Know About Widening Participation

One of the most important government initiatives of the last few years is the Widening Participation agenda. As an academic jobseeker you will have to show that you know a great deal about the job you are applying for, not only about the institution where it is based but also…>

How to Create a Professional Development Plan

What is a Professional Development Plan? Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the learning and development you undertake in order to carry out a current role or move into a new one. Many organisations have well-established CPD activities, but it’s still good to be proactive in order to: develop your current…>

How to Deal with Different Application Forms

Preparing application forms can often be a daunting process, especially when you have several applications to finish, both those from universities and those from other public sector organisations and private companies. What differences should you be aware of when completing these different application forms? Are there any effective and efficient…>

Writing Meeting Minutes

So you have been asked to take the minutes of a meeting? Here are some tips and techniques to do this effectively. 1. Before the meeting If the meeting is one of a series, check the previous minutes for the format expected. Most professional minutes are now in ‘short-form’, with…>

Applying for Teaching Positions – Top Tips

For many PhDs and postdocs, securing any, but especially a full-time, permanent teaching contract, is their ultimate career aim. Research across Europe consistently shows over 60% of PhD students stating they are seeking a permanent academic career. A lot of people are applying for teaching positions, but they are few and…>

Post Academic Interview: 3 Things To Avoid

There is a period of limbo between having an academic interview and being told whether you have been successful and thereby offered the position, or not. This can be a nerve-wracking, uncertain time, not least because there is no defined period in which this could go on; it could be anything from a few days to a couple of months. How, then, do you act during this nebulous interval?

Presentation at an Interview

Have you had any experience of delivering a presentation at an interview? How do you prepare? How do you engage your audience? Presentations are a common part of the recruitment process for graduate, research, teaching, consulting and other professional roles across a range of sectors. Whether you have had a…>