This is the time of year when many final-year undergraduates are grappling with a substantial piece of written work in the form of a dissertation. Despite this usually being a fractional component of the larger degree the dissertation can carry disproportionate weight in the mind of the student, drawing attention away from coursework that may…>
Blog
What is an Academic CV?
A good CV is vital when applying for academic jobs. An academic CV is different from more generic CVs. This article will explain what you need to include, what employers want to see and how they will use your CV. What should I include? Advice about generic CVs says they should not be more than…>
Taking the Next Steps in your Career
Many of us change career several times over the course of our working lives. Whether you are early on in your career or have years of experience the guidance below can be applied when considering your next steps. Self-assessment Perhaps you are about to enter or re-enter the workforce. You might have been working for…>
How to Make a Good Impression in an Interview
Making a good impression during an interview can lead to the next step in your career. But how can you do this? Preparation before interview is essential. The practical steps below are aimed at those of you who have little or no interview experience to individuals who regularly market themselves through recruitment processes. Review your…>
The Power of Positivity
Do you want to learn a simple trick to help you guarantee career success? It’s called Positive Thinking and it can have a huge impact on your career potential. A single positive thought can be viewed as having the same effect as dropping a pebble in a lake. The ripples can be seen and felt…>
The ‘Delivery’ Metaphor of Teaching and Learning
Many of us might remember learning about metaphors in school mainly as a poetic or linguistic device which we were encouraged to identify and discuss when analysing literary texts. Metaphors can help us understand complex ideas and systems by simplifying them; equally, they can confuse or constrain our thinking by over-simplifying things. If we analyse…>
Networking: How to Maximize Opportunities and Boost Your Career Connections
This article considers a few key points about different forms of networking, the challenges as well as the benefits. Whether you are employed, looking for your first job, or aiming to set up your own business, maximising networking opportunities can bring rewards. Let’s start with a question: What images come to mind when you see…>
PowerPoint – Has ‘Click and Talk’ Replaced ‘Chalk and Talk’?
PowerPoint was conceived and developed as presentation software. Even though it was not originally designed for use in teaching, PowerPoint has become ubiquitous in all levels of education. Excessive reliance on this program can have a ‘distancing’ effect and, in the worst instances, teachers stop being teachers and simply become operators of technology and readers…>
Graduate Career Options: The Professions
This article focuses on the professions as graduate career options, highlighting key points about what is involved, including some basic ‘pros and cons.’ We often hear people being described as ‘professional’ in the way they work or, more negatively, as unprofessional. It may appear as a vague, perhaps personal assessment of someone’s work style. Yet…>
How to Approach the Academic Job Market to Teach English Abroad
“So you are a native speaker of English and you have a PhD. You should be able to teach English, right?” Wrong. This is a common misconception held by aspiring language teaching academics looking to change their career paths and those outside of the profession alike. The academic teaching English abroad may wrongly be considered…>