Careers Café
This is a bit of an odd blog post, because I’m asking you not to do something: don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t need to. Many of you reading this have access to a university career centre. Chances are good that that centre competes with lots of other offices, services, events and clubs for […]
Many universities across Canada are attempting to reduce times to completion for graduate student programs. At my own university, there have been numerous policy changes that are aimed at reducing program lengths. While masters programs are usually described as one- or two-year programs, and PhD programs are described as three- or four-year programs, average times […]
When you make a decision about a job or a program of study, it is normal to imagine how your life story will unfold if you take this step. Sometimes that story gets in the way of moving forward, or closes off options that might lead somewhere interesting. It is important to recognize that this […]
I recently had a peek at a new career assessment, and it has me thinking about the benefits and pitfalls of vocational assessments in general. If you’re considering using career assessments, make sure they’re only part of your plan for exploring career options, because they only illuminate part of the picture. Vocational assessments typically look […]
A few weeks ago, I blogged about funding graduate students using scholarships. This week, I’ll talk about students who are funded in other ways. I suppose this blog is focussed on students who do certain types of research; some, presumably, can complete their dissertations with nothing more than a laptop (our society’s substitute for a […]
I’ve been following the discussion about Big Labs (Nicola Koper) and Small Labs (David Smith) with interest. I suspect many humanities and social science folks have skipped it altogether, assuming that it doesn’t apply to them. I encourage you to read those posts anyway. They raise some important points. Is it a zero sum game? One of […]
Jo VanEvery’s most recent post, on approaching advice strategically, is itself full of good advice. As she points out, when people offer you specific opportunities intended to advance your career, you’re under no obligation to take them up. The same applies to advice people give you about which career to pursue. It’s difficult to disregard […]
Last week, David Smith wrote an engaging article about the big benefits of working in a small lab, from the perspective of his experience as a PhD student. That got me thinking. Just for fun, and in the spirit of academic banter, I thought that this week, I’d write about how lab size affects us […]
It is not uncommon for someone to state that whatever it is they are suggesting to you will be “good for your career”. Teaching this course Working with this professor Attending this conference Serving on this committee Publishing in this journal Developing networks that extend beyond academe etc. The trouble is that if you did […]
Shortly after you tell a new acquaintance your name, you typically get the opportunity to share what you do as a career. Or, less comfortably, you get to avoid eye contact as you mutter something about a job you dislike, or admit that you don’t know what you want to do with your life. Good […]
When I landed a tenure-track position, several years ago now, I remember thinking how nice it was going to be not to have to worry about money anymore. I was finally on salary. No more applying for grants and scholarships every year and wondering how I was going to put food on the table if […]
Everyone struggles with time management. Everyone. If it were just a matter of accurately estimating how long things would take and then allocating time to do those tasks, it wouldn’t be such a big problem. Perhaps we would be able to make a rational argument that we have objectively more work to do than hours […]
Think of the times when you sat down and just started whacking away at a paper you had to write. Compare those with the times when you devoted a few moments to planning your research and your argument. I’m going to guess that planning has paid off for you more often than not. I promise […]
I had one of those “HA! I KNEW IT” moments when I read an article in the November 2012 issue of University Affairs. Léo Charbonneau wrote, in “Students prefer good lectures over the latest technology in class”, that students like listening to interesting, meaningful lectures, and that the latest trends in university educations … clickers […]
One advantage to taking a real break over the holidays is that it allows you to return to your work life with new eyes. We all develop habits. Some of them are good habits that allow you to get things done efficiently and effectively. Others are not as helpful and might be contributing to your […]
When it comes to requesting accommodations at work, I’m going to make a plug, along the lines of my shameless plug for versatilephd.com. The plug in this case is for Mental Health Works. I’m not claiming the site tackles all disability-related topics. It doesn’t. Its focus is clearly mental health. And it has a bunch […]
A few months ago, I blogged about preventing plagiarism before it occurs. Sadly, I have recently been reminded that we can’t prevent all cases of plagiarism. In an unusual turn of events, I am currently dealing with evidence that one student plagiarized the work of another. This is perhaps the most difficult type of plagiarism […]
Whether you celebrate anything at this time of year or not, universities typically shut down between Christmas and New Year. You are tired at the end of term. This is an ideal time to take a break. Taking a break is not easy. You will feel guilty that you aren’t working on … well something. […]
In my last post, I talked about the issues around disclosing disabilities in the pre-interview stages of the job search. This week, I want to consider disclosure in interviews. There is no one approach that works for everyone. Nor is there an approach that eliminates the risk of employer prejudice. That said, considering if and when […]
Last time I blogged, I wrote about the proliferation of interdisciplinary units and departments at universities across the globe. This week I’m going to write about what it’s like to be a professor in one of these research units. First, let me paint a picture for you of entering the Natural Resources Institute. First, walk […]