Sometimes life just gets so busy, so crazily involved, that I forget what I’ve achieved – if Marcus Buckingham is to be believed – this is not a good thing for me – plus this might save me time for my PDR in future! At the end of August 2015, I finished with CODEC at the University of Durham, sold my house – having decluttered severely, and moved on to a new post as Senior Lecturer Continue Reading →
Just a short update. On Monday I was interviewed for the permanent role of Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University, based at the Business School (lovely new building). I used this presentation, focusing upon #thisgirlcan as the case study for ‘best digital marketing campaign in the world’ as taught to final year undergrads! Thanks to the many people who cheered me on, and partook in discussions on Facebook/Twitter… and the crazy buzzing Continue Reading →
Hmmm, having left Manchester saying I was never going to work in a University again, never move so far north again … and after time with LICC, that I was clearly destined for secular work… There is a “significant credibility gap” between researchers’ expectations and the likelihood of their forging long-term careers in higher education, a survey has found. More than three-quarters of research staff responding to the Careers in Research Online Survey 2013 said Continue Reading →
Nice idea: “Going from the strong PhD community to the early career researcher stage can give you a feeling of isolation, uncertainty and a lack of security, especially when you are moving around on short-term contracts,” she said. Mirroring the popular #PhDchat Twitter channel, #ECRchat allows researchers to discuss issues such as the best time to start a family or how to change tack on research (see box below). Archives of chats and additional advice are collated Continue Reading →
I took on a range of roles to support my studies at all levels, an interesting piece on work to support a PhD: James, formerly a PhD student at a Russell Group university in the North of England, also approached his institution for help to find a job while he completed his studies. While carrying out a number of administrative roles, he said, he experienced a “deeply ingrained negative attitude towards postgraduate students working in Continue Reading →
Interesting article re: whether women (or anyone) can have it all in a culture which is “always on”: Last month, a predictable storm erupted in response to Anne-Marie Slaughter’s confessional in Atlanticmagazine. “Women Still Can’t Have It All,” she declared, explaining why she had given up her dream job in the State Department to spend more time with her family. The gruelling demands of the Washington work culture – known, apparently, as “Obama time” – had Continue Reading →
Story in Times Higher Education this week has attracted MANY comments already… it starts: Universities benefit from the large pool of cheap labour provided by PhD students and postdocs, but there aren’t enough academic jobs to go around, so young scholars should prepare for the possibility of a future outside the academy, one postdoc advises Not everyone who completes a PhD gets an academic job. I knew that. But still I thought that my prospects were good. Continue Reading →
In an article largely focused on the difficulties of couples involved in academic work, and the need to live miles (sometimes continents) apart … which indicates that to truly be an ‘exceptional academic’ there may be a need to be without dependents: In 2010, Kathleen Lynch, professor of equality studies at University College Dublin, wrote a powerful article in the Arts and Humanities in Higher Education journal, titled “Carelessness: a hidden doxa of higher education”. Although there Continue Reading →