With many people, academics and others, heading off for their summer holidays I thought the roller coaster analogy is quite apt. Looking for a permanent position in academia is very much like being flung about on a fairground ride, as this recent article shows. While fortunate others such as myself enjoy a relatively stress-free few weeks doing research and gathering teaching materials for next year, those in the job market are on a white-knuckle ride. (more…)
Archive for July, 2008
The job hunting roller coaster
Monday, July 28th, 2008Privatisation in HE: interesting developments
Friday, July 18th, 2008Recently the UCU union has informed me and other colleagues of an interesting and controversial development in the higher education sector of the UK…the possibility of setting up new ‘international colleges’ based at universities but run by a private company. The union is concerned that this might be ’stealth’ privatization but what could it actually mean for students and lecturers?
It’s that time again: graduation!
Friday, July 11th, 2008It’s funny how quickly life as a teacher develops its cyclical feel: early July and many of us who teach in schools or H.E. institutions know what that means…graduation. Followed next month by A level results and clearing and then in September that ‘back to school’ feeling. (more…)
Real jobseekers’ problems!
Friday, July 4th, 2008Yesterday in the glorious July sunshine I went off to Southampton University to give a talk on how to maximise your chances in the job market to a group of postgraduate computer scientists. As well as my talk, the campus was also hosting an open day so I got caught up among several hundred teenagers and their parents! However, I also got asked some really interesting questions about academic jobseeking that I thought I’d share with you. (more…)
