Tag Archives: teaching

Are you treating your research like a hobby?

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Jo VanEvery

Most academics are paid to do research. Research is part of your job description. Research figures prominently in the criteria for hiring, tenure/confirmation, and promotion. This can feel out of sync with the reality of your daily life in the … Continue reading →

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What you can change

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Jo VanEvery

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. (The Serenity Prayer, Reinhold Niebuhr) Whether you believe in that god or not, the sentiment … Continue reading →

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Writing bios, etc

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Jo VanEvery

Aimée Morrison, writing at Hook & Eye, raises an interesting point about writing academic bios: One thing that’s increasingly becoming clear to me is that the bios that accompany Serious Scholarly Writing, like a peer-reviewed article, don’t mention teaching. Better … Continue reading →

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Are you waiting for permission?

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Jo VanEvery

One of the attractions of an academic career is the autonomy it affords. That means no one is going to give you permission. Or, perhaps more accurately, they already have.

Trusting your judgement is hard. You risk criticism. Disapproval. Perhaps even attack. Even though criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, many academics struggle with it. Continue reading →

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What’s your ideal academic job?

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Jo VanEvery

When you are looking for an academic job it is hard to imagine that you could get one and be unhappy, even miserable. And yet, I’ve met unhappy academics.

An academic career incorporates a wide range of activities and uses a lot of different skills. Even those who love it, and are successful, love different things about it, or excel at different aspects.

It is important to determine what is important to you. Your actual job may never match your ideal exactly, but knowing what your ideal looks like enables you to choose better compromises. Continue reading →

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