Academic careers
An academic career has three key components: research, teaching and administration. Typical tasks might include:
- writing up research and publishing the findings
- applying for research grants
- teaching, marking and assessing work
- analysing data and preparing reports
- presenting work at conferences and seminars
Source: Prospects.ac.uk
A typical entry level role following completion of a research degree would be as a research or teaching fellow.
Academic career pathways
Professor Richard Graham from the School of Mathematics talks about:
- the pathway to an academic career
- how to build your skills and experiences
- land that first academic job
He covers the role of a:
- postgraduate researcher
- post-doctoral researcher
- fellowship holder
- assistant professor
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Is an academic career right for you?
Questions for you
- Why do I want to be an academic?
- Have I got the right motivation - am I choosing to stay because I don’t know enough about the alternatives or because leaving would feel like failure?
- What aspect of academia am I most attracted to – teaching or research? Or would I like to have a mixture of both in future roles? What are the potential opportunities for that in my specialism?
- Do I want to work internationally?
Top tips for developing an academic career
The following activities will increase your chances of developing a successful academic career.
- Get published
- Gain some project management experience
- Take on teaching responsibilities
- Increase your involvement in funding/budgeting issues and familiarise yourself with quality assessment procedures
- Take steps to better understand the broader issues affecting Higher Education
- Network with colleagues/peers outside your institution
- Work with people who have a good reputation
Four University of Nottingham alumni talk about their academic careers
Find out about their:
- current role and what it involves
- how they secured the role
- advice to you about entering academia
Fern Baker
Lecturer
Symeon Dionysis
Research Fellow
Rebecca Hall
Teaching Associate
Horia Maior
Assistant Professor
