Should I stay or should I go: assessing the options for a career in academia. Changes in how universities and research are funded has meant that there are fewer permanent, full-time posts available.
In addition to the reduction in the number of posts, the perceived value of having a career in higher education has changed over the last 30 years. In all, the career progression options for an ambitious academic has also evolved and any academic intending to thrive in this environment needs to be aware of the changes and plot out the options available to them. In the past, when academics looked at their career progression, there were clear cut stages of development.
An individual who is intelligent, hard working, and got along with their colleagues, would work through those stages: starting with a PhD and moving into post-doctoral work. They would then move into teaching and lecturing, with the ultimate aim of becoming a professor with a research team of their own. So what are the options for academics who neither want a career abroad or on TV? 5 Things You Can Do to Begin Developing Your Personal Learning Network. Small Business Ideas and Resources for Entrepreneurs. Keep Your Brain Innovative: 8 Ways. For many years, I have had the privilege of leading groups of family members, friends, colleagues, and clients to Africa.
We do volunteer work for the Kenyan Children Foundation; we dig, scrub, build, teach, and--at all times--give as much love as possible to the AIDS children the Foundation serves. Every evening, no matter how late it is, our group convenes to discuss our day. This is not a vacation. This is work--expensive work! Yet year after year, people jump at the opportunity to join me.
People want to join me because of the wonderful feelings that come from helping children whom society has otherwise abandoned. Also, after our work is done and we return home, we all notice an interesting phenomenon. "It seems crazy to think that I had to go that far to gain perspective," says Lauren, a human resources executive at a Fortune 1000 company. When I am in Africa, I not only begin to see the "bigger picture," as Lauren says, but I also gradually get into the rhythm of "Africa time. " Job Interviews: 5 Questions Great Candidates Ask. 10 Business Clichés That Prove You're Lazy. Whipping out a platitude isn't just annoying.
Using some platitudes also shows you're lazy--and not just in words but in actions: "Work smarter, not harder. " What happens when you say that to me? One: You imply I'm stupid. Two: You imply whatever I'm doing should take a lot less time and effort than it does. If you know I could be more efficient, tell me how. And, most important, recognize that sometimes the only thing to do is to work harder. "There is no I in team.
" Sure there is. If you want a team to work hard and achieve more, make sure each person feels she can not only achieve the team's goal but also one of her own goals. "It just wasn't meant to be. " Fate had nothing to do with it. "Oh, it wasn't meant to be" is not just lazy but also places responsibility elsewhere. "Let's figure out what we can do next time" is empowering and places the responsibility where it should be: on you. "That's probably not what you want to hear. " It sucks to hear bad news, no doubt. Don't shift. Ask. Welcome to Addicted 2 Success. 6 Ways Your Brain Attempts To Sabotage Your Goals & Dreams. Now we know that you should never make excuses for not sticking to your goals, and we understand that from time to time you will have your valid reasons, but what if it is not really you to blame for your failures and that your brain is actually out to sabotage your hopeful plans?
Well this article here explains the 6 ways that your brain plays tricks on you to sabotage your goals and dreams. 1.) Your brain can hurt your goals by fantasizing too much Would you believe that fantasizing is the #1 way your brain can unintentionally ruin your goals? It seems unlikely, right? The thing is, the proof is in the pudding (or in this case, the research): psychologists have found that while positive thinking about the future is broadly beneficial, too much fantasy can have disastrous results on achieving goals. Researchers tracked the progress of how people cope with four different types of challenges. Why? Why could fantasizing about a positive end take a turn for the worse? 2.) Ms. 3.) Envision this: