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- by Charlotte King
- In Other
Posted Jan. 31, 2014
Sticking to Your Resolutions as a Postgrad
After the fun and festivities of the Christmas period, it is time to think seriously about the future. That's why we have New Year's resolutions, and if you are a postgrad then your resolution will likely involve improving your prospects, getting a good start to the postgrad life and saving money. A month in, your dedication may be waning – use these tips and keep on with your resolutions!
Where Do You Stand?
It all depends exactly where you are. If you are still in postgraduate study, then your resolution will be something along the lines of "I must get through the year", "I must extend my network of professional contacts" or simple "I must budget more effectively!"
If however you are about to complete your course, or have already done so, then your resolution will probably relate to your career destination – professional or academic – and how to get started down that long and winding road.
Money Management and Budgeting Discipline is the most important thing to have in sticking to your financial resolutions. Advice and tools are available to help you save money and make smart financial decisions, there is software available that helps you budget and track your spending, and there are so many little changes you can make to reduce daily costs.
A good way to stick to your financial resolutions is to reward yourself. Set up a monthly schedule, and treat yourself at the end of a successful month.
Academic Careers PhD graduates considering an academic career have various choices available to them. Your academic or professional resolution probably involves your future progress, and if you want your resolution to work out, don't get complacent.
If you have yet to complete your PhD but are nearing the end, then you need to be proactive. By now you should already know the options that are available to you, such as postgraduate research positions, applicable institutions and funding options.
The academic job market is competitive and rigid, and because of this it is very easy to become frustrated. A good piece of advice here is to think of the academic job market like any other job market. While if your resolution is to simply pass your exams or your thesis, don't forget about the bigger picture! Think about how much time you are devoting to important things that are not directly related to your PhD, such as work experience, teaching experience, funding and networking.
Professional Careers A significant proportion of PhD postgrads leave academia for a professional career . Having a simple resolution here is nice, but if you want it to actually get you somewhere then you need to come up with a plan of action, and it helps to have a clear understanding of what market you want to be in and what sort of job you want to do. Outline the actions you plan to take, and then mark them off when each is achieved.
The best piece of advice to take away? Be confident with your resolution, and when you face those inevitable setbacks, do not dig your head in the sand or give up.
Related articles
Where Do You Stand?
It all depends exactly where you are. If you are still in postgraduate study, then your resolution will be something along the lines of "I must get through the year", "I must extend my network of professional contacts" or simple "I must budget more effectively!"
If however you are about to complete your course, or have already done so, then your resolution will probably relate to your career destination – professional or academic – and how to get started down that long and winding road.
Money Management and Budgeting Discipline is the most important thing to have in sticking to your financial resolutions. Advice and tools are available to help you save money and make smart financial decisions, there is software available that helps you budget and track your spending, and there are so many little changes you can make to reduce daily costs.
A good way to stick to your financial resolutions is to reward yourself. Set up a monthly schedule, and treat yourself at the end of a successful month.
Academic Careers PhD graduates considering an academic career have various choices available to them. Your academic or professional resolution probably involves your future progress, and if you want your resolution to work out, don't get complacent.
If you have yet to complete your PhD but are nearing the end, then you need to be proactive. By now you should already know the options that are available to you, such as postgraduate research positions, applicable institutions and funding options.
The academic job market is competitive and rigid, and because of this it is very easy to become frustrated. A good piece of advice here is to think of the academic job market like any other job market. While if your resolution is to simply pass your exams or your thesis, don't forget about the bigger picture! Think about how much time you are devoting to important things that are not directly related to your PhD, such as work experience, teaching experience, funding and networking.
Professional Careers A significant proportion of PhD postgrads leave academia for a professional career . Having a simple resolution here is nice, but if you want it to actually get you somewhere then you need to come up with a plan of action, and it helps to have a clear understanding of what market you want to be in and what sort of job you want to do. Outline the actions you plan to take, and then mark them off when each is achieved.
The best piece of advice to take away? Be confident with your resolution, and when you face those inevitable setbacks, do not dig your head in the sand or give up.
Related articles
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