Prepare for Academic Careers

This section provides an overview of the process of planning for an academic career, the major skill areas and competencies required in academic careers and how to enhance your value to academic employers to become a competitive candidate. 

This section includes: 

• An overview of academic careers and the process of building yours 
• Tips on building effective working relationships with your supervisor
• Information on getting published, developing teaching skills and other ways to build professional skills needed for academic careers 

Overview of Academic Careers 

• What you need to do now and going forward to land an academic job interview 

• An article looking at the process, benefits, and pitfalls to finding work in academia written in the context of Engineering and Science but broadly applicable to any discipline 

• Career advice for those in cell biology from the American Society for Cell Biology but broadly applicable to anyone in a related discipline 

• Finding the Right Postdoc
    

Working with your Supervisor 

It has been said that a graduate student’s relationship with their Supervisor is a major factor in their academic success and an important determinant of the quality of their educational experience. The following articles contain information about supervision and how to get the most out of the relationship. 

• Basic principles for working with a Supervisor 

• Additional tips from Queen’s University 

ABCs of Publication 

“Publish or perish!” The old adage applies equally well to would-be professors and researchers as to those in established academic careers. Find out how to negotiate the world of journals and peer reviews to thrive as a published researcher. 

• Resources from Elsevier 

• U of T Graduate Professional Skills Program 

• Tip Sheet from Sage Publications 

• On collaborative publishing 

Teaching Skills 

Anyone contemplating a career in academia must develop and document solid teaching skills. Here are some great resources to build yours. 

• Good primer on teaching at the university level from University of Manitoba 

• U of T Graduate and Professional Skills Program 

• Many applications for academic positions request a statement of your teaching philosophy. Here is a guide on how to develop one 

• Teaching dossiers can serve as a tool and resource for your own teaching development 

• The process, benefits, and pitfalls to finding work in academia written in the context of Engineering and Science but applicable to any discipline
    

Continuing Studies Options for Professional Development 

Although primarily geared toward those seeking careers outside of academia, the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies has many offerings, some of which may be applicable to academic careers as well. 

Next Step: Develop Your Academic Network