There are three main approaches to academic job search:

• applying to advertised vacancies
• making funding applications to create your own research position
• networking to uncover jobs that are not advertised and to improve your chance of success with the other approaches

A mixture of all three of these approaches is likely to give you the strongest chance of success.

Advertised vacancies

It's vital to keep track of advertised opportunities that you might be interested in. Plan your time so that you don't miss deadlines and make the most of any available opportunities.

• Set up alerts on job portals and with specific institutions that you would be excited to work for.
• Set aside a regular weekly or fortnightly time to check any new job alerts and go through vacancy portals for anything new that interests you.
• Then plan time for each application that you want to submit that week or fortnight.
• Don’t try to do all your applications in one go, break them up around other tasks.
• Be realistic about how many things you can apply for around other commitments. Prioritise the things you are most excited about.

These resources cover post-doc job and funding opportunities, as well as general academic vacancies in the UK, Europe and worldwide. This is not an exhaustive list so do talk to academics in your field about the best resources for your specific discipline.

Creating your own opportunities

Securing funding to support your research is an empowering opportunity.

• Research the different funding bodies in your discipline
• Consider commercial funding through Knowledge Exchange partnerships or through a company who may have a financial interest in the research you would like to pursue
• You may find it helpful to talk through this option with your Faculty Careers Consultant at an appointment

Networking

Networking is a very important part of a successful academic career. Although Universities will advertise the vast majority of jobs, networking allows you to understand the roles better, develop relationships with people who make the hiring decisions, hear about jobs before they are advertised. and even co-create new opportunities by advocating for the potential of your research or solving a teaching problem.

• use Networking to uncover jobs that are not advertised or to improve your chance of success
• use Social Media to access the hidden job market

There are lots of simple ways to network in an academic context, and the best networking is often done because of a shared interest in a research topic or academic specialism. It shouldn’t feel fake or transactional. Try building your network by:

• Meeting people at conferences
• Reaching out to listed speakers and attendees after events to build on conversations that you had, or to compliment them on their presentation
• Joining university research/teaching networks
• Part time work: tutoring, research assistant, editing or peer reviewing journals, or taking on administrative tasks
• Getting involved in knowledge exchange or sharing
• Attending CPD workshops
• Posting about your research in online communities or social networks