If you're going abroad for your studies, either for a few weeks or a few months, you'll need to deal with some practical issues. One such practical concern is finding student housing – how can you find international student housing when you're not currently in the country? To help you through this, we're sharing some tips on how to find a place to live while you're studying abroad.

Being a Teaching Assistant (TA) at a university is rewarding, but also tough, particularly when you’re just starting out and learning the ropes. Perhaps you might appreciate some guidance - roll on INOMICS top tips for econ TAs who are preparing for their first role. Oh, and congratulations by the way! 

Soon after the completion of a Master's degree or PhD, everybody is faced with the big question: what next? Although it may seem like a natural progression to continue with further research, there are many other careers open to academics in business, education, communications and journalism, to name but a few examples. So how do you know if research is the right career choice for you? Well, like with most big decisions, a good way of figuring it out is to weigh the pros and cons of an academic career.

The following article is an analysis of data taken from the INOMICS Salary Report 2020/21 - which is available to download in full here. Specifically, this article looks at the average salaries of economists around the world working in academia, the public sector and the private sector. It is the first instalment in a series of insights handling the Report’s findings.

Whether you’re a graduate student giving a presentation for a course or a researcher presenting at a conference, being able to give an engaging and well-prepared presentation is a valuable skill for anyone in academia – in COVID times it is invaluable. Today, hardly a talk is given without an accompanying PowerPoint presentation full of flashy graphs, images, exploding sub-titles, and often far too many bullet points.

When applying for an academic position as a researcher, lecturer, or for a fellowship, a cover letter is usually required to accompany your CV. Stating your particular interest in the role, and showing how your academic and work experience enables you to excel at the job, is the aim of a successful cover letter. They can be one of the most important parts of your application, giving the recipient an idea of who you are and what your relevant expertise is. Essentially, it's the first impression an institution will have of you, so it's important to get it right.

What does it take to succeed as an economics student? What qualities make a good economics student – one who thrives at university, enjoys their economics degree, and then, once it's all done and dusted, who goes and gets a good job? These are big questions – there's no doubt – and their answers may not immediately be clear. 

It’s a tough time to be a teacher. COVID has meant that schools and universities have closed and reopened countless times, leaving teachers oscillating between online learning and socially-distanced classes onsite, often with little support to facilitate the constant migration between the two. And yet, as a cohort they have responded remarkably, working tirelessly, innovatively, and determinedly to ensure that education has – mostly – been able to continue.

So you've coming up to exam season? Maybe you've already sat your written exams, and the only one left is the oral. Oral exams can be an daunting experience for students, so today we're sharing some advice on how to get through an oral exam with as little pain as possible.

Studying macroeconomics, as many INOMICS users have done, opens doors to countless different jobs down the line. Companies are always looking for people who understand a bit about the world and how it functions, particularly when it comes to economics, remaining, as it does, one of the most revered disciplines of the age (for better or worse). If you have specialised in a particular area of economics, then you can use this information to narrow down your options to the kind of roles which will best fit your skills and interests. And there are, perforce, plenty of options available even once you have isolated your particular skillset. Here we've listed the top jobs that specialisation in macroeconomics and monetary economics will make available to you!

Networking is one of the most important parts of a conference, but lots of people find it hard to engage with other people. At conferences it's even more difficult: you're talking with so many people, many of whom are successful businesspeople or established academics.

Regardless of where you are applying, nearly every course requires at least one, if not two or three letters of reference. Such documents are sometimes also referred to as letters of recommendation. In general, it is best for reference letters to be written by professors with whom you have worked closely, so they can offer detailed insight into you and your work.

In these weird times, many (though by no means all) of us find ourselves with a lot of time on our hands, stuck at home with not much to do. But actually, there are plenty of things you can get stuck into to keep you busy, and not all of them involve watching ten hours of Netflix a day. We here at INOMICS are big fans of convincing people to learn a language, because we think it's one of the best things you can do for your brain. And the modern world lends itself nicely to this undertaking: technology, downloadable directly to the smartphone, turns your social media device into a potent learning machine. There are a range of language learning apps available, many free, many with paid features, all useful in their own way. What better way to spend the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic?

An exciting opportunity open to many undergraduate students is the chance to participate in an exchange program, in which a student can study at a different institution as part of their degree. Typically, students will use this opportunity to study abroad; to learn about their subject in a different setting and to become familiar with a different culture. Yes, we know, it sounds incredible...

Everyone wants to be admitted to a top university in their favorite location. Potential reputation among employers, high quality of education and the potential boost that they can represent for a professional career make top universities the first priority of thousands of students around the world. One factor makes the decision tough, however: the potential cost it can represent for the student budget. For this reason, it is always good to look into scholarships, whether from the university itself or from a foundation.

While you may be used to the daily routine of graduate school or teaching, presenting at a conference, or even just attending one, can be a whole different activity. The preparatory checklist is long enough as it is, without having the added conundrum of worrying about your appearance. If you’re in business school, perhaps you’re used to ironing your button-down shirt and slacks every day, but most academics cringe when they hear the term 'business casual'. But fear not. We, the gracious folks at INOMCS, are here to help.