This post is a different format than usual. Typically I write something and then record an audio version. However, when I invited Myriam Houssay-Holzschuch to share something about her experience of burnout, she preferred an interview. The text is an edited transcript of the interview. The audio has also been edited. Myriam and I talked […]
Read More »Welcome to the Library
The Library is an archive of my writing about academic work since launching this website in 2009. The top section contains the most recent additions. If you are new here, scroll down to see a few suggestions for good posts to start with to get a sense of my general approach. The Spotlight section at the bottom highlights a series of posts on a specific topic, and is updated regularly.
Most of my writing is sent to Studio members or my newsletter before appearing here. Since 2020 I’ve been creating audio versions of most new posts. They are embedded here but you can also follow me on Soundcloud if you prefer to listen.
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You’re coping, until you aren’t.
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · You’re coping until you aren’t I’ve written about burnout before. It is a real thing: severe exhaustion, physical and cognitive. It is serious. It often takes years to recover and may change you forever. I suspect the term is being used interchangeably with exhaustion that is somewhat less severe. […]
Read More »![A striking photo taken from beneath 4 angular pillars leaning into the centre of the image from each of the 4 corners, with notches cut from their tips that creates the illusion of a square in the central negative space. The sky behind is pastel blue and the pillars are a dark reddy brown, possibly rusted metal.](https://jovanevery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/corentin-marzin-K_RW_j7e3KI-unsplash-900x600.jpg)
How to make your argument clear
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · How to make your argument clear I’ve invited Lisa Munro to write about the craft of writing and she’s chosen to focus on the central element of all scholarly writing: the argument. Boldly stating your argument requires confidence! That’s not always easy. I particularly like how she provides a […]
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Start Here
The posts in this category introduce you to some of the main principles that guide my approach to academic work and careers.
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Optimizing Focus: 3 elements to consider
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Optimizing Focus: 3 Elements to Consider Everyone struggles with focus. This is why I prompt participants in A Meeting With Your Writing to think about what they’d like to try that day to optimize their focus. In this rather long post, I set out the fundamental principles that underpin […]
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You need a writing practice
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · You Need A Writing Practice Writing is central to your scholarly work and identity. And yet, you struggle to find time and motivation to do it. I argue that it is more effective to focus on the process of writing as a whole and establish an effective writing practice that enables you […]
Read More »![a painted image of paths over flat ground in the foreground with mountains in the background; circles magnify 3 different areas on the image to illustrate options](https://jovanevery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/options-zoom.jpg)
What an academic career looks like
There are a lot of different ways to have an academic career. Your academic career is affected by both your own values and desires, and by forces beyond your control. Although a lot of academic career advice suggests that there is a clear path to success, there are lots of reasons you may not end […]
Read More »Spotlight On: Confidence
This Spotlight highlights the things I’ve written about confidence with a focus on reframing what it is, and helping you understand the ways in which the structural conditions of your work and life affect your ability to feel confident.
There are practical suggestions for helping you feel confident enough to do the work you want and need to do.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, this Spotlight has direct connections to several of the others, which you might want to explore further depending on which aspects resonate with you today.
Explore the whole Spotlight here, or if you prefer to listen, you can find a playlist of this introduction and all the posts mentioned over on my Soundcloud.
You can do this!