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confidence

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Creating A Satisfying Academic Career – Part 1

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Jo VanEvery

 Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Creating A Satisfying Academic Career It is not an exaggeration to describe the current context in higher education as dystopian. Whether you are already employed in academia, permanently or precariously, or whether you are seeking academic employment, the situation is distressing. Is it possible to have a satisfying […]

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Spotlight On: Confidence

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Jo VanEvery

Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Spotlight On: Confidence Confidence is another thing a lot of people struggle with. It is related to Imposter Syndrome but is not quite the same thing. And, like Imposter Syndrome, lack of confidence isn’t an issue that will ever go away completely. It’s normal to lack confidence (sometimes). It’s […]

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F**k Confidence. Settle into ease instead.

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Jamie Pei

Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · F**k Confidence. Settle into ease instead. Although confidence is bandied about as an individual, empowering thing, it’s also an insidious neoliberal, capitalist, patriarchal ideal that can often be more harmful than not. It tells us that: ‘you just have to be confident!’ ‘just do it!” ‘just be yourself!” ‘fake […]

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Do you hate writing your author bio?

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Jo VanEvery Leave a Comment

Aimée Morrison, writing at Hook & Eye, raises an interesting point about writing academic bios: One thing that’s increasingly becoming clear to me is that the bios that accompany Serious Scholarly Writing, like a peer-reviewed article, don’t mention teaching. Better more words devoted to where you’ve published and who funded your work, than to describe […]

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Spotlight On: Imposter Syndrome

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Jo VanEvery

Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Spotlight on Imposter syndrome I’ve noticed that there are a broader range of terms used to talk about feeling like an imposter these days. Whatever you call it — syndrome, complex, feelings, or something else  — it is a real thing that stops you from doing the work that […]

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Spotlight On: Meaningfulness Matters

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Jo VanEvery

Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Meaningfulness Matters: A Spotlight I have been supporting academics with research and writing in some way since 2005. It took several years for my business to evolve into what it is today, but one thing that has remained consistent is my belief that focusing on what matters to you […]

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Priorities and boundaries in the face of job insecurity

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Jo VanEvery

This post was originally written during a time when many universities and workplaces had shifted to remote work in response to the COVID pandemic. Although circumstances have now changed for many people, much of what I say in this post still applies. Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Priorities & boundaries in the face of […]

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On not being competitive

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Jo VanEvery 5 Comments

I have not a competitive bone in my body. When I play (recreational) sports, I don’t even know the score most of the time. People who are competitive find this odd. They wonder how I get motivated to play well if I don’t care about winning. I go out there to have a good time and […]

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Confidence Tricks

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Jo VanEvery

Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Confidence Tricks Everyone struggles with confidence at least some of the time. While confidence can’t be overly reliant on external validation, negative feedback is always difficult, and it’s tough to maintain your confidence when external validation is slow in coming. Confidence also depends on things you don’t have complete […]

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Don’t do your best!

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Jo VanEvery

Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Don’t Do Your Best! You know all about perfectionism and why it isn’t equivalent to “striving for excellence“, but is actually a psychological problem that seriously hampers your work. (If you don’t, read the pieces linked here, and maybe talk to a mental health professional.) But I bet you […]

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Where does confidence come from? Part 3: Support

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Jo VanEvery

This is part 3 of a series about confidence. In Part 1 of this series, I talked about meaningfulness. In Part 2, I talked about security. The introductory section is repeated so you don’t have to read them in any particular order. Or, listen to the whole series in one track here: Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide […]

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Where does confidence come from? Part 2: Security

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Jo VanEvery

This is part 2 of a series about confidence. In Part 1 of this series, I talked about meaningfulness. Part 3 is about support. The introductory section is repeated so you don’t have to read them in any particular order.  Or, listen to the whole series in one track here: Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · […]

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