Whether you’re actively job searching or simply seeking to excel at your current institution, here are some editor’s picks highlighting issues, trends, and tips from last month that may help you.
Best in Job Search
Is the higher ed job market leaving you burnt out? You’re not alone. Stalled searches, hiring freezes, and budget cuts can make even the strongest candidates feel stuck. This article offers a way forward. Drawing on experiences from author Bruce Feiler, it shows that success isn’t about chasing titles — it’s about finding work that feels meaningful and sustainable. With four rules, the piece highlights how job seekers can lean on their communities.
Best in Teaching and Faculty
The jump from dissertation to book can feel like stepping off a cliff, and many first-time authors struggle to figure out where to begin. This article breaks down the process with guidance from two seasoned university press editors who remind scholars that publishing is never a solo effort. From stepping away from the dissertation and understanding your audience to finding the right press and editor fit, the piece offers clear, steps for navigating your first book project. For early-career academics, it’s a look at how collaboration, confidence, and the right support can turn a daunting task into a successful publishing journey.
Best in Workplace Inclusion
Campus life can be demanding, and colleagues can easily feel overlooked. This takeaway from the CUPA-HR Conference keynote shows how small, everyday acts of kindness can make workplaces feel more connected. Through examples and reflections, it illustrates how choosing empathy helps teams build trust, and strengthen inclusion. For anyone hoping to create a more supportive campus environment, it offers a reminder that culture shifts begin with consistent actions.
Best in Career Development, Stages, and Transitions
Higher ed professionals often juggle work that advances their careers alongside work that simply keeps campuses running, and the line between the two isn’t always clear. Author Kendall Berg explains how promotable tasks build visibility while non-promotable ones, though important, can quietly limit growth when they take over. With examples for both faculty and staff, the piece offers strategies for protecting your time, negotiating priorities, and documenting contributions that often go unseen.
Best in Health and Wellbeing
Being between jobs can be heavy, especially when the search drags on. This article offers down-to-earth advice for staying steady, from leaning on long-standing relationships to using tools like AI without losing your voice. Experts who’ve navigated long searches share what helped them manage rejection, maintain confidence, and stay open to new possibilities. It also acknowledges the financial and basic-needs pressures many face, and why a temporary role can be a strategic step rather than a setback.
Best in Leadership in Higher Ed
In this podcast episode, listeners hear from Dr. Jeni Hart, a campus leader whose work spans faculty roles, graduate education, and academic administration. Drawing on her early experiences with institutional prestige, she shares how credibility, connection, and equity have shaped her approach to leadership. She discusses how vulnerability strengthens academic communities, how staff expertise deserves recognition alongside faculty scholarship, and how meaningful impact extends far beyond publications. From public engagement to collaborative campus work, the conversation focuses on what it takes to build environments where diverse forms of scholarship are valued.
As a reminder, the full transcript of every HigherEdJobs Podcast can be found by clicking on “transcript” next to the episode’s show notes.
