Workshops

What do you need to have in place before the job market really gets underway – and how can you make sure you are presenting yourself and your research as effectively as possible?

This practical session will take candidates through the key elements of the economics job-market package, including the Job Market Paper, CV, cover letter, research statement and personal website. Our speakers, Teresa Esteban-Casanelles (KCL) and Duarte Gonçalves (UCL), will discuss what each element needs to achieve, common mistakes to avoid, and, importantly, how hiring committees actually use these materials when assessing candidates.

We will then look beyond the individual documents to the wider application strategy. How should you decide where to apply and how widely to cast your net? How do different types of universities, research institutions and other employers approach recruitment? And how can you identify positions that genuinely fit your profile and career goals?

The session will help candidates move from simply assembling their application materials to developing a realistic and well-informed strategy for the market as a whole.

There will be plenty of time for participants’ questions.

Pre-registration here

Getting an interview is an important milestone on the academic job market – but what happens next?

This practical 60-minute session, led by David Schindler, will take you through the interview and flyout stages of the economics job market, helping you understand what hiring committees are looking for and how to prepare effectively for each step.

We will discuss how to present your research clearly and confidently in an interview, prepare for common and unexpected questions, and make the most of the limited time you have with a hiring committee. We will then turn to the flyout: preparing your job talk, handling questions and interruptions, navigating one-to-one meetings and informal conversations, and knowing what questions you should be asking your potential future colleagues.

Throughout the session, David will also share insights from the other side of the table – including what hiring committees are trying to learn at each stage and what can make a candidate stand out.

Pre-registration is required here.

What is it really like to work as an economist in consultancy – and how does it compare with an academic career?

This practical session will explore careers in economic consultancy for Economics PhDs, from the recruitment process through to the day-to-day experience of working as a consultant. Our speakers will discuss what firms look for when recruiting economists, how candidates can prepare, and the types of skills and profiles that are in demand – including whether opportunities extend beyond empirical economists to those with more theoretical backgrounds.

We will look at what the work itself involves: the kinds of questions economists are asked to address, where those questions come from, typical project timelines, and how research in a consultancy environment differs from academic research. The session will also explore how economists maintain rigorous, independent economic analysis while responding to the needs of clients.

For candidates who would like to retain links with academia, we will discuss opportunities to continue research and collaborations, publish, attend conferences or teach alongside a consultancy career.

Finally, our speakers, Nadine Hahn (Solve Economics) and Valerio Serse (Compass Lexecon and a Research Affiliate at CORE - LIDAM, UCLouvain), will consider when and how to make the move. Should candidates interested in both academia and consultancy explore the two markets simultaneously? How do their recruitment timelines differ, and what should candidates consider when deciding which route to pursue?

The session will include plenty of time for participants’ questions.

Pre-registration here

Join David Schindler for a practical session on how signalling works – and how to use it effectively.

For the second year, the European Job Market for Economists gives candidates the opportunity to send up to 5 signals to recruiters. But where should you send them? What does a signal actually tell a recruiter? And how should recruiters interpret the signals they receive?

In this short presentation and Q&A, David Schindler will explain how the signalling mechanism works and explore different strategies candidates can use when deciding where to send their signals. He will also discuss signalling from the recruiters’ perspective and what signals can – and cannot – tell you about a candidate’s interest.

The session is open to both candidates and recruiters, with plenty of time to ask your questions.

Pre-registration is required here.