Melanie Sindelar

Public funding cuts for universities in Austria? Not on my watch. Come join us for a demonstration on the 27th of May at 1:00 pm infront of the University of Vienna's main building.

Get more info here: https://www.univie.ac.at/aktuelles/unisretten

PUBLIC FUNDING FOR UNIVERSITIES
FUNDING CUTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN AUSTRIA
DEMONSTRATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA

Let me know what keeps you from publishing and what would you need in the summer to really find time to sit down and write?

I'm currently developing a summer writing program so this would really help me out. Let me know in the comments!

PHD
POSTDOC
ACADEMIA
HIGHER EDUCATION

It's May and I hope a lot of good things are going to happen for you.
You're a busy academic, I get it. But go out and enjoy spring! 🌷

Most people have never heard of an academic coach until they're so desperate that they actually start googling if something like that even exists. 😅

ACADEMIA
PHD
POSTDOC

Are you though 🤔

As PhD students, our families often ask us: So how is your thesis coming along?

There is nothing more aggravating than this question. It's because they don't understand that doing a PhD means figuring it out on the go. Even if you're in a program, you have to figure out everything on your own:

How to write a paper
How to revise your chapter
How to apply to a conference
What to do after your PhD
How the submission process works
And so much more 🙄

I recently met a potential client in a cafe and she told me this: contacting me felt like a failure. She felt really bad about it because she thought she has to manage on her own.

I can't tell you how far that is from the truth. The most successful academics have an entire team that helps them. They have a student assistant. A secretary. Research assistance. An editor. And yes, probably a coach.

The PHD students that I have coached have achieved the following in 3-6 months:

Knowing their main argument and intervention
Writing up to 70% of their thesis
Having a clear revision process
Having a plan for what comes after submission

If you are PhD student in the social sciences or humanities and you need help, I offer packages that will bring you from start to submission.
Inquire with me for Momentum Coaching or my PhD Success Package which are both excellent options to get you ahead.

I repeat, you don't have to do it alone.

Comment with PHD if you need more info.

BEING STUCK WITH YOUR THESIS
HELP FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS
FINISHING YOUR DISSERTATION
WRITING YOUR PHD THESIS
ACADEMIC COACHING FOR PHD STUDENTS
CHAPTER FEEDBACK FOR PHD STUDENTS
ARGUMENT WORKSHOP FOR PHD STUDENTS
PHD STUDENTS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Waiting for feedback way too long?
Here's what to do instead 👇

Do you think that your advisor is your greatest supporter? If you wait longer than 3 months for your supervisor to feedback your work then they are not your greatest supporter.

In fact, they are keeping you from submitting your PhD.
I can't tell you to how many PhD students I talk to who are absolutely desperate because they're supervisor doesn't react. They don't react to emails. They don't react to your plea for an appointment. They don't read your work. They don't introduce you to important colleagues. They don't give you career advice.

Some supervisors are really just the worst.

If that's you and if you can't change your supervisor, you need to come up with a different solution.

And that solution might be a dissertation coach.
Somebody who gives you fast and actionable advice on your drafts. Somebody who maps out your career with you so you feel confident in submitting. Somebody you can always turn to for advice.

If that sounds good to you and if you want to get to know how I work, then consider signing up for this free workshop:

👀 Five strategies for stronger job applications
⏰ 8th of April 11:00 a.m. CEST

In this workshop, I will explain the realities of the academic job market in Europe to you. I will show you five concrete strategies on how your application will stand out in a pool of 300 applications. There will be some tough love but also generous advice.

The workshop will take place in the EMERGE Cafe which is a space for academics in the social sciences and humanities all over Europe. We are already more than 150 people. We regularly come together for free workshops, networking and helping each other out.

Sounds good? Then join.

Reply with JOB and I will get you signed up.

ACADEMIC SUPERVISION PROBLEMS
LAZY ACADEMIC SUPERVISORS
ANXIETY ABOUT ACADEMIC CAREERS
FINISHING YOUR PHD
APPLYING FOR ACADEMIC JOBS
WRITING YOUR ACADEMIC COVER LETTER
TIPS FOR ACADEMIC CVS
ACADEMIC JOB MARKET IN EUROPE
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Learn from me 👇

A few years ago, a friend of mine said:

" Melanie, I tick all the boxes but I still can't get a job"

They were a political scientist with a PhD in hand from a prestigious University. They had publications, went to conferences. Had teaching experience. Technically they were right. They did check all the boxes.

But that is not the problem.
Tcking the boxes is what gets you in in the application pile that says "maybe".

The real problems are in the application materials themselves.

1) The CV is not tailored to the position. It reads like a record of all your achievements but it does not speak to what the department is hiring for.

2) The cover letter is written from the perspective of a graduate student who's pleading for a job rather than a colleague.

3) The application looks backwards, not forwards. There is a lot of detail about the past but very little about the future. What will you bring to this department over the next 5 to 7 years? You need to explain that.

If you want to stay in academia you need to understand how to write your application materials.

Come to my workshop to learn how:

🙌 Five strategies for stronger job applications on the European academic job market
⏰ April 8th 11:00 a.m. Central European summer time.

Learn how to write convincing application documents. Present yourself as a peer rather than a student and learn how to navigate the process.

Comment with JOB to get in.

ACADEMIC JOB MARKET IN EUROPE
GETTING A JOB AFTER YOUR PHD
HOW TO GET A POSTDOC
HOW TO BECOME AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
HOW TO WRITE AN ACADEMIC CV
HOW TO WRITE AN ACADEMIC COVER LETTER
UNDERSTANDING THE ACADEMIC HIRING PROCESS
UNDERSTANDING WHAT ACADEMIC HIRING COMMITTEES WANT
HOW TO START THE JOB SEARCH AS A NEWLY MINTED PHD
ACADEMIC JOBS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

This changes everything. 👇

Most PhD students suffer from anxiety and imposter syndrome because they think they have to impress their advisor.

That's until you go to the library and you read the PHD thesis that your advisor wrote 20 or 30 years ago.
And probably one of the following things is true:

It's much shorter than you thought
It doesn't really have a strong argument
There's not really much of a structure

But somehow this person still got a professorship.
And look, times were different back then.
It was so much easier to become a professor.
If you did a PhD, you were basically guaranteed to become a professor.

We know that is just not true anymore.

So first of all stop trying to impress your professor. Instead, try to impress yourself with a good workflow and an argument that you're proud of.

Second, don't take career advice from a person who was basically handed their job on a silver tray.

Instead, come to my free workshop on "five strategies for stronger job applications" where I will teach you what really matters to build a sustainable career in academia in 2026.

👀 Five strategies for stronger job applications
⏰ April 8th 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Central European time.

I'll talk you through the realities of the European academic job market and I'll give you five strategies on how you can shine in your application.
And no, you don't need the perfect thesis for it or a perfect CV. But you do need to have a profile that stands out in about 200 to 300 applications.

Comment with JOB and I'll get you signed up for the workshop.

ANXIETY AND IMPOSTER SYNDROME IN PHD STUDENTS
UNCERTAINTY ABOUT ACADEMIC CAREERS
HOW TO WRITE A CONVINCING COVER LETTER
WHAT MAKES A COMPETITIVE CV IN ACADEMIA
CAREER ADVICE FOR PHD STUDENTS
STRATEGIES TO SURVIVE THE ACADEMIC JOB MARKET
REALITIES OF THE ACADEMIC JOB MARKET IN EUROPE

Is it getting harder and harder? 👀

I recently read an article in Times Higher Education, titled "Surge in interest in European jobs despite 'structural barriers'".

It talks about how European countries are investing millions of Euros into attracting top international talent, especially from the United States.

That is no wonder given the clamp down on academic freedom in the US, the cancellation of entire subjects at colleges and the fact that even tenure doesn't really guarantee you the security it did in the past.

But what does that mean for researchers in Europe now that more and more US-based academics are applying for jobs and grants that take them to Europe?

Well, it definitely means that the academic job market in the social sciences and humanities specifically is going to get even tougher.

If you don't know how to navigate that environment...
If you are an early career researcher based in Europe in the social sciences and humanities....

Then come and join me at my workshop:

🙏 Five strategies for stronger job applications
⏰ April 8th, 11 am, CEST

Comment with JOB and I will send you the link to the free workshop.

And let me know what you think of the article in the comments as well.

ACADEMIC PRECARITY IN EUROPE
ACADEMIC JOBS IN EUROPE
CAREER CHANCES FOR PHDS
CHANGING JOB MARKETS FOR ACADEMICS
REALITIES OF THE ACADEMIC JOB MARKET
HOW TO GET A POSTDOC
HOW TO GET AN ASSISTANT PROFESSORSHIP
CHANCES FOR GETTING TENURE
JOBS FOR ACADEMICS

Anxious about your future? Read this 👇

Do you know how many clients I have who are afraid of finishing their thesis because they don't know what comes after? Like, a lot.

And it's a totally normal feeling. The world seems to be falling apart right now. It seems like there are no academic jobs to be had. Colleges in the US are closing down or canceling entire subjects. There are hardly any new positions for professors being advertised in Germany, Austria or other European countries, at least in the social sciences and humanities. And even if they are, they now have to compete with their American colleagues who look for greener pastures in Europe.

The UK isn't really an option for many Europeans because they know that not having a Visa already is going to speak against them in the application process.

So what should you do? Is it even worth to strive for an academic career right now? What pitfalls should you avoid and which strategies pursue?

I'll give you the answers to these questions in my free workshop. Five strategies for stronger job applications. We'll focus on the European job market. I'll give you an honest account of the current situation and how to make the best of your application. I'll give you five concrete strategies on how you can stand out as a competitive candidate.

The workshop will happen on the 8th of April at 11:00 a.m. Central European time.

If you want to sign up then comment with JOB and I'll send the link to you.

ACADEMIC JOBS IN EUROPE
CAREER PLANNING FOR PHDS
ACADEMIC POSITIONS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
WRITING A COMPETITIVE APPLICATION
WRITING AN ACADEMIC CV
WRITING AN OUTSTANDING COVER LETTER
APPLYING FOR ACADEMIC JOBS IN GERMANY, AUSTRIA, THE NETHERLANDS
UNDERSTANDING WHAT SEARCH COMMITTEE LOOK FOR
GETTING HELP WITH YOUR ACADEMIC JOB APPLICATION
PHD
POSTDOC
PROFESSOR
TENURE TRACK