(posted on behalf of @Sergio Rodriguez-Garnica, PhD representative)
We’ve collectively turned the job market into a kind of “monster,” but at its core, it is simply academic institutions looking for new colleagues and scholars offering their talent to those institutions. Yes, it demands energy and time, but it’s also a natural part of academic life. What’s worth remembering is that an academic career is a long journey. It unfolds gradually. If you stay engaged, keep learning, and remain open to growth, you’ll move toward the place you aim for, step by step.
Think about how you got here. You advanced through years of study, courses, milestones, and challenges. You earned it piece by piece. The job market is another stage built on the same logic: sustained effort, resilience, and patience.
Uncertainty can be exhausting, but it’s also part of life, academia included. Try to hold space for the parts of this journey that are energizing: presenting your work, meeting new colleagues, and imagining what your next chapter could look like. This moment is not an ending but a beginning.
The most important thing is balance. Keep doing the things that make you feel grounded, e.g, your hobbies, your sports, your rest, your social connections. A healthy, happy version of you will do far better than an exhausted one. This is not a competition to be the best, but an opportunity to give your best.
Entrepreneurs often remind us that a setback is not a failure but a step in building something meaningful. Our careers work in much the same way. Every experience teaches you something, strengthens your direction, and prepares you for what comes next.
Big hugs to everyone navigating this process. Stay positive, stay steady, and trust that, step by step, fully living the journey, you will reach where you want to be. You’ve worked hard to get here, and academic life is a long journey. What you aim for may not happen today, but with persistence, it will come!