*Tbh-Conference 2024
Welcome and Closing Sessions Day 2
Tbh-Conference 2024: Career Real Talk with Experts from Academia & beyond
After the successful conference in 2023, this year you saw the third edition of the Tbh-Conference.
Day 2 began with a sense of anticipation and purpose. For many researchers, the academic journey can feel like an uphill climb—isolating, uncertain, and competitive. But as the To Be Honest Conference made clear, it doesn’t have to be.
At the sessions, speakers gathered to discuss challenges they rarely talk about out loud: visibility, career shifts, and the hidden processes of academic hiring. It wasn’t just about airing frustrations but finding tools, perspectives, and connections to move forward.
Speakers 2024
We invited peers and experts who know about the challenges of the (German) academic system first-hand and openly shared their experiences and learnings.
Find out more about them on our event page 2024.
To be honest,…
…there isn’t one path to success, but there are people, tools, and strategies to help you find yours.
…you don’t need to be perfect to be visible. Show up as you are.
…there is strength in sharing your story—and in hearing others say, “me too.”
Opening Session Day 2
The Welcome Session of the To Be Honest Conference 2024 opened with a clear overview: four sessions, two tracks, and a collective goal to address some of academia’s toughest questions head-on. With sessions with both practical career advice and honest conversations, participants were encouraged to share their thoughts, expectations, and fears – with our moderators Elena & Martin R. Lichtenthaler of Mighty Real, Anne Schreiter, Birte Seffert & Robert Kötter – managing partner at TwentyOne Skills.
The session addressed:
Authentic Visibility for Researchers: Learn to present your research interests and unique value in a clear, compelling manner. Discover how to maintain authenticity while establishing a professional digital footprint. Understand how to engage peers, funders, and institutions without resorting to self-promotion that feels forced.
Strategies for Career Advancements in Humanities and Social Sciences: Identify opportunities and uncover less obvious career paths and capitalize on emerging fields. Find practical methods to foster mentorships, collaborations, and community connections and learn how to remain flexible in your career planning to capture ‘lucky breaks’ as they arise.
Employer Expectations and Hiring Practices: Understand how to align academic credentials and research skills with industry roles. Recognize the cultural and structural differences between academic and non-academic workplaces. Learn how recruiters read CVs, interpret cover letters, and assess interview performance.
Understanding Selection Committees: How do committees weigh teaching experience, publications, and research potential? What makes a candidate’s profile resonate with a department’s vision and needs? And how to present your strengths in a way that appeals directly to academic decision-makers?
Closing Session Day 2
The Close-Up Session of the To Be Honest Conference 2024 was a reflective conclusion with takeaways and a space to digest insights from the event.
Facilitated by Elena and Martin R. Lichtenthaler, the session revisited central themes of Robert’s, Anne’s and Birte’s Sessions “Authentic Visibility for Researchers”, “How to set yourself up for lucky coincidences: Academic Careers in the Humanities and Social Sciences” , “What You Should Know and Don’t Dare to Ask About Selection Committees” & “Beyond Academia – The Employer’s Perspective“.
The session highlighted:
Visibility is a delicate topic to many researchers: How do you showcase your work without seeming arrogant? His advice was pragmatic. Visibility matters, not just for recognition but because a network is an asset. Employers, as he put it, “buy your network.” The solution is strategic visibility, grounded in clarity, consistency, and confidence.
Careers in the Humanities and Social Sciences & the value of boldness: The guests, whose interdisciplinary work defied conventional wisdom, encouraged researchers to be unapologetic about their interests. “Be shameless,” one speaker advised, in pursuing grants and prizes that validate your approach. Build your narrative early, and trust that even a nontraditional path can lead somewhere unexpected.
Focus beyond academia: The shift to an employer’s perspective is simple but powerful: It’s not about showcasing achievements but solving problems. An application filled with academic jargon won’t land. Research the company, tailor your message, and speak the language of the role. It takes effort, but it reduces the sting of rejection.
Academic hiring isn’t a science; it’s full of variables you can’t control. What you can control is preparation. Understand what a university wants, present yourself confidently, and find sparring partners to test your materials. Most importantly, don’t let the process define you. Professorship isn’t the only path, and desperation won’t serve you. As one speaker noted, the demographic shifts underway are creating new opportunities. The landscape is changing.
Our Partners
The tbh-conference was supported by AlumNode – your network by Klaus Tschira Stiftung, and made possible by funding from the foundation Klaus Tschira Stiftung. Thank you to TwentyOne Skills for their support!
