For six months, we've followed PhD graduates Mel and Dean in their hunt for a job. The final instalment sees them feeling positive about the future

Postdoc diaries: job-seeking graduates Mel and Dean turn to networking and publishing to impress prospective university employers

Securing a job may require setting aside cherished plans. Mel and Dean reflect on some difficult decisions

From seeking careers advice to winning a research grant, Mel and Dean question what it takes to secure a job in academia

From setting up job alerts and meeting with academics to tutoring schoolchildren, Mel and Dean say it's not for lack of trying that they haven't secured an academic job

In the first of a new series, Mel and Dean discuss expectations, anxieties and ambitions as they join the academic rat race