Skip to main content

Site navigation

  • University of Technology Sydney home
  • Home

    Home
  • For students

  • For industry

  • Research

Explore

  • Courses
  • Events
  • News
  • Stories
  • People

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt
  • Study at UTS

    • arrow_right_alt Find a course
    • arrow_right_alt Course areas
    • arrow_right_alt Undergraduate students
    • arrow_right_alt Postgraduate students
    • arrow_right_alt Research Masters and PhD
    • arrow_right_alt Online study and short courses
  • Student information

    • arrow_right_alt Current students
    • arrow_right_alt New UTS students
    • arrow_right_alt Graduates (Alumni)
    • arrow_right_alt High school students
    • arrow_right_alt Indigenous students
    • arrow_right_alt International students
  • Admissions

    • arrow_right_alt How to apply
    • arrow_right_alt Entry pathways
    • arrow_right_alt Eligibility
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for students

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Apply for a coursearrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt
  • Scholarshipsarrow_right_alt
  • Featured industries

    • arrow_right_alt Agriculture and food
    • arrow_right_alt Defence and space
    • arrow_right_alt Energy and transport
    • arrow_right_alt Government and policy
    • arrow_right_alt Health and medical
    • arrow_right_alt Corporate training
  • Explore

    • arrow_right_alt Tech Central
    • arrow_right_alt Case studies
    • arrow_right_alt Research
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for industry

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Find a UTS expertarrow_right_alt
  • Partner with usarrow_right_alt
  • Explore

    • arrow_right_alt Explore our research
    • arrow_right_alt Research centres and institutes
    • arrow_right_alt Graduate research
    • arrow_right_alt Research partnerships
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for research

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Find a UTS expertarrow_right_alt
  • Research centres and institutesarrow_right_alt
  • University of Technology Sydney home
University of Technology Sydney home University of Technology Sydney home
  1. home
  2. arrow_forward_ios ... Newsroom
  3. arrow_forward_ios ... 2022
  4. arrow_forward_ios 07
  5. arrow_forward_ios 5 tips on how to balance a career with postgraduate study

5 tips on how to balance a career with postgraduate study

4 July 2022
UTS postgrad students in action

Photo credit: Toby Burrows

Starting a postgraduate degree alongside your career can seem tricky, but there are definitely tools and techniques that can help you to priorities the two, and make it work for you.  

Here are our top tips:

1.  Integrate your study into your work 

Where possible, a seamless way to lighten the load of postgraduate study would be to apply your studies and research to your current field of work. This will help you to upskill within your current role and industry. If you are studying something unrelated to your work, use the skills from your workplace to apply it to your postgraduate studies e.g. time management, people skills, working in a group. 

2. Form a strong support circle

It is important to make sure your support circle (i.e. friends, family, boss) thoroughly understands the sacrifices you will have to make and ways they can step up to help you succeed during this time. Being up front with your boss especially will help you both set realistic expectations while you’re studying – make your availability clear and come to an agreement prior to commencing studies. 

3. Always have a plan

During this time it is crucial you prioritise and find ways to be efficient while taking on extra study. By forward-planning your time (with to-do lists, calendars etc) you can anticipate for busier times and make sure you are well-prepared. If you know a busy period is coming up in your course, or at work, you can move things around in advance to help you cope. 

4. Avoid Burnout

Another way to balance career and postgrad study is to make sure you have a plan in place to avoid burnout. It is easy to say yes to everything, however it is important to have boundaries to ensure you aren’t spreading yourself too thin. Avoiding burnout can also mean prioritising self-care to make sure you are the best version of yourself during this time. Try fitting in small amounts of study and revision into each day so it doesn’t become overwhelming.

5. Postgrad community

While your personal support circle is important, sometimes you need to have people around that just get what you are going through. By actively making friends throughout your degree, you will have another support circle to fall back on. 

Find out more about our postgraduate courses 
 

Share
Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on LinkedIn
Back to Postgrad blog

Related News

  • Two female postgrad students working on a laptop
    Four ways to finance your postgraduate studies
  • It’s never too late to futureproof your career

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and the Boorooberongal People of the Dharug Nation upon whose ancestral lands our campuses now stand. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands. 

University of Technology Sydney

City Campus

15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007

Get in touch with UTS

Follow us

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Facebook

A member of

  • Australian Technology Network
Use arrow keys to navigate within each column of links. Press Tab to move between columns.

Study

  • Find a course
  • Undergraduate
  • Postgraduate
  • How to apply
  • Scholarships and prizes
  • International students
  • Campus maps
  • Accommodation

Engage

  • Find an expert
  • Industry
  • News
  • Events
  • Experience UTS
  • Research
  • Stories
  • Alumni

About

  • Who we are
  • Faculties
  • Learning and teaching
  • Sustainability
  • Initiatives
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Campus and locations
  • Awards and rankings
  • UTS governance

Staff and students

  • Current students
  • Help and support
  • Library
  • Policies
  • StaffConnect
  • Working at UTS
  • UTS Handbook
  • Contact us
  • Copyright © 2025
  • ABN: 77 257 686 961
  • CRICOS provider number: 00099F
  • TEQSA provider number: PRV12060
  • TEQSA category: Australian University
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility