Completing a Ph.D. and at the same time establishing a good academic profile are demanding tasks. Most graduates have teaching assignments, need to do their own research, assist senior researchers and hunt for funding. All this already takes up a considerable amount of time, and there are other activities – such as networking, publishing, conference and professional-association participation, and a whole array of others – junior academics need to get involved in so as to build a desirable academic profile. This paper compiles a few professional development suggestions for graduate students embarking on an academic career in political science in Europe.European Political Science (2009) 8, 138–142. doi:10.1057/eps.2009.6 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]