Post-docs and Graduate Students of the World: topic
This is a public forum
Taking the next step
Craig Rowell
Tuesday, 18 September 2007 11:27 UTC
So it is time to look beyond the post-doc to the next step. Have any of you had friends that have made a successful jump from post-doc to the next career (either academia or elsewhere)? Perhaps if we share some common stories we may all learn a little.
I’ll go first. I have two friends who have left the “Ivory Tower” for different pursuits the first went to the U.S. Patent Office and has enjoyed the work. Now after only 6 months he has been promoted. Another friend recently joined a contract organization where he is learning about IND and FDA fillings. So far he is enjoying the 9-5 lifestyle with the prospects of working from home in the near future.
-
Replies
Jump to resultsResults
-
Hello, My name is Pilar Nava-Parada. I also work in breast cancer. Breast cancer vaccines to be more specific. Please tell me a bit of your experience as a Research Associate. Do you like that? What is the difference of being a post-doc? Are you tenure-track? If not, what do you need to do in order to become ternure-track? (well…if that is what you want)
Here are some articles that I have found related with the post-doc “life”http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1307586
http://www.jhu.edu/%7Ejhumag/0299web/postdoc.html
-
Hi Pilar,
Research Associate is Duke’s way of saying postdoc, nothing fancy about the position. If I were lucky the next step is the same here as anywhere- non-tenure track = Assistant Research Professor or (better?) tenure track = Assistant Professor. To be tenure track here you have to publish in high impact journals and have grant money in hand (so I’ve heard). Anyway- thanks for the links I will be sure to check them out.
-
Hi Craig,
Thanks for your reply. Research Associate at Hopkins is some kind of senior postdoc…they pay more and have a non-tenure faculty position. They at least are full employees and get benefits. Have you ever considered going to the industry? or to any other field?
-
Actually, at Duke we are treated as full employees with benefits but the pay follows the NIH guidlines. As it is I am now looking for positions and have cast my net far and wide. I am looking locally and nationally for industry or academia and so far have had little success (i.e. interviews). I started this thread to hear about peoples experiences with this process. As I stated above I have a couple of friends who have moved on from the postdoc, each to different fields. Their expereinces where very different in why and how they chose their new directions. I am quickly realizing that in the end you may not truly get to choose what you want, but rather you have to be open to the opportunities that present themself when you are ready to move on. Anyway, thanks for yor responses. Do you know anyone who has moved on?
Craig
-
Hi Craig,
Actually I do know people who are moving on after the postdoc “life” including myself. I will invite them to sign up to this website. One think that I found very important is to have at least three plans of where you would want to be and focus on those. Perhaps, it will take a little time (may be a year) but that year goes towards something FOR YOU and not only a year spent in the lab trying to get data….... Also, I have found that this is much easier and works better if your PI is aware and helps. Sometimes your PI can not help and does not have time, so it is also great to get advice from other PIs. If you want please write me at: pilarnavamx@yahoo.com
Finally, I agree you may need to be open to other carreer options, which by the way may be better than you could think now. -
Hi Pilar and Criag,
This is Suresh
It is interesting to read your responses.
I am a Postdoc at Stanford University.
I am open to both academic and industrial positions in near future.
There are few people who only stick to either industry or academia. -
Hello Suresh,
For how long have you been as postdoc? The sooner you begin figuring what you want to do in the future the sooner you can plan your career development. Remember, even if your PI is great and wants to help it is your life and you need to take control of it. You need to plan your career path and ask your mentor for help to shape YOUR plan. Unfortunately, our career development as a scientist is not as well set as it is in other fields (ex: Law—my husband is a law student and I am so impress how good his school has set things so students come out from school with jobs) Instead we are not students or employees so it is hard to find either way of development…but we can not just sit and complain. So, I read a lot about carrer options for scientist (perhaps you would like one that you have not even considered yet) That helped me to pick more than one thing that I would be happy with and plan how to get them. Once you have found that, ask different PIs around about their experience and their opinion. Interact with techs, other postdocs, students, junior faculty, etc.. as much as you can so you will increase your network and expose yourself to public, I mean: try to present your data in every meeting you can (at home or in a conference). One more thing: in the mean time, while you are planning your future you still need to work really hard to get publications, because if what you decide is to stay in academia you would need those.
-
Hey All,
So in Pilar’s last response she mentioned the importance of networking and this is paramount to making the connnections needed to get a job. At Duke we have a very active Postdoc Association which does a great job bringning in speakers from industry and academia to talk about getting jobs in their fields. One thing that is quite interesting is that, in general, no one stays after the panel presentation to talk to the panelists directly. If the attendance is 50 people only 15 will stay for 2 minutes after and by 5 minutes after the talks it’s down to 2-5 people. For the most part the panel presenters are extrememely helpful and willing to talk one-on-one after the presentation – this is what they volunteered to do. I am curious why more people don’t take advantage of this time (the same is true for seminar speakers/conference presenters). I know that by sticking around for an extra 10 minutes I got a job interview and I have a freind who got an interview that turned into a job, all because he just waited a few extra minutes to get the one-on-one time with the panelist (who was the founder of the company he now works for). Anyway, I would be interested to hear what people think. (Should this be a new thread/post)?
-
I don’t know about others..
but i’ll not be sitting on a 1 sqr feet bench for next ten years with no job security untill and unless I am not having a very high quality academic record.
Furthermore.. science is more political and personal contact based now.. only big fish are enjoying.. or small fish under the big ones are surviving..
so its better to leave science… before its too late..
some real good options are..
IP
Patent Law
Management
Consultancy
Investment BankerUniversities like Harvrad and Stanford have programs related to IP/Law for sciencetists.
But these are NOT EASY JOBS.. as you said 9-5..(I don’t agree)
IP-Patent Law people have to met very strict deadlines and always have huge technical writing pressure..
Eevery career is different but after 5 years of postdoc.. its again not easy to change your career..
in the end.. one big question.. how many postdocs do really become Group Leaders??? ... hmmmm… I don’t see many..
If you really want to change .. change early..
-
Amit,
Thank you for your response. I think you have some very good points that would be worth following-up on. 1) How many post-docs “leave” research? 2) What is the impact of the lengthening post-doc period on foreign students? 3)What other career paths are open to the PhD? I will try and do some research on these questions and report back. If anyone knows these answers or would like to add questions please feel free.
Craig
Results
-