To Postdoc or Not to Postdoc?
Tips and Tricks to Help Graduate Students Make This Important Decision
Deciding whether to pursue a postdoctoral position can be daunting for graduate students in the life sciences. The decision can significantly impact your career path, and understanding the pros and cons can help you make an informed choice. Here, we summarize key insights and provide practical tips to help guide you during this important decision.
The Pros and Cons of Pursuing a Postdoctoral Position
In many STEM fields, postdoctoral experience is thought of as a requirement if you hope to continue in a scientific career. This assumption, however, varies across disciplines and individual career plans. To help you make an informed decision about pursuing a postdoctoral position, we’ve listed some potential benefits and drawbacks to consider to help your decision align with your personal and professional goals.
For more information, consider listening to the discusses the importance of making a choice that ensures that both your professional and personal life remain in harmony, and provides specific self-reflection exercises to help you make the right choice.
Potential Pros of Pursuing a Postdoctoral Position
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Enhanced Research Experience:
A postdoctoral position allows you to deepen your research skills and knowledge. It provides an opportunity to work on more complex projects, often with greater independence than during your PhD.
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Expand Your Professional Network:
Postdoctoral positions often provide opportunities to collaborate with leading researchers and institutions. Building these professional relationships can be invaluable for your career development and future job prospects.
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Develop Teaching and Mentorship Skills:
Many postdocs involve teaching responsibilities and mentoring junior researchers or students. This can enhance your teaching portfolio and provide leadership experience.
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Access to Specialized Resources:
Postdocs often have access to state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, and funding that may not be available in other positions. This can enable you to conduct high-impact research and advance your scientific career.
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Build a Stronger CV:
For those aiming for an academic career, a postdoc can strengthen your CV by adding publications, grant writing experience, and specialized research skills. This can be crucial for securing faculty positions or other advanced research roles.1
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Opportunities for Travel:
Relocation is sometimes necessary to find the position that’s right for you, which some people see as a wonderful opportunity to experience different cultures and countries. Attending conferences as a postdoctoral researcher can also lead to opportunities for travel.
Potential Cons of Pursuing a Postdoctoral Position
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Reduced Job Security and Earnings:
Postdoctoral positions are usually temporary and may not offer the financial stability that other jobs can provide. The salaries are often lower than industry positions, which can be a significant drawback for many.2,3
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High Competition for Academic Jobs:
Despite completing a postdoc, which is generally required for securing an academic role, the competition for tenure-track faculty positions can be highly competitive. Many postdocs find themselves in a “state of limbo”, competing for a limited number of academic roles, which can be stressful.2
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Limited Career Advancement Opportunities:
In some fields, there is a lack of permanent research positions outside academia. This can make it challenging to find a stable, long-term job that utilizes the skills gained during your postdoc.2
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Work-Life Balance Challenges:
Postdoctoral positions can be demanding, often requiring long hours and dedication.4 Furthermore, although this is slowly changing, often postdocs are not considered full-time employees, meaning access to benefits is limited. This can be a challenge, particularly for people with dependents.
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Geographic Job Market Limitations:
You may need to relocate, sometimes internationally, which can be a significant personal and financial burden. Additionally, job markets vary, and the availability of postdoctoral positions in your desired location might be limited.
How to Decide What to Do After a PhD
Dr. Polk emphasizes the importance of self-reflection. She notes that the first question should not be whether or not to postdoc, but rather, to question what you actually want to do.
Questions to Consider:
- What do you value the most in how you live your life?
- Where do you want to live?
- What are you good at?
- What do you want to achieve?
- What kind of career do you want?
Exercise: Self-Introduction Without Academia
To help answer these questions, Dr. Polk recommends an exercise:
- Try introducing yourself without mentioning your degree, job title, discipline, or research topic
- Focus on your personal attributes and what you enjoy rather than your academic achievements
By answering these questions, graduate students can gain clarity on what truly matters to them and what they want to achieve in their careers and personal lives.
Use Networking to Your Advantage
Networking can be a powerful tool in your career decision-making process. Many graduate students find that hearing success stories and getting advice from people who have navigated similar career paths is reassuring and motivating. Dr. Polk suggests thinking of networking as a form of self-care. Building your community and getting to know people outside your specific research trajectory can provide support and new opportunities.
Tips for Networking:
- Conduct informational interviews via LinkedIn or through contacts
- Attend networking events and conferences
- Join professional organizations, such as the , and online forums
Alternative Postdoctoral Positions
Postdocs can provide valuable experience, but they also have limitations. As Dr. Raud notes in the podcast episode, postdoctoral positions have an expiration date, and being a permanent research employee (i.e. staff scientist) is not a common role in academia. However, she also emphasizes that various “alternative” postdoctoral positions are available, including:
- Industry postdoctoral placements5
- Teaching postdoctoral positions
- Positions in communications, policy, or equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
Hear How These Scientists Moved from Academia to Industry
Many ϳԹ employees started in academia and successfully transitioned to fulfilling careers in biotechnology, either inside or outside of the lab. Listen to some of them describe their personal journeys in select episodes of the featuring ϳԹ employees. You will learn about the large variety of career options in biotechnology and hear advice for making the move to industry yourself.
Where to Find Postdoctoral Positions
University and Research Institution Websites and Career Services
Many universities and research institutions post available postdoctoral positions on their websites. Some institutes also have career centers or notice boards where positions are posted.
Academic Job Boards
- : Job board associated with the journal Nature, includes a wide range of job listings in the life sciences field
- : Job board associated with the journal Science, which lists postdoctoral positions globally
- : Focuses on opportunities in scientific research and academia
Professional Associations
Many professional societies and associations have job boards or career resources, such as:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science ()
- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ()
- Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology ()
Online Job Portals
These resources may also be useful if you decide that a postdoctoral position is not right for you:
- Indeed: General job search engine that can be filtered for postdoctoral positions
- LinkedIn: Professional networking site where many institutions and researchers post job openings
Specialized Postdoc Websites
- : A dedicated platform for postdoctoral positions across various scientific disciplines
- : Lists postdoctoral positions worldwide, along with career resources for postdocs
An academic social networking site where researchers can find job listings, including postdoctoral positions, and connect with other scientists.
Conferences and Workshops
Attending scientific conferences and workshops can provide networking opportunities where students can learn about available postdoc positions directly from researchers and institutions.
Direct Contact with Researchers
Reaching out directly to researchers whose work aligns with a student’s interests can sometimes lead to postdoc opportunities. Many positions are not formally advertised and are filled through personal networks.
Government and National Labs
Websites of government agencies and national laboratories often list postdoctoral positions.
Final Words of Advice
Don’t be afraid to prioritize your own interests when you’re thinking about pursuing a postdoctoral position. Prioritize your well-being and career satisfaction. Make decisions that align with your personal and professional goals, rather than adhering to expectations. Remember that there are many ways to contribute to science and society, and finding a path that suits you is the key to a fulfilling career.
For more career advice and resources, you can follow Dr. Jennifer Polk on Twitter @phdtolife or visit her website at www.fromphdtolife.com. You can also listen to her podcast episode or wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to sign up for our email list at www.labcoatsandlife.com for show notes, episode summaries, and useful advice.
References:
- Tregoning JS, McDermott JE. (2020) Ten Simple Rules to becoming a principal investigator. PLoS Comput Biol 16(2): e1007448.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021) Re-envisioning Postdoctoral Training in Neuroscience: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. National Academies Press 7 May.
- Afonja S, Salmon DG, Quailey SI, Lambert M. (2021) Postdocs' advice on pursuing a research career in academia: A qualitative analysis of free-text survey responses. PLoS One 16(5): e0250662.
- Pitt RN, Taskin Alp Y, Shell IA. (2021) The Mental Health Consequences of Work-Life and Life-Work Conflicts for STEM Postdoctoral Trainees. Front Psychol 12:750490.
- Denton M, Borrego M, Knight DB. (2022) U.S. postdoctoral careers in life sciences, physical sciences and engineering: Government, industry, and academia. PLoS One 17(2): e0263185.
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