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Postdocs – What You Should be Looking for and How to Find Them

Andrew Green, PhD University of California, Berkeley. Postdocs – What You Should be Looking for and How to Find Them. Agenda. Reasons to pursue a postdoc How to find appropriate opportunities What to ask before you accept a postdoc Academic vs. industry postdoc Negotiating your postdoc.

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Postdocs – What You Should be Looking for and How to Find Them

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  1. Andrew Green, PhD University of California, Berkeley Postdocs – What You Should be Looking for and Howto Find Them

  2. Agenda • Reasons to pursue a postdoc • How to find appropriate opportunities • What to ask before you accept a postdoc • Academic vs. industry postdoc • Negotiating your postdoc

  3. Doctoral Natural Science Degrees Increasing NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators - 2002 Number of PhD’s granted, Natural Sciences

  4. Tenure-Track Faculty Positions Decreasing SOURCE: NSF, Survey of Doctorate Recipients

  5. Postdoc is never an end in itself, it’s always a means • But to what?

  6. Reasons for Pursuing a Postdoc in the Sciences • Continue in current line of research • Shift to a new area of focus • Shift to a new topic that can be taken to a non-R1 faculty position • Facilitate a move into Biotech/Pharma, National Lab, etc. Don’t let inertia rule

  7. Why do I harp on this point? Surce: AAUP Contingent Faculty Index 2006 & ASEE Database

  8. Do you need a Postdoc? • Don’t assume facts not yet in evidence; go to the source

  9. How to Find Postdocs • http://biospace.com/ • http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/ • Not like faculty listings; no central clearinghouse or resource

  10. http://www.biospace.com/

  11. http://sciencecareers.org/

  12. Postdoc vs. Postdoctoral

  13. pathwaystoscience.org

  14. Strategies • Identify potential labs • PI, postdocs, conferences & poster sessions*, journals, undergrad mentors • Check out website & recent publications (see if they tweet) • Contact current and/or former grad students or postdocs • Ask about lab culture/mgmt style • Lab research direction • Where have postdocs gone on to You need to know more than the level of prestige of Prof. X

  15. More PhD’s practicing science in industry Percent biomedical PhD’s in biotech/pharma 1997 = 27.3% Percent biomedical PhD’s in biotech/pharma 2001 = 31.6% -NAS Bridges to Independence Report Maturation of biotech industry and stable pharma industry means steady alternative for bench science careers Myth: You disappear in industry Myth: Moving to industry is “selling-out” Myth: Getting an industry job is easy… “If I can’t get an academic job this year I’ll just go to industry.”

  16. Life Science PhDs are also migrating to non-bench roles in Bio/Pharma • Project management • Intellectual property • Business development • Technology transfer • Regulatory affairs

  17. Not all companies are the same • Publishing restrictions • Conferences • Isolation or networking ops? • Ask don’t assume

  18. Only after due diligence, approach Professor X • Professor Y suggested I contact you • Briefly explain fit between your skills and interests and the work of her/his lab • The more you know, the more impressive you’ll appear to be • If she/he does a, b, and d, don’t assume they’re not interested in having you do c. • If they don’t have funding, can they recommend another lab? • Look after your own interests and buy a 2nd jacket

  19. Strategies to employ once in your postdoc • Join the National Postdoc Association; it has a wealth of opportunities and career development tools • Find out if your institution offers professional development workshops and resources through its Career Center or Postdoc Affairs Office • Look after your own interests and buy a 2nd jacket

  20. Postdocs in the Humanities & Social Sciences

  21. Reasons for Pursuing a Postdoc • Turn your dissertation into a book manuscript • Launch a new line of research • Take advantage of a particular archive or resource • Enhance your teaching credentials while furthering your research

  22. Types of Postdocs • Themed postdocs • ORU postdocs • Diversity postdocs (research & teaching) • UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program • CFD in Liberal Arts Colleges • Thinly veiled visiting adjunct positions

  23. Chronicle of Higher Education

  24. H-Net

  25. “UCLA fellowships database”

  26. Diversity Postdocs

  27. Formal Application Process • Cover Letter • CV • Research Proposal or Letter of Interest • Letters of Recommendation • Often you must complete your dissertation before beginning a postdoc

  28. Questions to ask • Annual Award • Research Stipend • Expected contributions • Office Space • Teaching commitment • Mentorship

  29. Got an Offer: Negotiate Now • Never have more leverage • Not necessarily salary, rather • Opportunity to teach • Go to conferences • Riskiness of project • Time for side projects • Opportunity to co-author grant application

  30. What to do if applying for both Asst Professor jobs and postdocs?

  31. Plan ahead for your future(s)

  32. Questions?

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