- #1
thephystudent
- 123
- 37
Hi all,
I'm entering the last year of my PhD on the interface of quantum optics and condensed matter (theoretical) in Europe. At this point, I am happy to have started it and now love doing research (even when being stuck on a problem-because this usually means something interesting will appear when the problem is solved), and have been able to perform my little expansion to human knowledge.
So now I'm facing the choice of staying in academia for a while longer or getting a 'real job(not really specified)'.
Pro's of doing a postdoc i can think of:
So I'd be very interested in your suggestions. Especially for the people that have done one, are you happy so or do you regret it? Was it easy to find a job afterwards?
Another thing what is important to me: do you learn a substantial new skills (I mean generic, non technical ones) during a postdoc in addition to the PhD?
And would it be wise to try to move to a more applied field?
I'm entering the last year of my PhD on the interface of quantum optics and condensed matter (theoretical) in Europe. At this point, I am happy to have started it and now love doing research (even when being stuck on a problem-because this usually means something interesting will appear when the problem is solved), and have been able to perform my little expansion to human knowledge.
So now I'm facing the choice of staying in academia for a while longer or getting a 'real job(not really specified)'.
Pro's of doing a postdoc i can think of:
- I like doing research
- I will probably be more productive than as a PhD-student
- I like travelling
- I'm still young and free-no wife and children so very flexible
- no weekly deadlines, showing up at 9, wearing a costume...
- Self-actualization stuff
- Realistically, the chances that I'll ever get a faculty position are very slim
- I'm still young and energetic, perhaps it would be a waste if I use this years for something in which I won't continue later
- The fact that academia is so competitive perhaps signals that plenty of people can do the job and I'm not really needed and could be more useful elsewhere
- Possibly, something completely different can be exciting as well
- I'd suspect finding a real-world job will be harder after a postdoc
So I'd be very interested in your suggestions. Especially for the people that have done one, are you happy so or do you regret it? Was it easy to find a job afterwards?
Another thing what is important to me: do you learn a substantial new skills (I mean generic, non technical ones) during a postdoc in addition to the PhD?
And would it be wise to try to move to a more applied field?
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