Physics In retrospect, are you glad with the choice to have done a postdoc?

[thephystudent]

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:

• 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

Some contra's

• 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?

 

[marcusl]

After earning my PhD I decided to change into an exciting new field, but agreed to delay that for a one year Fellowship that my advisor urged me to do. Compared to the grad student stipend, I felt suddenly wealthy; but my girlfriend urged me to get on with my life and get a real job with a real salary. A one-year overseas visiting professorship I had applied for came through in the meantime, so we spent a fantastic year in Rome and got married. Then we returned to the US, both got jobs in San Francisco (which was also way cool) and after a bit started a family. I still got to work in that hot new industry for the next 15 years.

Was the fellowship year worth it? Probably not on its own, given what little I accomplished and given that I was anxious to move on, but had I gone straight to industry I might have missed out on the overseas year--so that made it definitely worthwhile.

It seems like you have made a pretty balanced appraisal of the pros and cons. Since you are young and unattached, go for what excites you now.

 

[DEvens]

Just to stir things a bit. Academia is not the only place that does research. And for some of them, a post-doc will be useful. If you have a candidate research lab or research institute you would be interested to work at, give them a look and see if you can find any info on how they view post-docs.

If you want to become a prof you pretty much have to do the grind. It is very competitive, especially at the "ivy league" type schools. Recall that a prof can supervise many more PhDs than can ever reasonably become profs.

Check out what previous students under your prof have done. If they are all working in a particular kind of place, maybe that's your prepared position. If you don't like that position, then you still have a chance to change it. As you say, you are still young and energetic. If you do like it, then work for it.

OH! I forgot to actually answer the question. My postdoc was interesting. I got to work with a very interesting prof for 2 years. I met several other very interesting researchers. And we published a paper that is still getting lots of entries in citations. But, looking back, if I had known where I would end up, I might not have done it. I might have gone straight to industry. Indeed, looking back, I might have gone straight to industry after my BSc. It would mean that today I would have 8 more years experience, and probably would already be retired.

But at the time, I still thought I could be a prof. And if I had managed to get even one nibble on the academic path after the post-doc, I would have pursued it.

 

[Corpuscule]

Was it easy to find a job afterwards?

Yes, both in industry and in academia. The key is not to get stuck in postdocs for too long. Do one postdoc, at maximum two - and then move one (either move to academic tenure track or leave academia).

Do you learn a substantial new skills (I mean generic, non technical ones) during a postdoc in addition to the PhD?

Depending on what you do. If you "upgrade" by doing a postdoc in a respected and well-connected place, you can get relevant new skills, networking opportunities, and a nice career boost.

And would it be wise to try to move to a more applied field?

If you like it, I wouldn't say it's necessary.

Realistically, the chances that I'll ever get a faculty position are very slim

Are you only aiming for prestigious research-intensive universities? If not, then your chances are probably not as slim as you think.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

I would have preferred to do a post doc in atomic physics, but I am happy with my choice to follow my wife to Cleveland where she had a post doc in her field. We decided early in our marriage that we'd always live in the same place, since we'd seen a number of couples whose marriages suffered by living apart for career reasons. The dearth of atomic physics post docs in Cleveland at the time was my only reason for not doing one.

The long term effect was that I was able to transition to defense related research during our Ohio years, which has ended up to be a blessing to both our careers in ways I could not have envisioned at the time. The other long term effect is we are still very happily married 30 years down the road. I've made several significant sacrifices for my wife's career, and she has made several for mine. Optimization in the two-body career problem is a much different deal than optimization in two separate one-body careers.

 

[thephystudent]

Thanks for your responses, I've started searching for interesting groups :)

 

[EngWiPy]

It was a big mistake for me. I should have done an internship during my PhD in the industry, and switched to the industry directly. But my wise supervisor didn't care to discuss anything concerning my careers paths, so, I chose poorly, and now I am paying the price.

 

[thephystudent]

It was a big mistake for me. I should have done an internship during my PhD in the industry, and switched to the industry directly. But my wise supervisor didn't care to discuss anything concerning my careers paths, so, I chose poorly, and now I am paying the price.

Thanks for your response, can you elaborate a bit?

What was your field? Did you stay in the same group as your PhD? What is your current situation?

 

[rwooduk]

I hope you do have a choice! It's taken me over 5 months to land a postdoc, some of my PhD student colleagues are still looking for postdocs/work after completing their PhD's some time ago. A piece of paper doesn't show its worth these days.

In short, consider both options because unless you have acquired highly applicable skills during your PhD such that you are in demand, or know a guy who knows a guy, getting a postdoc isn't always a forgone conclusion. Be prepared!