What is the best place to look for post docs in physics?

[Evan Maxwell]

I was wondering about who are the best people to ask when you are in a Department of Physics and where are the best places to look online in order to find out about all the available post docs this year for nuclear, high energy, biophysics, medical physics and computational physics? I am in the process of trying to find as many open positions as possible in these fields and was wondering about online sources and who to ask at a physics department at a major rese4arch university. Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[jedishrfu]

I would check the APS first and branch out to maybe the department of energy next.

http://www.aps.org

 

[Vanadium 50]

Are there not zillions of announcements for these positions all over the corridors of the physics buildings?

 

[ModestyKing]

Physics Today magazine (part of APS) has listings. If you want your specific fields, sign up for membership at the corresponding APS/AIP organizations and you'll have access to their database.

 

[jtbell]

Are there not zillions of announcements for these positions all over the corridors of the physics buildings?

You mean departments still send out flyers for these positions? I thought it was all done on line now!

 

[Vanadium 50]

Our application process is online, but we also do mailings to announce positions. "Dear Joe" often gets better results than online.

 

[Probabilist]

The purpose of a postdoc is not to extend a holiday. You need to be looking for an expert in your field that you feel could teach you something or work with you on something that can benefit the unknown frontiers of physics. You should be approaching people you want to work with and rather finding funding to make it happen.

 

[ZapperZ]

I was wondering about who are the best people to ask when you are in a Department of Physics and where are the best places to look online in order to find out about all the available post docs this year for nuclear, high energy, biophysics, medical physics and computational physics? I am in the process of trying to find as many open positions as possible in these fields and was wondering about online sources and who to ask at a physics department at a major rese4arch university. Thanks for any help you can provide.

It is unclear here on what exactly you had looked into. Presumably, you are familiar with the APS/AIP job search site which often contains postdoc openings. If you're not, then that will be extremely puzzling at your stage.

Secondly, a lot of postdoc openings are often advertized at major conferences, such as the APS March/April Meetings. So there is almost an atmosphere of a Jobs Fair at these conferences.

Thirdly, have you asked your own advisor? He/she should have been the first person you ask. A good advisor would have offered you some advice on this matter even without you asking (i.e. he/she would have, at some point as you're about to be done, asked your future plans). An even better advisor would have contacts and and leads for you to pursue.

Zz.

 

[Evan Maxwell]

For ZapperZ,

To answer your questions, yes the APS job search site was the very first I looked at before looking at any other options. I also looked at post docs lists taken from rumor hills and collections specifically geared towards nuclear and high energy post docs. I have also contacted professors in nuclear physics and high energy physics who are experts that I can see myself doing very good work with. I realize I should have mentioned this up front but yes those are the options I am looking at and was seeing if there was anything I missed. Thank you for your help.

 

[Choppy]

Post-doctoral positions are either funded through larger grants that have specifically budgeted for a post-doctoral researcher, or through fellowships awarded directly to post-doctoral applicants. For examples see: http://banting.fellowships-bourses.gc.ca/app-dem/overview-apercu-eng.html , NSERC Fellowships (these are specific to Canada, although I'm sure the US has some similar programs). So rather than restricting yourself to ads for positions already funded, remember that proposing a project yourself is also an option.