I just finished my PhD. After 6 years of suffering--Yes! I spend such a long time doing my PhD due to my personal circumstances--I decided I do not need to go to the post-doc path anymore. I know how the academic world works, and the money paid in a post-doc is very little compared to the amount of work that needes to be done. So, I don't need that anymore. Also, as a post-doc you get to work again with someone who judges your work and I had a great amount of douches judging and pretending their care about what I do, when I realized they only care about themselves. Anyways, I sound a bit bitter but that is how I feel. Good luck for the current PhD students and post docs. I am no longer in any of these groups.
Hi Vera, thank you so much for this video. I'm in my final year of my PhD and am really considering pursuing a postdoc. This video really made me think a little bit more. Thank you!
Hi Anniochan, I am pleased to hear that this video helps you. I just checked out your channel it is so cool, I have done dialysis in my postdoc too, it was tricky! If you have any further personal questions, even video collab ideas (Q&A, skids) feel free to let me get connect with with me on Linkedin/Twitter/Instagram. Would love to stay in touch!
Thank you for sharing the insights of your experience. I feel after a PhD, it is a crossroad pathway (is where I stand at the moment)....and your advice definitely helps 👍🌈
Thanks for sharing your experience..... I am trying to get a postdoc but I think I am late due to my post PhD depression, anxiety and then coming over it.....your videos really helped me in many ways.... Thank you....
Check out this other video that shares more practical tips on postdoc application: ua-cam.com/video/qhpGFy8oCwg/v-deo.html Also, if you are wondering what else are out there for you as a PhD alumni, this recent video may benefit your thinking process: ua-cam.com/video/FWYpvcZ33ko/v-deo.html I hope my resource here make you feel clearer and more confident in your career decisions :)
This is amazing. How interesting this video facilitates everyone to come to a unique conclusion. I am rooting for you, and I hope you will find value in my other videos on this platform. Have you completed PhD studies/ begun Postdoc applications?
Thank you very much for this heart-warming video. I am on the 4th year of postdoc and only recently I realized that there are alternative career paths to academia. Moving from Brazil to Europe has helped me open my eyes for different possibilities, so I agree with you that the experience is not lost. If I end up in a different path, I know that I have grown both professionally and personally during these postdoctoral years.
Hi Bruno, thank you for sharing about your journey! It's a pleasure to bring more positivity to you. If you are looking for industry positions, there is a Linkedin Group that I have been finding great support from: www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/ Feel free to post more specific post-PhD career questions about your scientific background and geographical locations. I hope it will connect you to the right people for the most suitable advice.
Thank you very for such an insightful video. I am currently in that slowly changing priorities stage as I am now in my 30s, and as such while I like being in academia I am slowly looking at other options as well. It's a very good reminder that before we are scientists, we are humans first.
Thank you for sharing about your situation. Indeed, we have very different priorities in our 20s and in our 30s, I wish there were more stable career options in academia beside the tenure system.
Really valuable video! (Just watched it at 7 am, WITH coffee of course ;), right before I get writing again on my paper (woohoo, Saturday!)) Love the analogies, the honesty in promoting relevant material and tools, and the professionalism! On the topic: my PI recently started talking about a postdoc and that I would be a good fit! I was honored to be honest, BUT if I would do it, it would be for the sole purpose of satisfying my own curiosity, AND looking at it another way: get more experience in the microbiome field (because I most likely won't be able to do so within the remaining 2 years of my PhD). So I believe your video really re-convinced me to not stare blind on that offer and just focus on my original plan: take all my PhD skills and get a scientist position in a bustling start-up or scale-up with many growth opportunities and ways to make impact. As stimulating as an academic environment can be for creativity and 'doing your own thing', it's just no longer a viable long-term career plan. Hence, in smaller companies, you still get much 'action' and creativity I think, so that would be the best place I think to be in an 'academic-like industry position'.
You're amazing, I am sure any PI would book you for postdoc in advance. I am a strong believer that people work at their best when they are clear about why they do a postdoc, and they would perform a lot better without contemplating the "what ifs". Be open-minded that these consideration will change over time, so it is best to be self-aware early on and continue that conversation and self-observation throughout the journey. For example, your academic currency could change, e.g. publishing in nature/science. And family currency could also change, e.g. family expectations. These are all moving parts and only you can tell what is the most appropriate for the next career step at PhD graduation. One thing that is for sure is to publish as many as you could, as early as you could. So your metrics (number and citation) will look stronger and will give you plenty of options.
@@PhDCoffeeTime Yes, I can imagine my mind will contemplate it once or twice more during the journey! Funny thing is: I keep saying to my PI that impact factors don't bother me, it's for her career that they matter, haha! Nature/Science/Cell seems very elusive, especially for smaller labs...The highest I suppose I could go is in 'Hepatology', IF 15, or 'Gut', IF 20. We'll see. Wrote about 80% of my introduction of my 1st paper today. We're (read: my PI) is aiming at IF 10 with this one :D ;)
@@Biomeducated FYI, if you are not rejected 80% of the times you are submitting a manuscript, then you are not aiming high enough :) Keep up the great effort!
Thanks for sharing. I am finishing my PhD in one year and I really need this video! It's so hard to find either PDF or a real job during the covid time, so I decided to take a two-year post-doc program with the same supervisor after graduation. I consider PDF as a transition time for me to publish and look for job possibilities in academia. Any advice to me how can I best use the PDF time?
I am glad this is relevant to you. If you still have one year to graduate, I would start networking with PhD alumni now. Especially if you are already considering non-academic route, you may be able to land on a real job as soon as you finish. It's true that covid has been disruptive to the job market, but in general the tech and pharma industry are still hiring and doing strong from what I have been seeing. Many of these positions prefer fresh PhD as they think these youngers minds are more "coachable". So, you may not really need that 2-year transitioning time as PDF if you don't really feel like it. It really depends on your visa status (if you are non-native), your research topic, personal career interest. I recommend creating a Linkedin Profile, and start networking and get informational interviews: www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
@@PhDCoffeeTime I completed the first semester of my PhD last year (in Israel) but because of COVID and war-like situation this year, I was compelled to make the difficult decision to discontinue and prioritize on family instead. Thanks for asking.
@@Tom-sp3gy I am saddened by your story, it must have been a disheartening situation. However, I think you are wise to have prioritized family. Big hugs!
Sometimes it could feel that way. I would say academia is still the only means to build human knowledge, and I hope more resources and healthier mindsets can be instilled in the new generations. PhD and postdoc have still been the best phases of my personal and professional growth. A career in academia is not suitable for many people and it is okay to realize that and find more suitable paths. Have you already completed PhD?
@@PhDCoffeeTime I am so glad you feel that way. I was a postdoc 8 years ago and now a tenured professor. However, I feel suffocated everyday due to funding stress and research pressure. The field is overly saturated and way too crowded. As such, I redirect all my students and postdocs to industry or professional schools. I don't want them to follow my steps and live a hard but miserable life. So I strongly support your decision to land a job in the private sector. Good luck!!
@@foxcatherine This is unfortunately quite common for tenured professors to feel this way about funding stress and research pressure, but it is rather interesting that you are open-minded about students moving out of academic space! Well, I hope some of my basic PhD skills and project organization videos on this channel can take some time off from mentoring new PhD students. I've intentionally keep things positive and motivating, so that busy PIs will welcome my videos to mentor their students on many important skills for research (project management/ file organization/ note-taking). Please consider sharing some of my videos with your team if you have found any of them useful and applicable.
@@PhDCoffeeTime Will surely do! We shared very similar view regarding the career outlook as a scientist. I want to make sure my students will live a happy and fulfilling life after their graduation. The research skills that they learned in the lab will definitely help them for the rest of their lives. However, under current climate, I would highly recommend them keep an open mind and find jobs outside the ivory tower. All my students are now in med school or pharmacy school. Postdocs are in pharmaceutical companies. They all thanked me till today and I am very proud of them too. Good luck to you and your youtube channel.
@@foxcatherine Thanks so much! I am actually also looking to break into Medical Writing (freelancing for now) and hope to take a role in the pharmaceutical industry, too. If you are interested in sharing professional connections, here are my personal pages. It would be wonderful to connect with you: twitter.com/verabschan www.linkedin.com/in/verabschan/
Thank you for the valuable video. I m in my third year of PhD , but have only one publication. Other than this i have 11 coauthor publications. As you are more experienced, so according to your opinion, coauthor publications also matter in the future to get a postdoc because i still have 2 more years to finish my PhD.
We are very similar, I had more coauthored paper than 1st author papers! It helped me to land on postdoc job, probably because the lab perceived me as "team player". I have showed in another video about writing CV that you could highlight any mentoring/consulting/editing role when you worked on in these other papers using different superscript/underline: ua-cam.com/video/2OWdSo0HxiM/v-deo.html Considering you have 2 more years to graduation, I would put all the energy in (1) publishing review paper and research papers as a first author, (2) applying for postdoc scholarships, and (3) networking with PI on virtual conference/ Twitter
@@PhDCoffeeTime Thank you for your kind reply. It makes me feel comfortable that I m not the only one who faces this situation. I will try my best to publish many papers and please helping Ph.D. students like me. We really need people like you to guide us during Ph.D. Thank you and God bless you for your great work
Dr. Chan, this video is very insightful, as of now 2021 I am an undergraduate planning to go to a Ph.D. Program in Public Health (specifically oriented towards Epidemiology, Genes/Genomes/Genetics, and the quantitative side of Public Health (BioStatistics)) and have planned out my future Post-Ph.D. Years. Thank you for this video, I will take into consideration of your words of advice.
Hi Danny, I LOVE that you started thinking about Post-PhD in undergrads. This reminds me that my thought of becoming a Postdoc has started back in my undergrads time as well! Public Health is valuable topic that can be translated to many sectors like Government Agency, NGO and Pharmac Company if you later decide not to become a professor. Even I am getting to learn more about this subject as medical writer. All the best with your journey, and I hope my other videos can be a good resource for you as you need them later in the PhD! Let's stay in touch (IG/Twitter/Linkedin). Vera
@@PhDCoffeeTime Dr. Chan, thank you for your yet again insightful response. I will stay in touch with you via those social media outlets. The primary reason why I go into Public Health was due to my interests in Genes/Genomic/Genetics as my primary topic of interests. My main motives of going into a Ph.D. Program is not only to further my research skills and perhaps "attaining prestige", but also to learn how to conduct professional research. As of Spring 2021, I have 1 more year left before undergraduate graduation.
After 4 years of postdoc, I can say it was one of worst possible use of my life. For you naïve PhD graduates reading the comment section and considering doing a postdoc, save your life while you can. You will get paid less than a secretary, probably without insurance while you have to work your weekends and at the same time you are not learning anything useful for your future career.
Masih, thanks for sharing this very personal thoughts with us here! I think PhD/ Postdoc are like Athletes, we are tunnel-visioned to get ourselves on the challenging training and the strictly disciplined lifestyle. Once in a while, we all need a step back to ask "are these helping me to become the person I want to be?", and "Is my family supportive of this lifestyle anymore?" Like I have shared, factors such as financial stability, family expectations, chances of academic opportunities in the research topic all account to the decision making of whether or not a Postdoc is a good idea. It's great you have come to clarity after 4 years, it has taken me 6 years if that makes you feel better :) Do you have plans for your post-academic life? Here is a really helpful Linkedin Group, and you will get plenty of support and career insights from fellow PhD Alumni www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
I just recently graduated with a PhD on Dec 2020. My field is in the STEM and my interest is to engage more in medical and pharmaceutical related research. However I been having difficulties with landing either a industry job of medical/pharmaceutical related research or postdoc position. Perhaps this issue is probably due to the pandemic slow things down in regards to hiring? I could use some advice of what to do at my current status of recent phd graduate but difficult time landing a job or postdoc.
Hi Don, I completely relate to your situation as I was also searching for job last year! Like I have shared in this video, the process is a combination of looking externally (networking) AND internally (self-awareness). Here are a few resources I recommend you could start learning more about different career paths and ask yourself "what is a role that you can see yourself doing?" (BOOK) What is out there for me? The landscape of post-PhD career tracks: amzn.to/3jIX4Wo (PODCAST) PapaPhD (papaphd.com/) I actually had an interview with David recently! ua-cam.com/video/FWYpvcZ33ko/v-deo.html (Interviews) by WelcomeSolution ua-cam.com/channels/xZo9iXwe_urP60kFlrpEHw.html (Linkedin Group) Join 7000+ PhD alumni on Grad Grid start networking with real people www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/ (Resume/Job prep Tutorials) Vicky from Biomed Badass creates great videos on how you could breaking into industry role: ua-cam.com/channels/WzKoXua0A_uBLIqOZ4j14w.html (NIH training) I personally have gained a lot from these free training courses and have transitioned as medical writer now: ocrtraining.cit.nih.gov/ (CGP certification) Good Clinical Practice: gcp.nidatraining.org/ Hope some of these resources work well for you! Good luck in your career exploration in medical/pharma industry. You can feel free to connect with me on Linkedin (www.linkedin.com/in/verabschan/)
@@PhDCoffeeTime thank you for your helpful advice. I will give those a look and will see what I can do for my job campaign. Hopefully will end up getting some position soon. Whether it may be a job or postdoc position. Thanks again for your help
I am going to graduate in this July. I am looking for a postdoc. It is tough, especially I am particularly finding a postdoc at Houston area. It is very competitive to get into the top research centers such as Md anderson, BCM. I may need to look at other lower-ranked places.
I am glad you find this helpful! It would be wonderful if you could share with someone who might also need this conversation as this small channel is invisible on UA-cam!
If you are really interested in doing new science then there is no question of how many years of post doc etc.. But if you are only job conscious, then just a 2 year post doc after ph.d is enough. However if you are only job conscious then any education is a waste, as Robert Kiosaki used to tell "if you want to be poor, go to school and find a job".
We think very much alike, I used to be like this when I started PhD/Postdoc. I used to assume money and science are two opposite directions, and I assumed it's all black and white. Interesting fact, there are many sheds of science even among lives as scientists. Employers could be University, Institution, Private Company, or people could even be self-employed in their own basement. Keeping an eye out for different options is crucial, especially with the tight public budget funding academic jobs. There are too many PhD trained in the system and they need to find a new purpose! BTW, I love "Rich Dad Poor Dad", and it's interested everyone has a different takeaway from the same book. From that book, what resonates the most and is also relevant to PhDs is "You are ONE skill away from being RICH!" e.g. the book refers to Medical Doctors as training and only if the medical doctor knows Accounting, he/she could expand and run a clinic. I think PhD are very similar, we may be one skill away from being highly valuable in the job market. Leading companies need innovators and start to value PhD degrees much more than before. I left the academic path because a part of myself kept wondering, "what else is out there?" and "how else I could serve the world using my science knowledge?" I could share more in my future videos about these discoveries.
Hi Fabio, if you don't mind sharing with me, what happened six months ago? You could send private messages to my Instagram (@phdcoffeetime) or Twitter (@verabschan), in case you want to share more about your story. I am glad you have found this video, please come back for future videos (as I will be organically giving updates to my career transitioning journey) Also, if you want more spontaneous support, the Linkedin PhD Career Networking Group (www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/) is awesome, so don't feel isolated on this journey!
After watching some of her videos, I set my mind. No postdoc. I don't wanna be a professor though I managed to achieve a slightly flashy resume by 1yr before finishing my PhD. Plus, I got a 2yr kid. Can't afford such a low-paying high-intense and uncetain job.
Thank you so much for discussing this information. About to graduate from PhD in CS. I think some (maybe limited) set of people not pursuing a professor position could also potentially feel quite comfortable going from one postdoc to another if such postdocs are mostly oriented towards research without teaching load.
Postdoc is a great career only if it is permanent! I would have become a permanent postdoc if there was such an career option. At least from the countries I had experience working, postdoc ends up very stressful for experimental biologists when contracts are short and the work is dependent on the lab resources. I am sure the situation for CS will be different and a lot less stressful because the full research project could be living in a computer! I would always ask the question of career goal, if your interest is to secure more income, then it could be more efficient to start working early as a programmer and gain work experience. Postdoc projects can be too focused and may not be relevant to the next employment. I suggest when choosing the postdoc project, keep in mind if your research link to any popular skill for the industry, e.g. machine learning.
You're welcome, Muhammad. This is a platform for many more PhD/Postdoc related conversations. So, I hope you will enjoy my other videos and consider sharing them with your PhD friends!
@@PhDCoffeeTime I just had a job interview for a postdoc and I would love to do this one. But I do realize - I should really like the postdoc, because it will be stressful, again. Personally, I really identify as a researcher, but not an academic researcher per se, I think. I just really love researching. I hope that is an advantage in my career, meaning - I don't HAVE to stay in academia. I just want to do what I love doing the most.
@@Plottoberry I resonate with that a lot! In my case, I don't want a professor job but I loved being a postdoc! To me it was a chapter in life that let me focus on basic science. Some may argue it's an unnecessary chapter if you don't want an academic job. Have you spoken to more people to gain other non-academic perspectives?
@@Plottoberry Yes, and always finish the informational interview by asking "is there someone in a similar career situation that I could talk to?" Set a SMART goal to talk to one new person per week/month. Good luck and enjoy the conversations!
Thank you for the video, it is very well structured and instructive. But there are a couple of things which I would like to add to your presentation. 1)There are areas of knowledge (like humanities) where you can't go to industry and keep doing research (at least in some countries). So, if you leave the academia, you can make many things but can't be a researcher :( 2)The real academia (which is somehow different from the "academia" imagined in the aptitude tests) heavily relies on networking and human communication, even more than on research itself. For example, my personal problem is a very strong inclination toward research in combination with a very rare specialization in humanities. I am simultaneously a bad fit for industry (not corporative, not entrepreneurial, hating office work etc.) and a bad fit for the real-life academia due to the same features. So, the combinations of a personality which is "investigative, inclined toward logical reasoning and analysis" with low networking skills and low EQ gives only academic and research professions in the aptitude tests, but no real-life academic jobs... I think, because people do not really like to be valued less than ideas.
Thanks for this humanity PhD insights, it is certainly in my blind spot (as Biology PhD). You're also right about needing networking and human communication skills as an academic. After working with Natalia, I have come to realize there are more ways to land on a career than simply "academia or industry". In face, quite a few PhD has become freelancer or entrepreneur and find a sustaining income and satisfying career. Many never use their subject-specific knowledge, which is a highly personal choice. I think you may enjoy this video from Welcome Solutions, they recently interviewed a PhD from humanity who started her own business in coaching: ua-cam.com/video/ebNXwRrctt8/v-deo.html I'd appreciate more perspectives from you!
Number of publications obscure the quality of the paper. One nature publication is going to be worth much more than 10 plos one publications. Secondly, the number of papers published is dependent on the particular field and lab. In one highly collaborative lab, a student might publish a (1) review, (2) original research, and also be lower co-author on two other papers (4). In other lab, it might just be one PI and a few students working on non-overlapping work and the PI always publishes reviews as a solo author. In that case, the student may only get to publish a single paper to graduate.
Great point. A Nature first-authored publication certainly weighs much more than 10 PLoS one papers. Realistically, the success rate of getting accepted in CNS (cell, nature, science) is really low, so for a PhD student to balance the risk, I think it's less stressful to first have a few "smaller eggs" in the "PLoS one basket", to prove to their committee that they can finalize research in a publishable format and a timely manner. I have met a few "dreamer PhD lab" who was left with no publication after 7-8 years of hard work because the advisor was counting on "a Nature paper", it's always a question of risk management. Asking the question of how much time/energy can be invested.
Hi Kale, I would really appreciate your help to spread the word. Please help share this with a PhD friend who is deciding whether to do a postdoc or not. That will really help this tiny channel to reach more people who may need this.
Wow Thanks for sharing all these info, I'm writting my final dissertation and also I was thinkig about doing Post Doc or not, now I have the questions I need to aske myself to make my choice!! Do you have any app or webpage where I can search Post doc positions?
Thanks for your friendly move.. By the way I too looking for a post doc position. My broad field of research is Computational Chemistry for Biomaterials research.
Hi Balachandar, here are a few tips to get a postdoc (1) attend conferences in your field and connect to professors, (2) publish as many papers as you can, and apply for postdoc scholarships, (3) contact PI after virtual conference via email, and (4) keep an eye out on the Twitter posts by these labs for jobs
Glad you enjoyed this one! I have more detailed videos on the same topic of Postdoc Application, so I am sharing the link to the playlist here: ua-cam.com/play/PLF6JfHXiwSZ7owTVmyfOFhbwBEMlZRGoH.html
Hello Vera, Thank you for your informative video. I have a question regarding research groups. Is it necessary to seek out a large research group or is it possible to consider a newly formed group? I recently received an offer from a newly formed research group and I am unsure of what to do. Thank you!
Hello! I have a question for you. Which one would you pick if you were in this position? Landed a stable high paying govt job as a professor right after PhD completion or throwing this job away and doing postdoc in a foreign land?
Currently finalising my PhD project. Planning to look for a research position in the industry. Submitted a lot of applications without getting any reply back. Any insight? Thanks for making these videos. They are insightful.
Hi William, beside submitting resume, I would make sure to (1) Tailor your resume to the job description (here is a video I have made about this process: ua-cam.com/video/91QMB4Sfz_Q/v-deo.html) (2) Develop a professional Linkedin Profile (3) Speak with as many people in the field as possible Have you spoken to any R&D scientists? Informational interviews could help you improve your resume and get your application better seen by hiring managers. Some company has referral bonuses so people in the industry would be happy to provide a referral for you if you are highly qualified for the role. There is a really active Linkedin Group and I would search for people by company and country to ask for a 30 min virtual call. www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
Hi, thanks for sharing this informative and uplifting video. I am going to finish my Ph.D. (Bio-material and interface ) in six months from JAPAN. I want to choose PDF in USA or UK to maximize my scientific learning. My only concern is I have a very less number of publications (1 1ST AUTHOR, 2 Co-author papers) . Could you give me any guidance for bagging PDF offer with such low number of publications? or do I have any chance of getting PDF position?
In you publication section of your CV, you can include papers "under preparation" and list the tentative title, author list, and targeted journal. See more in this video on CV: ua-cam.com/video/2OWdSo0HxiM/v-deo.html When you interview, don't sound overly apologetic about paper count, what the PI is interested in is how you can apply previous experience to publish more when you are doing the proposed Postdoc project, and how you can complete different papers. If you are entering a similar field of postdoc research as your PhD, consider starting a review paper now, so that you could finalize and publish the review paper during the postdoc phase (when you advance enough, you can share this at the interview to stand out from other candidates). Good luck with your application :)
Good for you! The chance of having a professor job right after PhD is research field dependent. I have seen quite a few engineering/computer scicence PhD graduates who land assitant professor role right after PhD, it seems not common for biomedical sciences and life sciences (my background). Thanks for your sharing. Keep up the hard work!
Hi 美华, to make you feel better, I published my first paper in 2012 (3rd year of PhD), and graduated with 4 publications. When you are in a PhD program, you could be reaching exponential growth (like a bacterial growth curve) in the 3rd/4th year. The key is not to feel discouraged, show up with your best spirit every day, and try to improve yourself by 1% each day! Here is the math: 1^365 = 1 1.01^365 = 37.7 By showing up and trying to improve tiny 1% of your PhD each day, you will be 37 times stronger in just 1 year! I hope you will find this channel helpful, and you will find it easier to realize these 1% areas to improve. I am rooting for you!
Disclaimer, I haven't been a lecturer before. But to my knowledge, most lecturer positions are temporary roles just like the postdocs. Many lecturers I know in person lost their job because these temporary positions get eliminated first when University has a budget cut. I have observed that lecturer positions hire predominantly USA citizens (and I am only assuming for the UK, and I have never worked there), and it seems like Universities take the convenience route to employ the locals for these short-term positions. That's because even for my postdoc position, the US visa processing period took 5 months and it is often too long to fill a position.
Don't be discouraged. There is a Linkedin Group I really enjoy and there are over 4000 PhD to ask career questions. It's a great support system, check it out! www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
I am Ahmed from Algeria, I am 51 years old. I would like to complete a Ph.D. in budgetary management. What universities can I accept and be less expensive and that provide training in my specialization? What is the way to convince the supervisor and how do I find a PhD project that is acceptable to my supervisor? Thank you....
Hi Ahmed, begin with a literature search! Look up the key opinion leaders (famous professors) on budgetary management. I have discussed Literature search (and PI identification) methods in depth in many video, and you could find a few useful ones on this playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLF6JfHXiwSZ6Z_zkccprBB5K2BpOmiHQa.html
Hi Soorya, I haven't made a video on exactly this topic, so I appreciate the the question. I think you may enjoy this article, and I could share more of my view in another video journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.0020121 Check out these other two videos that have touched on this topic: Have you Chosen the Right PhD Supervisor? ua-cam.com/video/MYxQsQRBC_U/v-deo.html Top Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Postdoc ua-cam.com/video/qhpGFy8oCwg/v-deo.html&t
Thanx for valuable information, I have completed PhD in software engineering now I want to do post, can anyone suggest me current opening about post doc position?
Hi Mamta, since I am from life science background, I cannot extrapolate too much (software engineering!). HOWEVER, please check out his video on Research Rabbit, I have spoken in greater depth how you can identify potential PIs (ua-cam.com/video/SuBgj3vU9dg/v-deo.html). Start with a few relevant papers from your research, and you will identify the "Key Opinion Leaders" in your field. I would first pay close attention to their research, set up alert when their new work comes out, and plan to email these professors closer to your last year of PhD. If resources allow, try attending events/conference that help you connect with these KOLs early in your PhD. All the best with your PhD and postdoc application!
Hi, thanks a lot for this video, I am sending so many emails and I hired a career couch to get a postdoctoral fellow position but I don’t get any response
Hi Abdullah, this is a difficult time for academic programs, funding budget has been tighter than ever. I would also keep an eye out on Twitter as there are many #postdoc position #academicjob and #sciencejob posts. Make sure to follow your all of their PIs, postdoc, and PhD students on Twitter. That will get you closer to the information source. Also, when you are sending an email, make sure to tailor it for each person, and avoid using the "cookie-cutter" version. In your email, be clear about (1) your PhD background, (2) your reason why this lab is a suitable place for you Post doc, (3) your availability to be hired, (4) what are the publications from that lab that is the most interesting to you, (5), mention that you are willing to help draft a postdoc funding proposal and ask if there are good programs for postdoc scholarships, (6) indicate you are interested and available to chat more on a Zoom call.
That's true, that was the spirit when I made this video during unemployment in the beginning of a pendemic living alone in foreign country. I was eager to prove my corporate skills because I want to ensure to my parents that my time and energy spent on education and science training can allow me to make a living as an adult. Fast-forward 8 months after my first corporate role, I do think this is true that I have a lot to offer in a corporate role, and I enjoy my role of providing service and working in a team to share responsibility. I also finally get more time to check on my parents back home. It is a more stressful position to be a PI and having to craft the next big funding idea and lead the project for the next few years. I no longer see myself having that energy, and being honest to ourselves and accepting to that is really essential. The question of "what type of role do I want to serve" is the key moment for me to realize what I want in my career. Are you currently in a PhD? Are you considering Postdoc?
Hi thanks for checking it out, I am very curious about your channel! Could you share more about what you do? I am guess you are a plant disease expert? I just subscribed :)
@@PhDCoffeeTime Yes I am a plant pathologist. I am Ph.D. in Plant Pathology. I make videos on plant disease diagosis and their management. This channel is helpful for crop growers, students, extension experts and scientists.
Keep an eye out on virtual conferences in your field, and connect with many advisor/ PhD/ Postdoc of your dream lab on Twitter! Try to complete as many publications as you can before graduating, and apply to as many scholarship as you could. Reach out the PI by email, and express interest to work with them as postdoc (and ask if there are scholarship that you qualify to apply for!) All the best to your graduation year!
Hi Dr. Vikram, I would keep an eye on Linkedin for non-academic job, and Twitter for academic job. The Grad Grid is a great place to meet people who are in similar background of PhD in the desired field of work: www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/ If you are looking for postdoc, you could use #Postdoc on Twitter and try to get in touch with PI by emails, I have explained more in this other video: ua-cam.com/video/qhpGFy8oCwg/v-deo.html Good luck with your search!
@@PhDCoffeeTime Thank you for explaining in such a simple and nice way ❤️ it's night 1am in India now. I just finished watching your video recommend. Thank you again❤️
This could be a good suggestion for those who don't have a competitive PhD, I have seen people who graduated PhD with "flying colours", i.e. 10+ publications, got postdoc scholarship, Early Career award, supportive and flexible family, then these people are going to thrive in academia. It's all about taking a realistic look at the personal strengths and needs. If someone wish to stay in academia, the priority would goes to setting up the goals to reach these metrics really early in the PhD (publish early, publish more, and apply to many research scholarships). Many people look back upon PhD graduation and wished they have structured their time and goals better to go further, so I hope this video brings out the importance of thinking ahead early!
Haha, great observation, I do score poorly in Freelancing. So, thanks for this question. I have a situation with my academic visa, many companies in Europe will have to redo my visa to hire me. So I have chosen to remain flexible in the next 6+ months to clear things up and to learn more industry knowledge. By starting freelancing services, I can be home-based and I get to work with industry professionals without the need for a company to sponsor my visa. I could share more in a future video perhaps next year. In the long-term, I do hope to transition into a more stable industry job with these freelancing experiences.
Update in 2021, I am now a full-time Medical Writer in Paris and I am enjoying my new role A LOT! Check out more writing tips from me: Five Tips to Writing More and Writing Fast!: ua-cam.com/video/PPOCjBtUJvY/v-deo.html&t How to Read Journal Articles Quickly and Effectively (6K Sub Recap): ua-cam.com/video/lWRKz9xFPxg/v-deo.html Perform a Literature Review Without Getting Lost (ft. PubMed): ua-cam.com/video/wV6dptlN7OY/v-deo.html Considering a Postdoc? Check out these videos: How to Write a Strong Academic CV | Postdoc Application: ua-cam.com/video/2OWdSo0HxiM/v-deo.html&t Top Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Postdoc: ua-cam.com/video/qhpGFy8oCwg/v-deo.html&t Considering a Non-Academic Role? These videos could help you! How to Land a Science Job by Informational Interviews: ua-cam.com/video/8UOISFViC_Y/v-deo.html Popular PhD Careers, Explained (ft PapaPhD Podcast): ua-cam.com/video/FWYpvcZ33ko/v-deo.html&t How to Become an Application Scientist (ft. Biofilm Podcast): ua-cam.com/video/KT2bKMRSUiM/v-deo.html Natalia's company also makes free resources on UA-cam and she has interviewed many brilliant PhD alumni! in her online webinars: ua-cam.com/channels/xZo9iXwe_urP60kFlrpEHw.html Check out Natalia's book to learn more about how you could find a suitable post-PhD career path: What is out there for me? The landscape of post-PhD career tracks: amzn.to/3jIX4Wo For those who are determined to get in an Academic Position, this book is a MUST READ, highly essential book for Academic Job Prep: The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide To Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job: amzn.to/3odvFya These affiliate links allow you to find the items on Amazon and support this channel at no cost to you.
It's not easy to get a job after a postdoc. I'm still unemployed after more than a year. Companies would rather hire stupid undergrads and masters students.
I just finished my PhD. After 6 years of suffering--Yes! I spend such a long time doing my PhD due to my personal circumstances--I decided I do not need to go to the post-doc path anymore. I know how the academic world works, and the money paid in a post-doc is very little compared to the amount of work that needes to be done. So, I don't need that anymore. Also, as a post-doc you get to work again with someone who judges your work and I had a great amount of douches judging and pretending their care about what I do, when I realized they only care about themselves. Anyways, I sound a bit bitter but that is how I feel. Good luck for the current PhD students and post docs. I am no longer in any of these groups.
I'm just completing my PhD, in middle of pandemic. This video was helpful, thanks
Congrats on completing PhD, I hope you will connect with the rest of the PhDs on Linkedin in this private group: www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
Me too...
Hi Vera, thank you so much for this video. I'm in my final year of my PhD and am really considering pursuing a postdoc. This video really made me think a little bit more. Thank you!
Hi Anniochan, I am pleased to hear that this video helps you. I just checked out your channel it is so cool, I have done dialysis in my postdoc too, it was tricky!
If you have any further personal questions, even video collab ideas (Q&A, skids) feel free to let me get connect with with me on Linkedin/Twitter/Instagram. Would love to stay in touch!
This is such a good video, you have a real talent for simplifying such a tricky topic!
Thanks for sharing your experience and answering all our delimas ❤ It feels so good to know that others have similar doubts
Thank you for sharing the insights of your experience. I feel after a PhD, it is a crossroad pathway (is where I stand at the moment)....and your advice definitely helps 👍🌈
Thanks for sharing your experience..... I am trying to get a postdoc but I think I am late due to my post PhD depression, anxiety and then coming over it.....your videos really helped me in many ways.... Thank you....
Check out this other video that shares more practical tips on postdoc application: ua-cam.com/video/qhpGFy8oCwg/v-deo.html
Also, if you are wondering what else are out there for you as a PhD alumni, this recent video may benefit your thinking process:
ua-cam.com/video/FWYpvcZ33ko/v-deo.html
I hope my resource here make you feel clearer and more confident in your career decisions :)
I hope you got your postdoc position now. Share with us please
Thanks for the enlightening video. Your approach is very positive and practical.
It's a pleasure, I am glad you have found it positive and practical!
Thank you for organizing these thoughts. They have only reasserted and persuaded me that postdoc it is!
This is amazing. How interesting this video facilitates everyone to come to a unique conclusion. I am rooting for you, and I hope you will find value in my other videos on this platform.
Have you completed PhD studies/ begun Postdoc applications?
Your videos are always so inspiring
Glad you enjoyed my sharing! Are you currently in PhD/Postdoc?
I'm so glad I found this video and your page! Such good information.
Hi Mickeal, thank you! Please help to share the video links to anyone who might find this helpful during/after their PhD!
Thank you very much for this heart-warming video. I am on the 4th year of postdoc and only recently I realized that there are alternative career paths to academia. Moving from Brazil to Europe has helped me open my eyes for different possibilities, so I agree with you that the experience is not lost. If I end up in a different path, I know that I have grown both professionally and personally during these postdoctoral years.
Hi Bruno, thank you for sharing about your journey! It's a pleasure to bring more positivity to you. If you are looking for industry positions, there is a Linkedin Group that I have been finding great support from: www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
Feel free to post more specific post-PhD career questions about your scientific background and geographical locations. I hope it will connect you to the right people for the most suitable advice.
Hi Dr. Bruno.. may I know you broad field of research? I wish to do Post doc overseas... Thanks in advance
Thank you very for such an insightful video. I am currently in that slowly changing priorities stage as I am now in my 30s, and as such while I like being in academia I am slowly looking at other options as well. It's a very good reminder that before we are scientists, we are humans first.
Thank you for sharing about your situation. Indeed, we have very different priorities in our 20s and in our 30s, I wish there were more stable career options in academia beside the tenure system.
@@PhDCoffeeTime Same here!
Really valuable video! (Just watched it at 7 am, WITH coffee of course ;), right before I get writing again on my paper (woohoo, Saturday!))
Love the analogies, the honesty in promoting relevant material and tools, and the professionalism!
On the topic: my PI recently started talking about a postdoc and that I would be a good fit! I was honored to be honest, BUT if I would do it, it would be for the sole purpose of satisfying my own curiosity, AND looking at it another way: get more experience in the microbiome field (because I most likely won't be able to do so within the remaining 2 years of my PhD). So I believe your video really re-convinced me to not stare blind on that offer and just focus on my original plan: take all my PhD skills and get a scientist position in a bustling start-up or scale-up with many growth opportunities and ways to make impact. As stimulating as an academic environment can be for creativity and 'doing your own thing', it's just no longer a viable long-term career plan. Hence, in smaller companies, you still get much 'action' and creativity I think, so that would be the best place I think to be in an 'academic-like industry position'.
You're amazing, I am sure any PI would book you for postdoc in advance. I am a strong believer that people work at their best when they are clear about why they do a postdoc, and they would perform a lot better without contemplating the "what ifs".
Be open-minded that these consideration will change over time, so it is best to be self-aware early on and continue that conversation and self-observation throughout the journey.
For example, your academic currency could change, e.g. publishing in nature/science. And family currency could also change, e.g. family expectations.
These are all moving parts and only you can tell what is the most appropriate for the next career step at PhD graduation.
One thing that is for sure is to publish as many as you could, as early as you could. So your metrics (number and citation) will look stronger and will give you plenty of options.
@@PhDCoffeeTime Yes, I can imagine my mind will contemplate it once or twice more during the journey! Funny thing is: I keep saying to my PI that impact factors don't bother me, it's for her career that they matter, haha! Nature/Science/Cell seems very elusive, especially for smaller labs...The highest I suppose I could go is in 'Hepatology', IF 15, or 'Gut', IF 20. We'll see. Wrote about 80% of my introduction of my 1st paper today. We're (read: my PI) is aiming at IF 10 with this one :D ;)
@@Biomeducated FYI, if you are not rejected 80% of the times you are submitting a manuscript, then you are not aiming high enough :)
Keep up the great effort!
@@PhDCoffeeTime Good to know! :D Thanks, Vera!
Thanks for sharing. I am finishing my PhD in one year and I really need this video! It's so hard to find either PDF or a real job during the covid time, so I decided to take a two-year post-doc program with the same supervisor after graduation. I consider PDF as a transition time for me to publish and look for job possibilities in academia. Any advice to me how can I best use the PDF time?
I am glad this is relevant to you. If you still have one year to graduate, I would start networking with PhD alumni now.
Especially if you are already considering non-academic route, you may be able to land on a real job as soon as you finish. It's true that covid has been disruptive to the job market, but in general the tech and pharma industry are still hiring and doing strong from what I have been seeing.
Many of these positions prefer fresh PhD as they think these youngers minds are more "coachable". So, you may not really need that 2-year transitioning time as PDF if you don't really feel like it.
It really depends on your visa status (if you are non-native), your research topic, personal career interest.
I recommend creating a Linkedin Profile, and start networking and get informational interviews: www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
Good luck with everything and thanks for sharing
Thank you Venky. Which stage of PhD are you in? Are you looking into postdoc soon?
@@PhDCoffeeTime I completed the first semester of my PhD last year (in Israel) but because of COVID and war-like situation this year, I was compelled to make the difficult decision to discontinue and prioritize on family instead. Thanks for asking.
@@Tom-sp3gy I am saddened by your story, it must have been a disheartening situation. However, I think you are wise to have prioritized family. Big hugs!
Academia is like a living hell with unhealthy competition and shrinking funding support. It used to be a good career but not anymore.
Sometimes it could feel that way. I would say academia is still the only means to build human knowledge, and I hope more resources and healthier mindsets can be instilled in the new generations.
PhD and postdoc have still been the best phases of my personal and professional growth. A career in academia is not suitable for many people and it is okay to realize that and find more suitable paths.
Have you already completed PhD?
@@PhDCoffeeTime I am so glad you feel that way. I was a postdoc 8 years ago and now a tenured professor. However, I feel suffocated everyday due to funding stress and research pressure. The field is overly saturated and way too crowded. As such, I redirect all my students and postdocs to industry or professional schools. I don't want them to follow my steps and live a hard but miserable life. So I strongly support your decision to land a job in the private sector. Good luck!!
@@foxcatherine This is unfortunately quite common for tenured professors to feel this way about funding stress and research pressure, but it is rather interesting that you are open-minded about students moving out of academic space!
Well, I hope some of my basic PhD skills and project organization videos on this channel can take some time off from mentoring new PhD students. I've intentionally keep things positive and motivating, so that busy PIs will welcome my videos to mentor their students on many important skills for research (project management/ file organization/ note-taking).
Please consider sharing some of my videos with your team if you have found any of them useful and applicable.
@@PhDCoffeeTime Will surely do! We shared very similar view regarding the career outlook as a scientist. I want to make sure my students will live a happy and fulfilling life after their graduation. The research skills that they learned in the lab will definitely help them for the rest of their lives. However, under current climate, I would highly recommend them keep an open mind and find jobs outside the ivory tower. All my students are now in med school or pharmacy school. Postdocs are in pharmaceutical companies. They all thanked me till today and I am very proud of them too. Good luck to you and your youtube channel.
@@foxcatherine Thanks so much! I am actually also looking to break into Medical Writing (freelancing for now) and hope to take a role in the pharmaceutical industry, too. If you are interested in sharing professional connections, here are my personal pages. It would be wonderful to connect with you:
twitter.com/verabschan
www.linkedin.com/in/verabschan/
Thank you for the valuable video. I m in my third year of PhD , but have only one publication. Other than this i have 11 coauthor publications. As you are more experienced, so according to your opinion, coauthor publications also matter in the future to get a postdoc because i still have 2 more years to finish my PhD.
We are very similar, I had more coauthored paper than 1st author papers! It helped me to land on postdoc job, probably because the lab perceived me as "team player".
I have showed in another video about writing CV that you could highlight any mentoring/consulting/editing role when you worked on in these other papers using different superscript/underline: ua-cam.com/video/2OWdSo0HxiM/v-deo.html
Considering you have 2 more years to graduation, I would put all the energy in (1) publishing review paper and research papers as a first author, (2) applying for postdoc scholarships, and (3) networking with PI on virtual conference/ Twitter
@@PhDCoffeeTime Thank you for your kind reply. It makes me feel comfortable that I m not the only one who faces this situation. I will try my best to publish many papers and please helping Ph.D. students like me. We really need people like you to guide us during Ph.D. Thank you and God bless you for your great work
Dr. Chan, this video is very insightful, as of now 2021 I am an undergraduate planning to go to a Ph.D. Program in Public Health (specifically oriented towards Epidemiology, Genes/Genomes/Genetics, and the quantitative side of Public Health (BioStatistics)) and have planned out my future Post-Ph.D. Years. Thank you for this video, I will take into consideration of your words of advice.
Hi Danny, I LOVE that you started thinking about Post-PhD in undergrads. This reminds me that my thought of becoming a Postdoc has started back in my undergrads time as well!
Public Health is valuable topic that can be translated to many sectors like Government Agency, NGO and Pharmac Company if you later decide not to become a professor. Even I am getting to learn more about this subject as medical writer.
All the best with your journey, and I hope my other videos can be a good resource for you as you need them later in the PhD! Let's stay in touch (IG/Twitter/Linkedin).
Vera
@@PhDCoffeeTime Dr. Chan, thank you for your yet again insightful response. I will stay in touch with you via those social media outlets. The primary reason why I go into Public Health was due to my interests in Genes/Genomic/Genetics as my primary topic of interests. My main motives of going into a Ph.D. Program is not only to further my research skills and perhaps "attaining prestige", but also to learn how to conduct professional research.
As of Spring 2021, I have 1 more year left before undergraduate graduation.
One should think a lot before doing postdoc
Absolutely!
This is great. I am going to start my PhD after two days. Thanks for the video
Hi Usman, welcome to Grad School. Check out this playlist for First Year in PhD: ua-cam.com/play/PLF6JfHXiwSZ7JA7KiizhnoMGlqq08eQyU.html
@@PhDCoffeeTime Thank you! Everything on your channel is just so good. Always a motivation booster.
Ooooooeeee, this one seems very relevant for me! Added to watch later list!
You're thinking ahead as a year 2 PhD student, and I like that!
After 4 years of postdoc, I can say it was one of worst possible use of my life. For you naïve PhD graduates reading the comment section and considering doing a postdoc, save your life while you can. You will get paid less than a secretary, probably without insurance while you have to work your weekends and at the same time you are not learning anything useful for your future career.
True. I also feel the same.
True. I also feel the same.
Masih, thanks for sharing this very personal thoughts with us here!
I think PhD/ Postdoc are like Athletes, we are tunnel-visioned to get ourselves on the challenging training and the strictly disciplined lifestyle. Once in a while, we all need a step back to ask "are these helping me to become the person I want to be?", and "Is my family supportive of this lifestyle anymore?"
Like I have shared, factors such as financial stability, family expectations, chances of academic opportunities in the research topic all account to the decision making of whether or not a Postdoc is a good idea.
It's great you have come to clarity after 4 years, it has taken me 6 years if that makes you feel better :)
Do you have plans for your post-academic life? Here is a really helpful Linkedin Group, and you will get plenty of support and career insights from fellow PhD Alumni www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
All true expect the insurance part. You will surely get the insurance coverage but the rest are accurate.
Excellent insights Vera - the best part being - "a PhD is like a stem cell"! I am glad that I now know how careers are like SHOES XD XD
Glad you enjoyed that. I hope I don't sound like a crazy person! haha
@@PhDCoffeeTime not at all! Love it, good value content!
@@SourcingtoSales I like that we are often on the same wavelength :)
I just recently graduated with a PhD on Dec 2020.
My field is in the STEM and my interest is to engage more in medical and pharmaceutical related research.
However I been having difficulties with landing either a industry job of medical/pharmaceutical related research or postdoc position.
Perhaps this issue is probably due to the pandemic slow things down in regards to hiring?
I could use some advice of what to do at my current status of recent phd graduate but difficult time landing a job or postdoc.
Hi Don, I completely relate to your situation as I was also searching for job last year!
Like I have shared in this video, the process is a combination of looking externally (networking) AND internally (self-awareness).
Here are a few resources I recommend you could start learning more about different career paths and ask yourself "what is a role that you can see yourself doing?"
(BOOK) What is out there for me? The landscape of post-PhD career tracks:
amzn.to/3jIX4Wo
(PODCAST) PapaPhD (papaphd.com/)
I actually had an interview with David recently!
ua-cam.com/video/FWYpvcZ33ko/v-deo.html
(Interviews) by WelcomeSolution ua-cam.com/channels/xZo9iXwe_urP60kFlrpEHw.html
(Linkedin Group) Join 7000+ PhD alumni on Grad Grid start networking with real people
www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
(Resume/Job prep Tutorials) Vicky from Biomed Badass creates great videos on how you could breaking into industry role:
ua-cam.com/channels/WzKoXua0A_uBLIqOZ4j14w.html
(NIH training) I personally have gained a lot from these free training courses and have transitioned as medical writer now:
ocrtraining.cit.nih.gov/
(CGP certification) Good Clinical Practice: gcp.nidatraining.org/
Hope some of these resources work well for you! Good luck in your career exploration in medical/pharma industry. You can feel free to connect with me on Linkedin (www.linkedin.com/in/verabschan/)
@@PhDCoffeeTime thank you for your helpful advice. I will give those a look and will see what I can do for my job campaign. Hopefully will end up getting some position soon. Whether it may be a job or postdoc position. Thanks again for your help
I am going to graduate in this July. I am looking for a postdoc. It is tough, especially I am particularly finding a postdoc at Houston area. It is very competitive to get into the top research centers such as Md anderson, BCM. I may need to look at other lower-ranked places.
Btw Hi Don! I know your last name 👍
Great video, really helpful!
I am glad you find this helpful! It would be wonderful if you could share with someone who might also need this conversation as this small channel is invisible on UA-cam!
If you are really interested in doing new science then there is no question of how many years of post doc etc.. But if you are only job conscious, then just a 2 year post doc after ph.d is enough.
However if you are only job conscious then any education is a waste, as Robert Kiosaki used to tell "if you want to be poor, go to school and find a job".
We think very much alike, I used to be like this when I started PhD/Postdoc. I used to assume money and science are two opposite directions, and I assumed it's all black and white. Interesting fact, there are many sheds of science even among lives as scientists. Employers could be University, Institution, Private Company, or people could even be self-employed in their own basement.
Keeping an eye out for different options is crucial, especially with the tight public budget funding academic jobs. There are too many PhD trained in the system and they need to find a new purpose!
BTW, I love "Rich Dad Poor Dad", and it's interested everyone has a different takeaway from the same book. From that book, what resonates the most and is also relevant to PhDs is "You are ONE skill away from being RICH!"
e.g. the book refers to Medical Doctors as training and only if the medical doctor knows Accounting, he/she could expand and run a clinic. I think PhD are very similar, we may be one skill away from being highly valuable in the job market. Leading companies need innovators and start to value PhD degrees much more than before.
I left the academic path because a part of myself kept wondering, "what else is out there?" and "how else I could serve the world using my science knowledge?"
I could share more in my future videos about these discoveries.
I wish I found this video six months ago! It would have saved a lot of time :) . You did a really great job with this video. Thanks
Hi Fabio, if you don't mind sharing with me, what happened six months ago? You could send private messages to my Instagram (@phdcoffeetime) or Twitter (@verabschan), in case you want to share more about your story.
I am glad you have found this video, please come back for future videos (as I will be organically giving updates to my career transitioning journey)
Also, if you want more spontaneous support, the Linkedin PhD Career Networking Group (www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/) is awesome, so don't feel isolated on this journey!
After watching some of her videos, I set my mind. No postdoc. I don't wanna be a professor though I managed to achieve a slightly flashy resume by 1yr before finishing my PhD. Plus, I got a 2yr kid. Can't afford such a low-paying high-intense and uncetain job.
Thank you so much for discussing this information. About to graduate from PhD in CS. I think some (maybe limited) set of people not pursuing a professor position could also potentially feel quite comfortable going from one postdoc to another if such postdocs are mostly oriented towards research without teaching load.
Postdoc is a great career only if it is permanent! I would have become a permanent postdoc if there was such an career option.
At least from the countries I had experience working, postdoc ends up very stressful for experimental biologists when contracts are short and the work is dependent on the lab resources.
I am sure the situation for CS will be different and a lot less stressful because the full research project could be living in a computer! I would always ask the question of career goal, if your interest is to secure more income, then it could be more efficient to start working early as a programmer and gain work experience.
Postdoc projects can be too focused and may not be relevant to the next employment. I suggest when choosing the postdoc project, keep in mind if your research link to any popular skill for the industry, e.g. machine learning.
Thanks for sharing .
You're welcome, Muhammad. This is a platform for many more PhD/Postdoc related conversations. So, I hope you will enjoy my other videos and consider sharing them with your PhD friends!
Thanks for sharing your stories!
I hope it helps you!
@@PhDCoffeeTime I just had a job interview for a postdoc and I would love to do this one. But I do realize - I should really like the postdoc, because it will be stressful, again.
Personally, I really identify as a researcher, but not an academic researcher per se, I think. I just really love researching. I hope that is an advantage in my career, meaning - I don't HAVE to stay in academia. I just want to do what I love doing the most.
@@Plottoberry I resonate with that a lot! In my case, I don't want a professor job but I loved being a postdoc! To me it was a chapter in life that let me focus on basic science. Some may argue it's an unnecessary chapter if you don't want an academic job.
Have you spoken to more people to gain other non-academic perspectives?
@@PhDCoffeeTime Not that much, but thanks for reminding. My former ''mentor'' did a PhD and is working for the government now, I should ask her.
@@Plottoberry Yes, and always finish the informational interview by asking "is there someone in a similar career situation that I could talk to?" Set a SMART goal to talk to one new person per week/month. Good luck and enjoy the conversations!
Thank you for the video, it is very well structured and instructive.
But there are a couple of things which I would like to add to your presentation.
1)There are areas of knowledge (like humanities) where you can't go to industry and keep doing research (at least in some countries). So, if you leave the academia, you can make many things but can't be a researcher :(
2)The real academia (which is somehow different from the "academia" imagined in the aptitude tests) heavily relies on networking and human communication, even more than on research itself. For example, my personal problem is a very strong inclination toward research in combination with a very rare specialization in humanities. I am simultaneously a bad fit for industry (not corporative, not entrepreneurial, hating office work etc.) and a bad fit for the real-life academia due to the same features. So, the combinations of a personality which is "investigative, inclined toward logical reasoning and analysis" with low networking skills and low EQ gives only academic and research professions in the aptitude tests, but no real-life academic jobs... I think, because people do not really like to be valued less than ideas.
Thanks for this humanity PhD insights, it is certainly in my blind spot (as Biology PhD). You're also right about needing networking and human communication skills as an academic.
After working with Natalia, I have come to realize there are more ways to land on a career than simply "academia or industry".
In face, quite a few PhD has become freelancer or entrepreneur and find a sustaining income and satisfying career. Many never use their subject-specific knowledge, which is a highly personal choice.
I think you may enjoy this video from Welcome Solutions, they recently interviewed a PhD from humanity who started her own business in coaching:
ua-cam.com/video/ebNXwRrctt8/v-deo.html
I'd appreciate more perspectives from you!
Number of publications obscure the quality of the paper. One nature publication is going to be worth much more than 10 plos one publications. Secondly, the number of papers published is dependent on the particular field and lab. In one highly collaborative lab, a student might publish a (1) review, (2) original research, and also be lower co-author on two other papers (4). In other lab, it might just be one PI and a few students working on non-overlapping work and the PI always publishes reviews as a solo author. In that case, the student may only get to publish a single paper to graduate.
Great point. A Nature first-authored publication certainly weighs much more than 10 PLoS one papers.
Realistically, the success rate of getting accepted in CNS (cell, nature, science) is really low, so for a PhD student to balance the risk, I think it's less stressful to first have a few "smaller eggs" in the "PLoS one basket", to prove to their committee that they can finalize research in a publishable format and a timely manner.
I have met a few "dreamer PhD lab" who was left with no publication after 7-8 years of hard work because the advisor was counting on "a Nature paper", it's always a question of risk management. Asking the question of how much time/energy can be invested.
Great one Dr.
Hi Kale, I would really appreciate your help to spread the word. Please help share this with a PhD friend who is deciding whether to do a postdoc or not. That will really help this tiny channel to reach more people who may need this.
Just subscribed your channel. Very useful information 👍👍
It's my pleasure, please feel free to comment on all of my videos and share how I can help you!
Wow Thanks for sharing all these info, I'm writting my final dissertation and also I was thinkig about doing Post Doc or not, now I have the questions I need to aske myself to make my choice!! Do you have any app or webpage where I can search Post doc positions?
Thanks for your friendly move.. By the way I too looking for a post doc position. My broad field of research is Computational Chemistry for Biomaterials research.
Hi Balachandar, here are a few tips to get a postdoc (1) attend conferences in your field and connect to professors, (2) publish as many papers as you can, and apply for postdoc scholarships, (3) contact PI after virtual conference via email, and (4) keep an eye out on the Twitter posts by these labs for jobs
Very informative piece
Glad you enjoyed this one!
I have more detailed videos on the same topic of Postdoc Application, so I am sharing the link to the playlist here: ua-cam.com/play/PLF6JfHXiwSZ7owTVmyfOFhbwBEMlZRGoH.html
Hello Vera,
Thank you for your informative video. I have a question regarding research groups. Is it necessary to seek out a large research group or is it possible to consider a newly formed group? I recently received an offer from a newly formed research group and I am unsure of what to do. Thank you!
Hello!
I have a question for you.
Which one would you pick if you were in this position?
Landed a stable high paying govt job as a professor right after PhD completion or throwing this job away and doing postdoc in a foreign land?
Currently finalising my PhD project. Planning to look for a research position in the industry. Submitted a lot of applications without getting any reply back. Any insight?
Thanks for making these videos. They are insightful.
Hi William, beside submitting resume, I would make sure to
(1) Tailor your resume to the job description (here is a video I have made about this process: ua-cam.com/video/91QMB4Sfz_Q/v-deo.html)
(2) Develop a professional Linkedin Profile
(3) Speak with as many people in the field as possible
Have you spoken to any R&D scientists? Informational interviews could help you improve your resume and get your application better seen by hiring managers. Some company has referral bonuses so people in the industry would be happy to provide a referral for you if you are highly qualified for the role.
There is a really active Linkedin Group and I would search for people by company and country to ask for a 30 min virtual call.
www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
Thank you kindly
I just completed my PhD and planning to do a postdoc, for me this video is helpful
Narahari Rishitha which field are you in? Our lab has an opening for studying covid pathogenesis
@@leabush2608 neuroscience, pharmacology
@@naraharirishitha That's cool! Best luck with you job search and enjoy the interesting science, Dr. Narahari Rishitha!!
@@leabush2608 Thank you 😊
@@leabush2608 May I ask where's your lab located? Do you have any link to get through?
great message...
Thank you. Please share this with anyone who might need this!
Hi, thanks for sharing this informative and uplifting video. I am going to finish my Ph.D. (Bio-material and interface ) in six months from JAPAN. I want to choose PDF in USA or UK to maximize my scientific learning. My only concern is I have a very less number of publications (1 1ST AUTHOR, 2 Co-author papers) . Could you give me any guidance for bagging PDF offer with such low number of publications? or do I have any chance of getting PDF position?
In you publication section of your CV, you can include papers "under preparation" and list the tentative title, author list, and targeted journal. See more in this video on CV: ua-cam.com/video/2OWdSo0HxiM/v-deo.html
When you interview, don't sound overly apologetic about paper count, what the PI is interested in is how you can apply previous experience to publish more when you are doing the proposed Postdoc project, and how you can complete different papers.
If you are entering a similar field of postdoc research as your PhD, consider starting a review paper now, so that you could finalize and publish the review paper during the postdoc phase (when you advance enough, you can share this at the interview to stand out from other candidates).
Good luck with your application :)
Postdoc is a waste of time. I got a professor job right after PhD graduation and it is a MUCH better decision than a Postdoc 😂
Good for you! The chance of having a professor job right after PhD is research field dependent.
I have seen quite a few engineering/computer scicence PhD graduates who land assitant professor role right after PhD, it seems not common for biomedical sciences and life sciences (my background).
Thanks for your sharing. Keep up the hard work!
Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, I am suffering with my phd, till my third year have no publication yet 😭
Hi 美华, to make you feel better, I published my first paper in 2012 (3rd year of PhD), and graduated with 4 publications.
When you are in a PhD program, you could be reaching exponential growth (like a bacterial growth curve) in the 3rd/4th year.
The key is not to feel discouraged, show up with your best spirit every day, and try to improve yourself by 1% each day!
Here is the math:
1^365 = 1
1.01^365 = 37.7
By showing up and trying to improve tiny 1% of your PhD each day, you will be 37 times stronger in just 1 year!
I hope you will find this channel helpful, and you will find it easier to realize these 1% areas to improve. I am rooting for you!
Same here, you're not alone. Cheers!
Where must we postule to find a job as a lecturer in the UK and in the USA when we have a PhD ? Thanks.
Disclaimer, I haven't been a lecturer before.
But to my knowledge, most lecturer positions are temporary roles just like the postdocs. Many lecturers I know in person lost their job because these temporary positions get eliminated first when University has a budget cut.
I have observed that lecturer positions hire predominantly USA citizens (and I am only assuming for the UK, and I have never worked there), and it seems like Universities take the convenience route to employ the locals for these short-term positions. That's because even for my postdoc position, the US visa processing period took 5 months and it is often too long to fill a position.
@@PhDCoffeeTime thank you for your answer. it s very difficult everywhere.
Don't be discouraged. There is a Linkedin Group I really enjoy and there are over 4000 PhD to ask career questions. It's a great support system, check it out!
www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
I am Ahmed from Algeria, I am 51 years old. I would like to complete a Ph.D. in budgetary management. What universities can I accept and be less expensive and that provide training in my specialization? What is the way to convince the supervisor and how do I find a PhD project that is acceptable to my supervisor? Thank you....
Hi Ahmed, begin with a literature search! Look up the key opinion leaders (famous professors) on budgetary management.
I have discussed Literature search (and PI identification) methods in depth in many video, and you could find a few useful ones on this playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLF6JfHXiwSZ6Z_zkccprBB5K2BpOmiHQa.html
Why you wasn’t here 4 years ago
The question I'm asking myself is "What language is this?"
Thanks for the contents, Do you have a work opportunity as a research assistant in china, please?
mam i am phd scholar I want to how to choose a post doc PI and where to choose, what should we consider before choosing
Hi Soorya, I haven't made a video on exactly this topic, so I appreciate the the question.
I think you may enjoy this article, and I could share more of my view in another video
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.0020121
Check out these other two videos that have touched on this topic:
Have you Chosen the Right PhD Supervisor? ua-cam.com/video/MYxQsQRBC_U/v-deo.html
Top Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Postdoc ua-cam.com/video/qhpGFy8oCwg/v-deo.html&t
Do you have any video on SOP for postdocs?
Hi Dr. Zamir Houssain, could you explain what does this mean? Like best practice advice for being postdoc?
Thanx for valuable information, I have completed PhD in software engineering now I want to do post, can anyone suggest me current opening about post doc position?
Hi Mamta, since I am from life science background, I cannot extrapolate too much (software engineering!). HOWEVER, please check out his video on Research Rabbit, I have spoken in greater depth how you can identify potential PIs (ua-cam.com/video/SuBgj3vU9dg/v-deo.html).
Start with a few relevant papers from your research, and you will identify the "Key Opinion Leaders" in your field.
I would first pay close attention to their research, set up alert when their new work comes out, and plan to email these professors closer to your last year of PhD.
If resources allow, try attending events/conference that help you connect with these KOLs early in your PhD.
All the best with your PhD and postdoc application!
Hi, thanks a lot for this video, I am sending so many emails and I hired a career couch to get a postdoctoral fellow position but I don’t get any response
Hi Abdullah, this is a difficult time for academic programs, funding budget has been tighter than ever. I would also keep an eye out on Twitter as there are many #postdoc position #academicjob and #sciencejob posts. Make sure to follow your all of their PIs, postdoc, and PhD students on Twitter. That will get you closer to the information source.
Also, when you are sending an email, make sure to tailor it for each person, and avoid using the "cookie-cutter" version.
In your email, be clear about (1) your PhD background, (2) your reason why this lab is a suitable place for you Post doc, (3) your availability to be hired, (4) what are the publications from that lab that is the most interesting to you, (5), mention that you are willing to help draft a postdoc funding proposal and ask if there are good programs for postdoc scholarships, (6) indicate you are interested and available to chat more on a Zoom call.
@@PhDCoffeeTime I am so thankful for your detailed reply, I would follow your ideas and I hope I will get something soon. Thanks a lot again
@@AbdullahJirjees You're welcome. Let me know how it goes!
basically what are you saying is: oh i am such a company person and a team player and i am looking for a job, please hire me! haha...
That's true, that was the spirit when I made this video during unemployment in the beginning of a pendemic living alone in foreign country. I was eager to prove my corporate skills because I want to ensure to my parents that my time and energy spent on education and science training can allow me to make a living as an adult.
Fast-forward 8 months after my first corporate role, I do think this is true that I have a lot to offer in a corporate role, and I enjoy my role of providing service and working in a team to share responsibility. I also finally get more time to check on my parents back home.
It is a more stressful position to be a PI and having to craft the next big funding idea and lead the project for the next few years. I no longer see myself having that energy, and being honest to ourselves and accepting to that is really essential.
The question of "what type of role do I want to serve" is the key moment for me to realize what I want in my career.
Are you currently in a PhD? Are you considering Postdoc?
How youtube know I am Ph.D. & I need this video?
Hi thanks for checking it out, I am very curious about your channel! Could you share more about what you do? I am guess you are a plant disease expert?
I just subscribed :)
@@PhDCoffeeTime Yes I am a plant pathologist. I am Ph.D. in Plant Pathology. I make videos on plant disease diagosis and their management. This channel is helpful for crop growers, students, extension experts and scientists.
will be completing my PhD by next year...planning to look for oversea Postdoc, any advice would be welcome :)
Keep an eye out on virtual conferences in your field, and connect with many advisor/ PhD/ Postdoc of your dream lab on Twitter! Try to complete as many publications as you can before graduating, and apply to as many scholarship as you could.
Reach out the PI by email, and express interest to work with them as postdoc (and ask if there are scholarship that you qualify to apply for!)
All the best to your graduation year!
Can you help me how to find jobs in field of Microbiology out of India. Which kind of platform should I use to search for jobs out of India?
Hi Dr. Vikram, I would keep an eye on Linkedin for non-academic job, and Twitter for academic job.
The Grad Grid is a great place to meet people who are in similar background of PhD in the desired field of work: www.linkedin.com/groups/8476427/
If you are looking for postdoc, you could use #Postdoc on Twitter and try to get in touch with PI by emails, I have explained more in this other video: ua-cam.com/video/qhpGFy8oCwg/v-deo.html
Good luck with your search!
@@PhDCoffeeTime Thank you for explaining in such a simple and nice way ❤️ it's night 1am in India now. I just finished watching your video recommend. Thank you again❤️
@@dr.vikrampundkarlive9539 All the best!
I just started my PhD program
All the best, and I hope you will come back to this channel for more tips and motivations for your PhD!
@@PhDCoffeeTime sure I will... I hav subscribed wit notification bell active
@@ayubkhankalwad Perfect! Feel free to leave comments/ questions to my other videos. See you around, Ayub!
Very good
Hi Dharmesh, I am glad you think so! Also, it would mean the world to me if you could share this to anyone who may enjoy this video!
Don’t do post doc. Get out of academia while you still can.
This could be a good suggestion for those who don't have a competitive PhD, I have seen people who graduated PhD with "flying colours", i.e. 10+ publications, got postdoc scholarship, Early Career award, supportive and flexible family, then these people are going to thrive in academia.
It's all about taking a realistic look at the personal strengths and needs. If someone wish to stay in academia, the priority would goes to setting up the goals to reach these metrics really early in the PhD (publish early, publish more, and apply to many research scholarships).
Many people look back upon PhD graduation and wished they have structured their time and goals better to go further, so I hope this video brings out the importance of thinking ahead early!
Lol !!!
I wish I could but getting job is equally difficult
Yeah. I also think so. Especially for women this is the case if we want to start family with children.
Pleaaase..
I need someone who studied black literature
But then why you choose to be freelancer best wishes for your job search
Haha, great observation, I do score poorly in Freelancing. So, thanks for this question.
I have a situation with my academic visa, many companies in Europe will have to redo my visa to hire me. So I have chosen to remain flexible in the next 6+ months to clear things up and to learn more industry knowledge.
By starting freelancing services, I can be home-based and I get to work with industry professionals without the need for a company to sponsor my visa. I could share more in a future video perhaps next year. In the long-term, I do hope to transition into a more stable industry job with these freelancing experiences.
Update in 2021, I am now a full-time Medical Writer in Paris and I am enjoying my new role A LOT! Check out more writing tips from me:
Five Tips to Writing More and Writing Fast!: ua-cam.com/video/PPOCjBtUJvY/v-deo.html&t
How to Read Journal Articles Quickly and Effectively (6K Sub Recap): ua-cam.com/video/lWRKz9xFPxg/v-deo.html
Perform a Literature Review Without Getting Lost (ft. PubMed): ua-cam.com/video/wV6dptlN7OY/v-deo.html
Considering a Postdoc? Check out these videos:
How to Write a Strong Academic CV | Postdoc Application: ua-cam.com/video/2OWdSo0HxiM/v-deo.html&t
Top Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Postdoc: ua-cam.com/video/qhpGFy8oCwg/v-deo.html&t
Considering a Non-Academic Role? These videos could help you!
How to Land a Science Job by Informational Interviews: ua-cam.com/video/8UOISFViC_Y/v-deo.html
Popular PhD Careers, Explained (ft PapaPhD Podcast): ua-cam.com/video/FWYpvcZ33ko/v-deo.html&t
How to Become an Application Scientist (ft. Biofilm Podcast): ua-cam.com/video/KT2bKMRSUiM/v-deo.html
Natalia's company also makes free resources on UA-cam and she has interviewed many brilliant PhD alumni! in her online webinars: ua-cam.com/channels/xZo9iXwe_urP60kFlrpEHw.html
Check out Natalia's book to learn more about how you could find a suitable post-PhD career path:
What is out there for me? The landscape of post-PhD career tracks: amzn.to/3jIX4Wo
For those who are determined to get in an Academic Position, this book is a MUST READ, highly essential book for Academic Job Prep:
The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide To Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job: amzn.to/3odvFya
These affiliate links allow you to find the items on Amazon and support this channel at no cost to you.
It's not easy to get a job after a postdoc. I'm still unemployed after more than a year. Companies would rather hire stupid undergrads and masters students.