@@haolu8902 That’s what they want to you to believe. There’s no career path for postdoc. You just work for a limited contract under a PI who hired you for a short period. Postdoc is essentially a glorified research assistant with a PhD..
Not a post doc yet but before i started phd i was a Research officer and i went through some stuff similar to a post doc but ive been very lucky because i had support and mentorship through the process
Once again, excellent timing of this video and helpful insights. I have 6 months to go and am dreaming of being off in the sunset beyond academia, but postdocs are temptingly waved in front of me and I resonate with it being the "least resistance" next step, I am trying to resist but simultaneously not burn bridges, pressure!
This is a good series of lectures. Showing how they are not paying you to just; sit around and come up with ideas. That like any job they expect some output for the money.
I am going to make the leap from PhD to postdoc soon! Some of the things mentioned in the video and that I was used to as a PhD student were: the focus on papers (my PhD program actually required paper publications in order to graduate), mentoring (in countries like mine the PhD students must mentor undergraduates because we are understaffed), working towards goals and dressing up professional. Glad to know that I am already used to all of that stuff! Thanks for the video! New subscriber!
hi! as always insightful video from you Andy! Actually I am writing to encourage you to make a video about why you left academia - a full reasoning behind that. It would be interesting for me (and I guess for others as well) to get to know the reasons why you decided to leave. I know you made a video "why you failed in academia" but I would not call it a failure... Also I wonder why you took one year break between phd-postdoc to work as explosive chemist and then you decided to go back to academia. What motivated you back then and what finally made you quit after years of postdocing. Best wishes Andy! Cheers from Europe.
I'm finishing my PhD and I was hired in a project which results went to my thesis. So milestones, publications, reports, problem solving not for my thesis but for the project and continuation of the research was everyday life and priority.
I'm really glad that your videos exist to prepare us for the reality of academia. I was just wondering if you could possibly talk about what you can do during your PhD or postdocs to possibly start your own business/be an entrepreneur. Like what skills you should focus on. How you should leverage your conference opportunities to network, how you can get grants to possibly spring board your research to collabarively start a business etc.
I am also interested in this subject. I just about to submit my PhD thesis and last week I received a few postdocs offers from high ranked universities. Regardless the rankings and exciting projects, my inner soul whispering 'don't jump into this loop'. I felt I will be limited and struggle through out my life (Already tired because of my PhD). I tried so much to enter to the industry-but again felt over qualified (and I have an visa issue too as I currently in Australia). The other best option is to me starting an own business and really keen on that. However, I have the common uncertainty of capital, building network and finding investors. Feel like empty and stuck!!
Great videos! I am finishing my Ph.D. in 6 months and am looking for a postdoc. I want to write a postdoc grant to do a 1-2year postdoc in a lab outside the Netherlands. Which type of research group/ lab do you think I should look for to write the grant with?
Its been my experience that seniors barely have a ghost of a chance to be accepted into doctoral programs in Psychology here in the northeast u. s.--but no suprise at all if applicable throughout the country nationwide.
In psychology it is an odd degree in the US because you have the academic route which requires at least a minor in probability and statistics which requires you to be good at mathematics. Then there is the regular route with no maths which is terminal. If you want a PhD in psychology you should get a math /statistics degree with a minor in psychology. In the UK there is a master's in research which is just a concentrated conversion course in statistics, which you can use to apply for the PhD program.
@@Number6_ I am referring to the prejudices toward seniors-especially males--and there is a socioeconomic class bias as well--not to mention the military-like conformity to what is "acceptable " points of view. This major is rife with such collisions and distortions of the subject. I know this because I was in a PhD pgm.
@@robertburatt5981 yes they all are . This is what I liked about math, 2+2=4 whether the lecturer liked you or not. Regardless of department politics. When your right your right and they have to give you the points.
Yeah. Heaven forbid you voice a politically incorrect point of view during US-based graduate studies in psych. The prevailing woke ideology is followed with an almost cult like fervor. There is no dialogue or healthy exploration of ideas. It’s a real risk to your career just to speak in class.
Greetings! I am writing to inquire about the possibility of undertaking a postdoctoral position with only a master's degree, given that the master has demonstrated a strong research capability via his academic publications and work experience as an engineering. I would be appreciated if you could provide your insights on this strange subject matter.
Kind of glad the pandemic ruined my post doc opportunity in retrospect. Was going to work at an excellent lab in my field at a prestigious institute in Japan. I earned a grant for 3 years of postdoctoral funding. The pandemic hits and the Japanese government decides that they didn't care about foreign workers and students and closed their borders to us....for 2 years. By the time I could enter, I wanted nothing to do with Japan. Industry can be a nightmare if you find yourself in the wrong position (which unfortunately applies to me right now). Now, I am learning full stack for a career change because I really did not anticipate hating the bullshit that goes on in the pharma industry as much as I do. Maybe I just work at a bad company, but I don't have the luxury of moving to a different part of the country right now to seek better opportunities and the job market is drying up because of the upcoming recession. I thought about seeking another postdoc opportunity until I looked at one of the best possible labs in the world I could join in my field. The lab had about 10 postdocs, 3 of which had their publications readily visible so I focused in on those. These 3 postdocs had over 25 publications each (not all first author, but you get it). A good number were high profile publications. I couldn't help but think something was horribly wrong with a postdoc having over 25 publications in excellent journals and.....they were still a postdoc. It's more of a lesson of the reality of academia these days. Maybe those postdocs find a tenure track position in the near future, maybe they don't. But it did not sit well with me that 3 rising superstars in my field with so much academic success had yet to land a tenure track with 25+ publications and working at one of the most famous labs in the world. For reference, at my grad program (top ten), my adviser became a tenure track with significantly less.
I normally can't stand people that talk about these issues. But I have to say, you are REALLY good at communicating these concepts with a clear background experience. It would be great if you could include a content about looking for a TT position, tips and obstacles.
I have got an offer of post doc from a top ranked university in US. That’s a large group with 11 postdoctoral researchers. However, when I looked through the google scholar of each person, they didn’t have enough publications (0-1 paper per year). I usually had 3-6 papers published as the first author each year during my PhD. The boss’ google scholar only has the US patents and some project final reports which only has his own name on it. Should I trust him and go to such a group?
If your future is industry, dumb recruiters (which is nearly all of them) will be laser focused on the name brand of your university. They will not know your lab, PI, or care how many publications your lab produces per year nor their impact. They will just see a Harvard, Princeton, or whatever top school it is and assume you're smart, which will help get your foot in the door. If your future is academia, going to an under performing lab is a death sentence. It's not about the university, but the quality of the lab (and their publications) and the position your PI ranks in your field.
This is the best one I have watched so far. You even have a much more neutral look in your eyes, and I am confident in what you say being true in your head. That "I was fired for giving a fake PhD to my employer" that should be deleted, for your own sake! Lol. Make it again but do it in the style of this one, much more calm considered and not littered with emotional outbursty bits that put me off. But yeah the info is really solid here, I appreciate you made this.
@@nickw8160 Because it makes the presenter appear like he's not being totally honest for a start, and because that emotion detracts from the presented info second.
I have recently finishing my PHD in computer engineering. Just triggering ideas comming to my mind to complete Postdoc but I still hesiate so I wish toget best advice to which eouro college the best for that.
If you already know you want to go to industry, I’d suggest doing that asap. You typically don’t need postdoc experience, and you’re just leaving money on the table if you do a postdoc instead. Just be aware that, while not impossible, it’s hard to transition from industry to academia. Once you go industry, you should regard it as probably a one-way door. If you are sure you want to stay in industry, great. If not, then be sure before you make the move to industry.
Yeah, that bit about putting your names on each other's papers (without having done anything being the implication) is called "unearned authorship" - it's basically research fraud.
@@inazuma3gou Could you please elaborate more? I have seen, in the US and some European countries, a lot of Ph.D. students continue with their supervisors.
@@sendjasniabderrezzaq9347 It depends on how long. Very often students have left over works to publish after their PhD. If that is the case, it may make sense for the student to stick around and finish writing high impact papers. During that time, it might make sense to mentor younger PhD students and get experience mentoring. However, the long you stay, you are going to be treated like a PhD student. The limit is probably 1 year... 2 years at most. After that, people will start asking why you are still here? The best thing you can do is leave ASAP.
Your experience doesn’t resonate much with mine as a postdoc in the US. We generally didn’t get funding for ourselves, unless it was a fellowship. I think some get a pathway to independence grant like a K99, but that’s for more of a health-related field and there wasn’t any equivalent in mine. We also didn’t have any expectation to stick around for more than a few years, so it wouldn’t have made sense to try for grants because we would be out the door just as the cash was arriving. My advice for postdocs in the US is the following: The longer you are a postdoc, the less valuable you are on the academic job hunt. Strive to publish quickly and get on the academic job circuit within 1-2 years. 3 is okay, 4+ is definitely a mark against you. Second postdoc, even worse. This is field-specific, and I’m talking about chemistry specifically. If you are aiming at government or industry jobs, skip the postdoc if you can. These jobs are way less competitive than academia and many don’t require postdoc experience.
What absolute rubbish. There is nothing in this that is generalizable. It may well be true but his experience is entirely specific to him and the groups he worked in.
I do not have this impression. Of course he is going to speak of his own experience. What else would one expect for the purpose of this video? An intelligence-insulting disclaimer? An empirically validated analysis of differences between the two generalizable across countries and disciplines?
