1 / 26

Post Doc: To Be or Not to Be?

Post Doc: To Be or Not to Be?. Douglas Densmore, PhD University of California, Berkeley Future Faculty and Professional Symposium GEM National Convention Las Vegas, NV 10/6/07. Outline. Why? “What!? Stay in school!!” .. maybe not that bad Post doc requires a very specific motivation

qamra
Download Presentation

Post Doc: To Be or Not to Be?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Post Doc: To Be or Not to Be? Douglas Densmore, PhD University of California, Berkeley Future Faculty and Professional Symposium GEM National Convention Las Vegas, NV 10/6/07

  2. Outline • Why? • “What!? Stay in school!!” ..maybe not that bad • Post doc requires a very specific motivation • How? • “monster.com here I come!” …work smarter, not harder • You have more control than you think • Where? • “Finally that beach house in Hawaii!”…need real reason • Post doc is about positioning yourself for the “next level”

  3. My Background Grandparent’s home on Lake Huron Richland Michigan (outside of Kalamazoo) • Born and raised in Southwest Michigan (Kalamazoo Area) • BSE in Computer Engineering in 2001 from the University of Michigan • MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004 and 2007 • Currently a UC Chancellor’s Post Doctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley Past GEM Fellow

  4. Why I Am a Post Doc Concrete Reasons • Ultimately I want to be a faculty member at a research 1 university • Received a Post Doctoral Fellowship • Personally I needed to have “temporary” employment Emotional Reasons • Not sure my research agenda is “ready” • Personal life left me unprepared to do an effective analysis of my university options

  5. How I Am a Post Doc • Final academic year of my graduate studies I was unsure of whether I wanted an academic position. • Prepared my academic job market materials • AND applied for a post doc fellowship • Fellowship PLUS my “why” reasons made the decision fairly easy. I took active control of my destiny! Do NOT leave this to chance!!!

  6. Where I Am a Post Doc • University of California, Berkeley department of Electrical Engineering • SAME advisor that I had during my grad studies (Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli) • MIX of old and new research. Same project for publications and progress. New project for expansion and depth • NEW responsibilities. Grant writing and I run a seminar series

  7. Main Question & Homework Question? Where do you want to be 2-5 years after you finish your PhD? This ultimately will answer 90%. Professionally? – University, National Lab, Industry Personally? – Family, Lifestyle Homework Identify 5-10 REAL people who match your goals and find out what they did!

  8. Post Doc Myths • A post doc is just an extension of grad school • A good post doc should be an extension of your work as well as the development of new research AND your roll in a department • A post doc automatically makes you more attractive • A poorly done post doc can actually do damage to your image. You are only as good as your last job • A post doc is easier/less stressful than grad school • A post doc is DIFFERENT than grad school. That does not mean that it easier

  9. Why #1 – Need a Post Doc • “Need” to do a post doc to get to the “next level” • “Need” means that it is literally a requirement • This can be very true in the physical sciences • An unwritten rule that all applicants will have a post doc

  10. Why #2 – Not Done • Not “done” academically to move to the next level • Want to consolidate research from dissertation • Publish more papers from dissertation • Code/software release needs to be completed • What is not “done” will prevent you from moving to the next level successfully (i.e. don’t stay just to “dot the last ‘i’”)

  11. Why #3 – Not Ready • Not “ready” to move on to the next level • Need to publish more new work to be a truly competitive applicant • Want to expand into a new area now that you are free from the burden of your dissertation • Family/personal situation requires that you stay in a temporary situation.

  12. Why #4 – Need for Growth • Need to grow in various areas • Need to connect with more colleagues, mentors, etc. Grow your network • Learn more about the academic job market and processes. How to negotiate • Time to mature and gain confidence • Practice speaking, job talks, etc

  13. Why – NOT to do a post doc • You should not do a post doc because: • You don’t know what you want to do next (i.e. stall/postpone the “real world”) • You think it is automatically going to make you a more attractive candidate • Feel flattered that someone offered you a position A post doc is unique because it is not a goal itself (like a degree or job) but rather a stepping stone.

  14. How #1 – Finding a post doc • A post doc appointment needs to satisfy a particular research goal. Its selection should not be random! • Use your current network (advisor, peers, etc) • Look at university department job openings • Find those doing work in your area. Contact them! You are a PhD now! • Sell yourself. What do you bring to the table? You are going to bring a great deal of manpower and brainpower to the table.

  15. How #2 – Types of post docs • Fellowship • You have your own money, potentially research funds • Pros: Independence, status • Cons: Need to make sure someone “cares about your success” • Employment • You are employed by the university or lab • Pros: Direct affiliation with who pays you (i.e. someone cares that you are productive) • Cons: Expectations related to who pays you. Limited flexibility in schedule and goals

  16. How #3 – Questions to ask • How EXACTLY will I fit into the research picture at place/group X? • What will be the balance between publishing work and DOING work? • What have previous post docs gone on to do after they left place X? • Get names and contact them! Similar questions you would ask anytime you make a “life transition”

  17. How #4 – Once you have a post doc • Make a specific timeline with explicit goals • This is a fixed length appointment! • Begin the transition from grad student to post doc • Establish new role with graduate students • Make yourself visible within the department • Begin to align yourself more closely with archetypes that fit your future vision of yourself

  18. How – NOT to do a post doc • You should NOT: • Select a post doc based solely on the financial package/geographic location • Go into a post doc without a clear idea of what the responsibilities and expectations are • Research goals • Teaching requirements • Dive blindly into research without a clear vision of not only its academic merit, but also how it fits into your timeline and goals

  19. Where #1 – Same location? • Same university as your graduate school? • Pros • Can keep the same momentum you had previously • Build your name and visibility more quickly • Perhaps this is simply the best match both academically and personally • Cons • May still be viewed as a graduate student (respect issues) • Need to work more to open up your network • Need to guard against complacency. Need energy

  20. Where #2 - Different Location? • Different university than your graduate school? • Pros • Chance to “reinvent” yourself. Brand new start! • Whole new set of contacts and mentors. • Improve your “status” (i.e. go to a “better” school). • Cons • Start up time may “steal” momentum. • Need to reestablish yourself and make new contacts. • No assurance that you will like the new situation. At least with your old school you knew what it was like…

  21. Where #3 - Outside Location? • Research in industry, national lab, etc? • Pros: • Visibility to commercial work. • “Real world” problems. • New environment. Distance yourself from academics • Cons: • Publishing may be difficult (NDAs for example) • Added pressures (i.e. bringing products to market) • Distance yourself from academics

  22. Where – NOT to do a post doc • A place chosen solely for superficial reasons. • This is just a short stop (shorter than grad school!) • A place chosen solely since it is a “step up” from your grad school. • Not going to matter if you aren’t productive • A place where you have not spoken with several (if not all) of the people you are going to be working with and discussed YOUR goals.

  23. Post Doc and Tenure • A post doc effectively delays your entry into an academic position • Pros: • Work you do as a post doc MAY be useful in the tenure process • You will enter the professoriate with more research ideas, projects, and momentum • Cons: • You have spent X years doing a post doc as opposed to pursuing tenure • May bring higher expectations to those evaluating you as a researcher

  24. Conclusions • Ask the big question! “Where do I want to be 2-5 years after I finish my PhD?”. • Go through the why, how, where process to begin the to think about a post doc. • Truly view a post doc as a “stepping stone” rather than the ultimate goal. Don’t lose your grad school momentum!!!!

  25. References • Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers • http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9831 • Tomorrow’s Professor, Rick Reis • http://www.postdocjobs.com • National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) • http://www.nationalpostdoc.org • University of California, Presidents Post Doc Fellowship • http://www.ucop.edu/acadadv/ppfp/

  26. Questions?? • densmore@eecs.berkeley.edu Thanks to GEM, Sheila Humphreys, Beatriz Lopez-Flores, Sam Casteneda

More Related