And much like what happened to us when we arrived, they're really schmoozing these two. I remember thinking after we visited SmallUniversity how weird it was to be so schmoozed because I wasn't a potential faculty member. In the words of HippieHusband, this department is really good at the front end sale, but they don't put any energy in the retention of their "customers".
The two postdocs, much like HippieHusband and I, have done their PhDs at a large university. From their webpages, my guess is that they are probably smart, creative and pretty independent thinkers. And good or bad, it seems like one if not both of these postdocs will work pretty closely with TheBully.
At the end of a PhD, because of the emotional damage that occurs to you, it is really easy to be swept up in schmooze. After all someone is feeding the very hungry ego.
So what advice would I give to PhDs when looking for a post-doc?
- First and foremost - figure out what you want out of the post doc. Obviously publications - but think harder - what skills do you want? Do you want a mentor for your career? How long do you expect to be there? What life events (like children, marriage, death, brain tumor, etc) might interfere with your goals? How will you handle this? What are the supervisor's expectations?
- Do your research. Officially, you got a PhD for your research skills. What journals does the person you want to do your postdoc publish in? What's the rate of publication? When was their last publication?
- So find out who are the postdocs in the department - past and present. Email them directly. Don't wait until the supervisor hooks you up with these people - he's only going to connect you with people that will talk highly about him and the department. It's really important to talk with postdocs who left. Why did they leave? Do they still maintain contact with their supervisor. If they don't, this might be a red flag.
- Always talk with their students - again past and present. Grad students are the heart of a departmental research program. Yes, the heart. The best grad students to talk with are the ones in the last year or so of their PhD because this is when the grad student is ready to leave a department. Although it will be through a filter of bitterness and exhaustion, if these students still speak highly of their supervisor - then it's a gold star.
- Pay attention to the dynamics amongst faculty, faculty and students, faculty and postdocs. If you can go to a journal club or joint lab meeting - do it. Although a potential supervisor may be on their best behavior, the undercurrent of the true dynamic in these relationships should still be present.
- Read between the lines. Unhappy students and postdocs will never jeopardize their careers for frankness to a stranger. They will make judicious comments about the department, faculty and the supervisor. The onus is on you to figure out what they're trying to tell you.
- If you are working with two people ie one is your actual supervisor and the other is a "collaborator" but you work in his/her lab. Define expectations and roles amongst the three of you.
- Find out the expectations and rules around authorship? Do they expect to be on all papers that you write during your postdoc? What is their definition of intellectual contribution? A coffee talk?
- What are the expectations around grants? Will you have to fund your own research? Are you expected to write your supervisors grants? Will you be acknowledged on the grant?
- How open is the supervisor about his/her funding? The budget? Do you have access to that information?
- Remember it takes a year to really know a place. The nooks and crannies, the gullies, the skeletons, the hidden gems. My opinion is that you can't really take advantage of the good stuff until you realize where the shit lies.
- Get everything in writing.
4 comments:
Thanks for the list. I've got it bookmarked for a few years down the road. Everytime anyone mentions the whole post-doc phase, it's never good. Unlike people who reminisce about college or grad school being the best times of their lives? Post-docs never get close to that- it's always miserable news. And taking control of that might soften the blow. (I am glad stumbled here thanks to CPP)
Are really all grad students / recent PhDs bitter about their experience? I thought that was down to the individual situation... but as I haven't finished yet, I don't know.
On your list, I think 5 and 6 are very important. Learned the hard way.
@rocketscientista: I know several young(ish) PIs who told me that the postdoc was the best time of their life.
@rocketscientista
Thanks! I've known several very successful scientists and they have said that the post-doc is a difficult time. It's difficult because of expectations aren't straightforward.
@Amelie
No. Not all grad students are emotionally damaged. But even if you escape it during the PhD, at some point you will struggle. Frankly, I think its better to struggle early rather than later.
The post-doc is only the best time because there is no teaching nor service commitments. But it doesn't mean that it's not an emotionally difficult time.
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