As Ph.D. ends, many researchers get confused in making a decision for their future careers. They are usually stuck in making the choice between two things:
- Doing a Post-Doc OR
- Find a researcher job
What would you recommend and why?
I think it largely depends on the type of career an individual wants. Generally speaking, there are two career routes for a researcher with a Ph.D. - academia or industry.
If you want a career in academia, doing a Post-Doc would be tremendously beneficial, since it provides the best opportunity to get publications. Publishing is essential for an academic career. However, if one does not desire a career in academia, instead wanting a position in a more applied or industrial setting, publications are less important (that's not to say unimportant, just less). If going the industrial route, skills and experience are more desirable to employers. To such an individual, I would encourage them to strengthen their skillset as much as possible (i.e., learn all the relevant software, analyses, designs, practices, etc,) and apply to positions that are more closely related to the kind of position they ultimately want - rather than bothering with a Post-Doc.
Hello, Hasan Bin Sohail . There are so many factors to consider that there's no simple answer to this.
While many research-intensive academic programs once sought those who had post-doc experience, this has been ever-evolving, especially in certain fields.
Sometimes postdoc experiences available are not relevant to a person's career goals. In such cases, it doesn't make sense to take such a post-doc just to have had one.
In areas where there are faculty shortages (many of the health-related disciplines, for example) many people with new PhDs opt for faculty or industry positions rather than post-docs because the salaries tend to be much higher than for post-docs.
I hope that helps.
All the best,
Brooke Hallowell
Hi! It depends on individuals career goals in the distant future. If after PhD anyone wants to hold on the research practices rigorously with compassion then it is wise to carry on with Post doctorate. Usually the opportunities for postdoc also varies across disciplines. This is another considerable factor that determines whether one should wait for getting the offer for postdoc or pursue general academic or industrial career instead. Thanks.
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