I know this sounds like a flippant idea with no basis in reality, and
maybe a little like "let them eat cake"... BUT, I am in nearly the exact
same situation as you, so...
Are you sure that just another postdoc/postech/postemp is all you can
do/get? Are you sure that these will lead to a career? In my
experience, I can use this analogy: If you're in a hole, and your
career is somewhere outside of it, a postdoc/postech/postemp position is
like a shovel - it can only dig you deeper in the hole, and farther from
a career.
Have you considered something outside government or academia? Maybe
starting your own business doing some version of what you love that is
marketable?
I recently started my own company and, with some seed money from the
Gates foundation, this will be my only job starting in July. I am oddly
optimistic about it actually!
Do you know anyone involved in a startup who would work with you as a
partner to get the thing off the ground?
I don't like that the private sector or entrepreneurial track are the
only career options for most Ph.D. scientists to stay in anything
resembling science - but sadly that's the reality. Academia is in
scenescence (a prof at Berkeley I know recently taught me a great and
quite accurate phrase "the Anemia of Academia"), and government agencies
are shrinking by the day. I don't like it but I also am not impressed
with much of what I have observed in the public sector, particularly for
academia. The corruption and what I call "race to the bottom" I have
observed in the ivory tower do not inspire much sympathy from me on the
funding issue or anything that expands the current system/status quo.
Academia and the science funding structure (including government
agencies) need a tremendous amount of reform - particularly in the area
of providing careers (and thus, diversity of innovation) for young
scientists. Why aren't kids as excited about science anymore and doing
well in it? No one from the undergrad level on up wants to teach them
and there aren't any careers to be had in it anyhow. Those are the
things that need fixed before the whole "STEM" educational system will
be more fruitful.
So, in summary, my advice to you is to start looking and thinking WAY
outside of the "box". There are no career opportunities in the
traditional box (well, aside from what can be garnered through
nepotism), and it's dusty and stagnant in there anyhow. Best to seek
greener pastures! :) Also, don't forget to give back to the community!
Spend some time talking to the undergrads you know about whether or not
they truly should go to grad school!
That's my 2 cents. ..
ATD
On 6/11/2012 11:06 PM, Jeremy L. Conkle wrote:
Good Evening Ecolog,
I am potentially approaching a crossroads in my early career and I
would appreciate some feedback from those of you who may have been
through a similar situation or just have some perspective to share. I
have recently finished my second year as a post-doc and have the
opportunity to transition onto a new grant here at the same
institution in California in an amazing lab that will provide me
funding for another 1 or 2 years. I would generally continue the same
research, but also branch out into a slightly different arena.
However, I am also waiting to hear back from a position in England
that is a 3-4 year post-doc where I would get research experience
doing different work that I am also very interested in.
As with most young researchers, I am ready to settle into a permanent
position, as I have lived on every coast in U.S. during my schooling.
But since I have not been able to secure a faculty/government research
position I am left (fortunately) with these two options (potentially).
I believe that my CV will have enough publications to be competitive
for faculty/government positions within the next year, but teaching is
somewhat of a weakness on my CV.
Both positions have their pros and cons and the pay would be about the
same (accounting for exchange rates). Staying in my current position
would be more continuous, whereas starting over in England would
require a little time to get settled. I would also be able to get
teaching experience at the position in England. The other major
difference is the length of each contract.
I was wondering what advice Eco-loggers may have for me given my
potential options and career stage? Should I start over with a new
experience in a new country? Would I be better suited to stay
grounded here and hopefully get a more permanent position in a year?
In the long term I would want to work in the states, but how hard
would it be for me to move back after a few years? I've been told that
this can be tricky for some reason.
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Please respond
to me off the list if possible.
Thank you in advance.
Jeremy
--
Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs
Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation
http://www.allthingsbugs.com
https://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs
1-352-281-3643
