Student Column: PostDoc Jobs: How to Find Them, How to BAG Them!
The season for communication tenure-track and lecturer jobs is slowly winding down, but there’s one year-round employment opportunity that few graduate students apply for, and yet which is definitely on the upswing these days. I’m talking about postdoctoral positions.
Since I’m not a postdoc myself, I decided to tap my friend network and see what the experts—those who’ve actually bagged postdoc positions—have to say. Amanda J. Porter (AJP) obtained her PhD from the U of Colorado Boulder and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Organization Sciences at VU U - Amsterdam. Courtney Lynam Scherr (CLS) is a doctoral candidate at Purdue U and will begin as a postdoc fellow in behavioral oncology at the Moffit Cancer Center from August 2013. Finally, Joyee S. Chatterjee (JSC) is a postdoctoral researcher at the U of Southern California, from where she also obtained her PhD, and is working on the National Institute of Health funded project “Transforming Cancer Knowledge, Attitude & Behavior through Narrative.”
This highly talented group of scholars responded to five broad questions about applying for postdoc jobs, as you can see below.
1. Why did you apply for postdoc jobs? Or, what opportunities are available through postdocs?
AJP: I applied to postdoc positions because they were research focused. The nice thing about most post docs is there is still often an opportunity to teach, but in my case, that was not a primary responsibility. If you want to advance your research, postdocs are a nice opportunity to do that. Because postdoc positions often come along as part of larger funded research projects, it is critically important that you make sure the research the post doc is expected to produce matches what you are interested in or need to research. My postdoc was also an opportunity to expand my network, so that I became part of an interdisciplinary research team at several different institutions. Finally, it was also a good opportunity to learn how large funded research projects function, which will be helpful when I apply for funding for my own research in the future.
CLS: My interest in postdocs was directly related to my research. While I have a strong background in communication, I desired additional mentorship in the area of behavioral oncology. Additionally, it is an increasing requirement for positions in health communication to have grant writing experience. The postdoc fellowship offers training in grant writing and running a research lab, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me!
JSC: The postdoc opportunity came my way before the job market cycle, so it was a matter of timing and what worked for my particular situation. In the past few years, I have seen several friends and colleagues get wonderful opportunities through postdoc fellowships, which worked as spring boards for their careers. Postdocs also get away from the binaries of tenure-track or non-tenure-track, academic or nonacademic positions in terms of planning “what next.” The postdoc was also opportune for me as an international scholar, since the 2-year commitment has afforded me time to sort out whether I want to stay in the United States for the long-term or not. It has also provided me experience at writing grant applications, which is usually great when applying for tenure-track jobs.
2. How do you apply for postdoc jobs? Are there particular venues/websites to gather information from? Is there a specific "time" for applications to start?
AJP: You apply for a postdoc in almost exactly the same manner as an assistant professor position. I did not notice a specific time for applications, but it is likely that postdocs will still be available later in the job market season. I found my position on this listserv, mixed in with other academic job opportunities: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/index. This is a good resource, if you are looking for opportunities in Europe.
CLS: Start EARLY! The deadlines to apply for government postdocs are late summer/early fall to fill a position for the following year, so I would suggest looking a year in advance. Use your personal networks or make professional connections at conferences, such as NCA or ICA. Often, postdoc announcements are not formally posted, but sent out through interpersonal networks. Let it be known to faculty—especially those in your area—that you are looking for a postdoc.
JSC: There are broadly two kinds of postdoc applications: ones where they are looking for an independent program of research from you and the other where they are looking for researchers to join existing grants/projects. The former tend to have more exact cycles & deadlines year to year, while the latter have much more flexibility and are based on external compulsions (e.g., funding cycles).
The NIH funded grant I am on had a postdoc position for the last two years of their project cycle. My research interests and graduation timelines happened to coincide with what the project PIs were looking for, so this position would not have existed if I had graduated at some other point. The key here is network, network, and network: talk early and often to your faculty and mentors if the postdoc is an option you are interested in. These positions will usually be circulated on smaller listservs and/or informally. At Annenberg, we have a very active grad student listserv to circulate job and research postings that appear in places apart from CRTNET/CULTSTU or which faculty may have forwarded us.
3. What materials do postdoc job applications generally ask for?
AJP: You still need everything you would need for an assistant professor position, except the teaching documents in my case. Be prepared to include sample journal articles and dissertation chapters. In my case, I sent in a dissertation chapter, and all 4 members of the hiring committee actually read the chapter in detail before my visit.
CLS: I found that inconsistency was the norm in terms of material requirements to submit an application. Some wanted hard copies of transcripts from all degree granting institutions attended, while others only required the completion of a Word document application electronically. In general, the focus of your application is on research; therefore, it is highly unlikely you will be asked to submit anything related to teaching or instruction. Each application generally asks for a slightly different twist on the research statement, so this statement should be tailored and you should very carefully read the job requirements.
JSC: My postdoc asked for a CV and an academic cover letter, but no statement on research or teaching.
4. What are those hiring postdocs looking for, do you think? Or, how should applicants "market" themselves?
AJP: In my case, they were looking for someone who is happy with doing mostly research. In such a case, market yourself as a strong researcher: you will want to show that you have some methodological and topical range, as most postdocs will require you to conduct different kinds of research for different parts of the project.
CLS: This is a guess, since I have only been on the applicant side, but I think the most important aspect they are looking for is “fit.” They want to know that your research aligns with the research of others at the institution. They also want to know that you are truly interested in being a researcher, and that you desire the mentorship and collaborative environment.
JSC: In general, emphasize your writing, research skills and productivity (much like any other academic job). In addition, depending on the job description (READ it carefully!), you should highlight particular aspects: in my case, the multidisciplinary project—which spanned communication, cinema, and medicine—wanted to see if I could work across these areas, could manage research teams, put together project proposals, and had grant writing experience.
5. Do you have any last piece of advice?
AJP: The importance of “fit” cannot be stressed enough; you want to make sure you can still do “your” research in the postdoc position. Since most postdoc positions are fairly short, you need to hit the ground running. You will be expected to produce publications in short periods of time, so you should be strategic about what kinds of data you collect and which journals you aim to publish in.
CLS: Realize that you will be writing to/speaking with a diverse audience. Some fellowships are run by individuals with a hard science background, so be prepared to tailor your message—both written and oral—to accommodate this reality. When you are invited for an interview, reflect on whether this program will fit with your needs as a researcher and help you to achieve your professional goals. Identify early on what you hope to get out of the position and make this your measure for your personal fit.
JSC: Keep your eyes and ears open, and let faculty members and your mentors know you are interested in postdocs, so they may think of you to send these opportunities your way.