Tips for Finding Post-Doctoral Positions

This information is a collection of assorted tips from current postdocs in the Department of Psychology and from UCLA Psychology PhDs who began postdoc positions after graduating from UCLA.  If you have any tips that you would like to see added to the list, please contact Lindsay Kovner.

• Look for a position in which you will enjoy both the research and the people you work with.  If you do not like what you are doing or who you’re working with, this, combined with low pay, can turn this into a negative experience.

• The Scientist’s annual postdoc survey concluded that the happiest postdocs are usually at small universities.  

• Postdoc positions are sometimes called “research professor” positions.
• Whether you’re interested in working in academia, publishing, editing, teaching, or industry, having the right postdoc position can be key to the career you are trying to develop.
• Other reasons to look for postdoc positions is so that you can add to your research repertoire while finishing up existing projects and beefing up your CV, this may be the way to go.
• Think about where you want to be at the end of your postdoc year(s).  Be sure that the research field you’re going to work in is headed in that direction.
• Start looking for a postdoc position early.  Start thinking about where you want to work as a postdoc at least a year or two in advance.  Time can only help you here.
• Let people know that you are looking for a postdoc position. They may be able to assist.
• It is rare to get a postdoc position through an advertisement.  However, for NIH and for strictly clinical postdoc positions, it does make sense to look at advertisements. 
• Find out where previous members of your lab have gone (either from your adviser or other grad students).  That might open up opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise know about. 
• Does your faculty member have connections?
• You may want to look for departments like UCLA, i.e., departments with on-going, large training programs that regularly fund postdocs. 
• The more publications, skills, and techniques you have prior to applying for postdoc positions; the better you get along with others and the more new ideas you can contribute: the more competitive you will be. 
• When exploring postdoc positions, email faculty with a fairly brief message.  Attach a CV.  The most important piece of information to give is the faculty mentor’s name.  Tell them what you’re looking for and when you can start.  Including a detailed research proposal is NOT a good idea. 
• One  way to look for postdoc positions is to find somebody who already has funding to support you for at least two years.  
• Don’t be afraid to simply contact a researcher you’d like to work with, or to ask your advisor to make the first contact if it’s with someone they know.  Many postdoc positions are not formally advertised or listed but faculty may have funds for a position, or know of other postdoc opportunities in similar or related labs. 
• Establish expectations in advance.  Clarify your obligations, your goals, and whether summer teaching is feasible. 
• Participation in annual conferences presents an excellent way of identifying future postdoc mentors.
• Some professional organizations have good list-serves posting postdoc jobs. For example, APPIC has a listing of postdocs in clinical psychology, and Division 38 has listings for those who are interested in health psychology.   Other good websites include:
  
  • www.psycareers.com
  • www.chronicle.com
  • http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/career_stage/post_doc__1
• You may want to bring your own funding to a postdoc position.  You can probably postdoc wherever you want if you can bring your own funding to the table. So, if you have time to develop your own postdoc research agenda and want to work with someone who is receptive but short of funding, begin by getting an understanding of the grant application process, if you don’t have this background already. One good option might be to apply for a postdoctoral NRSA award which allows you to pursue your research agenda with the mentor of your choice.  It usually takes a few tries to get funding so it's good to pursue this option very early!  The NRSA website is at http://grants.nih.gov/training/extramural.htm.  Their application deadlines are 12/5, 4/5 and 8/5.  Email Lindsay for lots of very valuable information if you plan to apply for an NRSA postdoc! There are also AERA postdoc awards and an IES postdoc for people whose research can be framed as educationally related. 
• Even if you can't be an official PI at the institution you wish to work at without being a member of the academic senate (this is university specific) it is still worth trying to write a real grant with someone you would like to work with, perhaps based upon your dissertation work with new extensions that would pertain to the new research lab you wish to join. Several of our students (including Lindsey Engle) have succeeded in such ventures.  There are no guarantees but at the very least it can be a good experience and a good opportunity to hammer out new work ideas that may get conducted later even if it’s not funded when you first apply.
• Consider non-academic settings, but be aware of the environment you're entering.  Government labs, R&D/ IP/ tech companies, consulting firms, and military organizations all offer positions that might look like postdoc positions.  Pros: Excellent experience if you're thinking of a non-academic career path; lots of money floating around; smart people working on interesting applied problems.  Cons: many of them will require you to work on projects that are not your own, and will leave you little time to develop and write about your own work; some of these places (esp. consulting and other private companies) are about business, not science; bureaucracy is annoying.
• Teaching opportunities are important to consider.  You may or may not have taught in grad school.  If you're looking for an academic career, you will benefit from having teaching experience (esp. if it's more than a TA position).  Look into whether the university you are going to will let you teach and whether they'll make you teach.  If you're going to government/industry, find out it there are ties to local universities where you can get teaching experience if desired.  (Of course, one of the best things about postdoc positions is that you actually get to spend your time on research).
• International students: Usually, postdoctoral positions funded by NIH/NIMH require citizenship or a green card. This includes training grants to institution as well as to individuals.

POSTDOC Mentors

• You will need high profile, first author publications to get you a faculty position. It is therefore critical to discuss ownership of your postdoc research projects in advance.
• It is critical for you to find a faculty member who you get along with.  Although you won't get as much mentoring as you did in grad school, finding a postdoc advisor with good mentoring skills will pay off.
• A good mentor may be able to help integrate you not only into your lab but also into your department.  This in turn will lead to better networking/recommendations at the end of your postdoc career.
• Check mentoring styles of your mentor with other people in the lab before you make a final decision.
• Advisors who are assistant professors tend to have a more hands-on approach.  They also tend to push you along more so that you both of you will mutually benefit from your productivity.
  
• Advisors who are senior faculty do not care so much about “taking credit” from your work.  They usually offer you more independence than a junior faculty member would and they also can offer you better connections when you’re in the job market.
• Find out whether the advisor you’re considering working with will be flexible in allowing for collaborations with others in your field.
• Find out whether you will be responsible for helping to train graduate students in the lab. In some labs this can take a big part of the postdoc's time.
• Be proactive as a postdoc.  Nobody will tell you about relevant talks or meetings.
  Ask your advisor or--probably better--graduate students.
• Clear communication is the key.  In graduate school, you had a set of requirements to complete--your prelims, your dissertation, etc.  As a postdoc, you don't have any of that.  Meet with your advisor and set specific goals.
• Understand your funding.  You should know: who actually pays your salary, who has the ability to extend or terminate your position, and upon what criteria those decisions are based.  You should know the amount, duration, and conditions of your funding.  You should find out whether your funding includes medical (and other) insurance for you and your family.  You should find out if your funding includes a repayment agreement (as NRSAs sometimes do) and if so, the conditions for satisfying that agreement (avoiding repayment).  Be sure to discuss both your funding expectations, as well as your mentor’s (includes length of position).  FUNDING IN YOUR LAB IS IMPORTANT!