Biophysical Society Bulletin | December 2020

Publications Career Devel pment

How to Find a Great Postdoc Position… in the Midst of a Pandemic

The postdoctoral stage is now seen as essential in cementing an early career sci- entist’s maturity and independence. The

burnout. Consider also your loved ones, including partners or chil- dren, when deciding tomove far away. Excellent local postdocs can be found in academia or industry. How do you job hunt for a great postdoc… during a pandemic: 1. Reach out to your immediate network. Word-of-mouth is particularly important, as these people have your best interests in mind. Many postdoc positions are not advertised widely. 2. Talk to your department faculty. They know you and your work and will likely know of several openings. Maybe you are teaching a graduate class for someone who knows of an amazing postdoc opportunity, and they will know you and your abilities so will be able to write you a letter of recommendation. 3. Use social media (strategically). Much has been said about what should be posted on social media, but a brief “I’mon the job market!” post can notify potential faculty of your availability for jobs you would otherwise never hear of. 4. Realize these are not normal times. Some universities have hiring freezes, and some visa issues might apply to non-citizens. 5. Look at places you would not normally consider. Have you ever considered working in Scandinavia? You will find some of the best work-life balance there, as well as generous maternity leave (and paternity leave!). Have you ever considered China or South Korea? These countries pay very generous postdoc salaries, with the potential for negotiation based on experience. 6. Deliver an online talk. In certain cases, you will be asked to give a presentation to the prospective group. During COVID-19, this will be via Zoomor Teams. The same advice applies as for in-per- son oral presentations, however, since you won’t be able tomeet in person with the labmembers, it might be more challenging to ask questions. Try to plan the list of questions you have to the prospective lab and its members. Good luck! — Molly Cule

postdoc is an excellent opportunity to improve yourself and grow beyond your PhD years, particularly if you had issues during your PhD; the postdoc al- lows you to turn the page. However, what exactly constitutes a “great” postdoc position, and how does one go about finding one? Furthermore, how do you job hunt during a pandemic? A great postdoc position should comprise some of the following features. 1. Opportunity to grow scientifically. There are benefits to doing something different in the eyes of university search committees, as this shows you challenged yourself and are likely to do so in the future. However, it’s still seen as growth if you keep working on a topic similar to your PhD, while aiming to gain new perspec- tives or to use newmethods. It’s also possible to choose a differ- ent systemor area of interest, while using the same methods you perfected in your PhDwork. 2. A project that builds on your story as a researcher. Tenure- track search committees will want to see that you challenged yourself and can bring a broad network of projects or collabora- tions. The postdoc is essential in broadening the synergy between your research projects and collaborations. Ideally, you can take the project with you when applying for tenure-track professor positions. 3. Encouragement to grow your network of scientific collabora- tions. If you can, go somewhere to work with a mentor who will want to keep collaborating with you in the future. A supportive mentor can really make a significant difference in your career. 4. Quality of life. The postdoc lies at the beginning or middle stage of your academic career, or possibly as a steppingstone into other avenues. For this reason, the postdoc is a marathon not a sprint. Aim tomaintain a good work-life balance to avoid career

There are over 1,700 Society members who are part of the FaB (Find a Biophysicist) Network. If you are looking to find peers, mentors, K-12 classroom visitors, speak- ers, science fair judges, or Student Chapter sponsors, search the database to find

your match. Numbers By the

December 2020

12

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B I O P H Y S I C A L S O C I E T Y