Biophysical Society Bulletin | May 2020

Career Development

Working Towards and Negotiating Autonomy as a Postdoc Dear Molly Cule ,

move as well, provided that your advisor is taking students. If you are only a year or so away from finishing with your PhD, perhaps it makes sense to stay at your current place and wrap up experiments before your advisor moves, so you can be writing your papers and thesis when they are moving. If you are staying, you may need to figure out if there is equipment you can use or another lab space for you to occupy. Talking to the graduate director for your PhD program will likely help. It is important to think about the pros and cons of following your advisor. What are the benefits of staying or going? Is the pay better at one place? What about the cost of living? Is the health insurance better? What are the requirements for graduation at the next place compared to the old one? Will you have to re-qualify? Will your credits transfer to allow you to graduate on time? It is also important to consider your personal life and how it could be affected. Do you have family or friend support struc- tures that you can’t leave or that might be closer when you move? Do you need to consider childcare or elder care? How will your mental health be affected by leaving or staying? For each of these questions, seek out answers and use that information to help you make the best possible choice for yourself. As you make your decision, I recommend that you stay in touch with your advisor. They should want what is best for you and your career. If you make a reasoned decision, they should respect it either way. Good luck with your decision. At the end of the day it is yours to make. — Molly Cule

My advisor just told me that they are moving to a new university. I am not exactly sure what I should do. Should I stay in my current program and find a new advisor? Should I move too? Thanks for your advice, — Confused

Dear Confused , Thank you for the important question. These types of disrup- tions happen all the time whether it is your advisor moving, you changing labs, or everyone being homebound due to a world-wide pandemic (ok, that one doesn’t happen *all* the time). No one’s graduate, postdoc, or even faculty career is perfectly smooth. Upon high magnification, all science careers have ups and downs. Your advisor moving will no doubt be a perturbation to your career, but the type and size of the per- turbation will depend on the specifics of the situation. My first advice for you is to communicate early with your advisor, and ask questions about the move. Does your advisor want to bring any students along? When will your advisor actually move? Will your advisor maintain some status at the former institution? Is there a possibility of some students continuing at their original space? Or do you need to find another lab, if you stay? Next, think about your career stage. If you are fairly new in the lab (one or two years), you get along well with your professor, and they are a good mentor, it might make sense for you to

The Biophysical Society is grateful to its Industry Partners.

GOLD

SILVER

For Industry Partner Membership information, contact alevine@biophysics.org.

May 2020

14

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