Applying for a postdoc
In some subject areas, the figures are even more bleak: for arts and humanities subjects, only 14% secured a research you are one of the many hopefuls applying for a vacancy, how can you maximise your chances of standing out? Building your networks ’s a lot of research in the job market about the effectiveness of being known to people before applying to interviews – not just in academia but generally. You might not find a formal postdoc position, but there might be an opportunity for collaborative work. Someone approaches a group looking for a postdoc the response they might get is: “we’re interested in you but we don’t have any funding – if you can find some then you can come here. Cautious about firing off out-of-the-blue a candidate contacts me to do a postdoctorate with their own funding i look for compatibility with my own specialisation or expertise. This is a problem for some postdocs, especially if they have a partner who wants to stay in a long-term position elsewhere, but it is worth looking at opportunities abroad. If you’re applying for a position it’s really important to read the questions and guidance in detail. Convince the principal investigator that because you have done (insert specific skills here), you will be able to do (insert what the principal investigator is looking for the postdoc to do). Postdoc is really employed to deliver the specific outcomes that have been promised to the funders. As someone who works ethnographically, the postdoc applicant needs to convince me that they have stamina and openness to take on sometimes difficult and tiring fieldwork and who can respond to different and demanding situations. Obviously it’s fine if they’re using the phd to show how they will meet the requirements of the postdoc, but they have to be looking forward to the research project in question. You have to be very comfortable with that person and happy that the group will help you get what you want to get out of the postdoc. Carefully about whether you want to stay in you have an opportunity to stay on and do a postdoc, it’s very easy to be flattered by that and to stay on without thinking about the longterm options or consequences. Generally, the longer you stay in a postdoc position, the harder it is for you to move into other sectors. When she began her search for a postdoctoral fellowship in her final year of graduate school, she started a blog, in part to get advice from around the globe.
Who landed a postdoc at harvard medical school in boston, massachusetts, had the right attitude, say lab heads, because her diligent background research aimed to answer the question, 'what do i want to get out of my postdoc? Although they are short-term assignments, postdoc positions should be viewed as stepping stones to a longer-term independent career — whether in academia, industry or another science-related that reason, it is hard to overstate the importance of the postdoc application. Form letters and typos will get applicants is no 'right' way to apply, say both successful postdocs and supervisors. And there are common refrains as to what catches their eye, how they single out applicants to pursue and what red flags may send a cv straight into the rubbish franks knew he wanted to switch from the rna-processing field to a cell-biology topic for his postdoc. I wanted to apply to proven, top-notch labs where i was going to have the success and track record of the people coming out of these labs,” he went to the large annual meeting of the american society for cell biology about 9 months before the date he hoped to start a postdoc, and made a list of the labs whose speakers most impressed him. He applied to five labs and, in the end, secured a postdoc at the salk institute for biological studies in la jolla, g formula: preparation paid off for (from left) xiaoli du, toby franks and kristofor the hope of increasing their chances of acceptance, other graduate students choose just one lab and assure the lab head they will accept the position if chosen. An application typically consists of a cover letter introducing the applicant and his or her reasons for joining this particular lab; a cv outlining education, publication record, honours and accomplishments; and three referees who will provide supportive letters of recommendation on request (see 'postdoc application to-do list'). I personally don't put too much weight on the cv,” says martin hetzer, franks's postdoctoral adviser at the salk institute. Other lab heads suggest that applicants list experiences that illustrate other responsibilities — such as sitting on graduate-school or department committees or hosting seminar ants should highlight what they hope to accomplish in general in a postdoc position. Write it in a way that says, 'i did this' or 'my part of the project was', especially if you did something outstanding,” she applying after taking a break from science must work harder to convince a lab head. Kristofor langlais had been teaching high-school science at a ski academy in vermont when he applied for postdoc positions in the washington dc extensive research into each lab's publications, websites and even annual reports, he wrote his cover letters from the angle of someone already in the lab. He spent 20 hours or more on each application and his strategy paid off — he had four phone interviews, and ended up in a molecular-genetics fellowship at the us national institute of child health and human development in bethesda, se, when xiaoli du was finishing up her doctorate at peking union medical college in beijing, she knew she would need to send applications to 30–40 labs if she wanted to obtain a postdoc in the united states. Her hard work led to a postdoc at the us national cancer institute in bethesda, maryland. If a postdoc has their own fellowship, they can write their application to me in crayon and i'll take them,” says phil baran, an organic chemist at the scripps research institute in la jolla, california. Have a list of bullet points handy in case you get l powell is a freelance writer in broomfield, rial track: charting the course of your d external sity of california, san diego, stem-cell s research al institute of dental and craniofacial al postdoctoral ate editor / senior editor roles, nature research - talent pool , united sor and faculty positions at the academy of medical sciences (ams), zhengzhou academy of medical sciences of zhengzhou cs, key lab for neuroinformation, university of electronic sciences and technology of sity of electronic science and technology of china (uestc).
Innovation open innovation challenges found at this ent’s messagenews from the hillmember updateretrospective: tony pawsontabor award winnerslionel cheruzelsarah gordonnih update: exrnaprotein originsq&a with john extonjeffrey pessin, new jbc aecareer insights: good lab managementcareer insights: a killer cover letterlipid news: sphingolipidsjournal newsjbc: mrnajbc: redox thematic seriesjbc: immunity and inflammationjlr: tuberculosis testmcp: mussels and matingeducation: biotech careers websiteminority affairs: hopes seed-grantseditor’s noteopen channelsletter to the editorbiochemistry to write a killer cover letter for a postdoctoral graduate students applying for their first postdoctoral positions underestimate the importance of the cover letter. It is important to respect how hectic a day in the life of a pi can be, so get right to the point — something like, “i am applying for the postdoctoral position available in your laboratory that was recently advertised (where). End the first paragraph with just one or two concise sentences that hint at why you are the ideal candidate for the position — you will expand on these points the second paragraph, elaborate on why you should be considered for the postdoc — not just any postdoc, mind you, but this particular postdoc in this particular lab. Yes, it is infinitely easier to use the same cover letter for the dozens of postdoctoral positions for which you are applying, but that is not going to cut it. If you fail to convince the pi that you are taking the postdoc search seriously, then the pi is not likely to take you seriously. A plain, boring font like 12-point arial or helvetica is easy on the sore eyes of a pi struggling to read the 87th postdoc application. Hope these tips help you land that perfect postdoctoral to primary to secondary →blog→landing your tenure track job→the postdoc app: how it’s different and the next few months i will be posting the “best of the best” professor is in blog posts on the job market, for the benefit of all those girding their loins for the 2013-2014 market. Has come to my attention that many junior people do not have a clear picture in their minds of the requirements of a postdoc treat it too much like the job application. Yet many of the same principles the purposes of this post, i’m going to assume that the postdoc application is requiring a cover letter, a 4 page research proposal, a description of a proposed course, and a brief statement articulating how you will participate in the scholarly community of the campus. While not all postdocs will require this exact set of documents, by discussing these here, we can address the major requirements, expectations, and potential pitfalls of the typical postdoc application effort. In all of this first part, the relevance of your work to the stated mission of the postdoc will be emphasized clearly. If your topic is mexican women immigrant workers, then for a gender postdoc, you will emphasize how the phenomenon reflects changing gender relations at home or abroad; for a globalization postdoc, you will emphasize how the phenomenon reflects changing labor mobility globally; for a latin american studies postdoc, you will emphasize how the phenomenon reflects new economic circumstances in mexico. This tailoring requires an original recasting or reframing of your work to meet the mission of the postdoc! Failure to do this reframing means failure to get the the discussion of research, the postdoc app letter will specifically discuss the plan of work for the postdoc year–ie, month by month, what new research and revisions will be will then include a very brief discussion of teaching experience (much shorter than for a regular job cover letter), followed by a discussion of the proposed class required by the postdoc, and how the proposed class will also advance the mission of the , in place of the typical tailoring paragraph, the letter will conclude with a brief paragraph explaining how the research and writing time of the postdoc will be used, how the scholarly community on campus will advance the project, and how the candidate will participate in said scholarly community. The letter will be no more than 2 pages principle in operation here—and the one that too many applicants don’t seem to grasp—is that the campus is funding this expensive postdoc not so some random academic can come and sit in an office and write for a year, but rather, to “buy” the energy, contributions, and participation of an additional world-class scholar to their campus community for the period of that year.
The point of a postdoc research proposal is to, first, articulate an important and significant project, and second, articulate a coherent and feasible plan of work. It is this second element that most applicants fail to er: the postdoc is not there to serve you, you are there to serve the postdoc. The postdoc wants to be in the line, in the footnote, “this research was supported by generous funding from xxxxx. The postdoc committee is going to judge the applications based on how likely it is that the applicant is going to efficiently and effectively use the time on campus to complete a specified set of publications. Research you will conduct, and when, what book chapters you will complete, and when, and what journal articles you will finish and submit, and will conclude this document with a strong and expansive conclusion that clearly shows how the postdoc year will play into your larger scholarly and career trajectory as a world-class scholar. Because the postdoc wants to get part of the fame and glory that attaches to you as you move ahead in the cs are in the business of supporting the next generation of leaders in the scholarly world. Be aware that the vast majority of postdoc applications are written by the ed class description. Point of vast confusion among postdoc applicants seems to be how to pitch the required class. That means, they want a highly specialized course, that reflects the postdoc’s unique and distinctive scholarly program. The final choice for how to pitch the course will hinge on the climate of the department and the campus, and the postdoc mission itself—if it’s an asian area studies postdoc, then you’d prioritize se asia, if it’s a gender postdoc, then you’d prioritize global sexualities, if it’s a transnational studies postdoc, then you’d prioritize queer globalizations. The tailoring happens ent of participation in campus ’s what the postdoc committee does not want: someone who arrives, walks into their allotted office, and is never seen again for the rest of the year. The proper stance here is that of a colleague who brings her own dynamic field of expertise to the campus, and who looks forward to energetic and innovative interactions with the colleagues sum, remember that, no matter how much you need that postdoc to get your book written, the postdoc is not there to serve you. You are there to serve the postdoc, but as a first-rank, world-class scholar and specialist in your field whose work speaks directly—directly—to the mission of the postdoc. By virtue of your energy and brilliance, you cause the postdoc committee to pick you, out of all the competitors, to spend the year on their campus, sharing your work, and augmenting their teaching and intellectual profile and advancing their scholarly cause. Remember, make them want advice– and also great insight into the expectations for those who are fortunate to have a postdoc position!
I’m currently applying for postdocs here in australia, and your tips have been really useful so far! Was wondering if you could comment specifically on how to pitch the research proposal aspect of the postdoc in a way that is both different from but still speaks to your dissertation research. Especially for a field like anthropology where “research” typically means a fieldwork project (yet postdocs aren’t fieldwork grants) i’m curious about what to say. I find myself re-explaining my dissertation research and i’m worried i’m not making enough of a distinction between dissertation and postdoc research. In most cases, in the humanities and social sciences, what a one year postdoc calls “research” is in fact the transformation of your dissertation into a book or series of articles. This is not the case for science postdocs, so for information on those, please seek advice of specialists in your field. Many postdocs have a light teaching load and some limited research funding precisely to offer you the opportunity to do a bit more research in the archives or your field site, perhaps over winter break or a short visit, but it is understood that this is merely to augment the research you have already done for the dissertation. You will mention this in the 4-page proposal as precisely that—a short-term research stint to provide you with needed materials to complete your revisions of chapter 4, for example, or to form the basis of a new final chapter, the postdoc is a two year postdoc, then the situation changes to some extent. Thing you said made me think of a tangential question: how should a postdoc initiate casual meetings to get to know individual faculty members? The postdoc announcement calls for “a statement of interest, curriculum vitae, sample publications, and three letters of recommendation. I plan to apply for postdocs, but i am in research transition and my new research is not related at all to my past research. Postdocs go to more junior people, typically, and you’d be unlikely to get one. Because there are very few jobs in my area and i would like to work in a related, but different, discipline, i am considering a postdoc to get the training that i would need to do so. Am curious how you would adjust the postdoc cover letter to cater for a postdoc fellowship that is working on someone else’s project. Was accepted as an academic visitor (3-12 months) in warwick by a professor there who asked me to propose my own idea, secure my own funding and he will supervise and support my government offers postdoc fellowships and i’m supposed to submit a proposal, get warwick approval, then send it to them to get the funding.
Never wrote a postdoctoral proposal before and made a lot of research and came to the conclusion that it ranges from something like a graduate research proposal, to something with cover letter, and budget. I’ve read the comments and questions above, some imply that postdoc is intended as a continuation of parts of the phd work into books chapters and articles. Understanding seems to be accurate—but generally any postdoc competition will be very clear about the required docs and their length! If your previous phd work can be brought to completion with time left over, then the proposal should clearly indicate what new research you’ll be of the post-docs i’m applying to requires the following application materials:A detailed statement of research interests and teaching methods. He is looking for a postdoc and we have had a very nice chat, so after experssing my interest in his work he asked me to submit a detailed cv and a (statement of work). I am confused, in particular that i wont be applying for funding for example, since he has the funding is not a standard document, so we have to judge by what’s being asked. A cover letter with an indication of (and justification for) the level of support requested” means (the application is for a visiting scholar fellowship, suitable also for postdocs) ? In europe, most of postdoc app require the candidate to demonstrate “how you meet the criteria of the post” (generally there is a list of essential and desire criteria), rather than a research proposal, or teaching statement i still need to do project and teaching plan or i can just “show” them how i have met the general, the postdoc/direction topic is already given when they advertised the advice for this type of application? M applying for a post-doc that specifically asks for a bibliography as part of the (3,000 word) research statement. The ad for the postdoc i’m applying to asks for a research statement of no more than 2000 words, without specifying whether or not i should include bibliography in those 2000 words. The post doc position i am applying for includes a question of “advantages of doing post doc at the university”. Wonder if there is any difference in applying for so-called “teaching post-docs,” where the aim is to support the post-doc as s/he increases his/her teaching experience, with some research being expected but not specified… in fact, the one i’m thinking of doesn’t even want a research outline, just a cover letter and cv! I am considering applying for another lab, with another topic and proposal, but i afraid if the same experience question is, if i don’t send a proposal and just send a cover letter including my research interests would be workable? It possible to sound too far along with turning your diss into a book for a postdoc? I’m applying for several 3-year postdocs, and they generally say that typically the first 2 years are devoted to turning the diss into a book and the 3rd year to a new book project.
I finished my diss over a year ago, am in conversation with a major press about publication, and ideally plan to send them the manuscript for review next summer, before the postdoc would start. So there are a number of ways i could lay out my 3-yr postdoc research plan. But are postdoc search committees more interested in your first than your second book, in terms of their place in your acknowledgments, etc? I am abd in anthropology, finishing in june, and currently applying for two 3-year postdocs. I’m currently applying for a post-doc that does *not* ask for a cover letter, but it does ask for a “personal statement” of 2000 words “outlining their completed research (including dissertation), work in progress, professional goals and plans for publication, and any other information relevant to their candidacy. I’ve been drafting a letter that goes into teaching for my 2nd & 3rd paragraphs, then goes on to discuss dissertation and research that i plan to pursue in the 4th you in advance for your i need different letters of recommendation for postdocs and job applications? I showed a draft to my advisor & she indicated that i needed more specifics about what i expected out of the postdoc than the personal related narrative. Since i have published a little but spent most time working in the public health field i am applying for – project managing, presenting, providing ta, conducting workshops, evaluating, consulting, conducting research – very actively engaged. Also have a quick question that is related to the ps or rather, via ps, to the diversity postdoc positions. I am seriously considering applying for one, i feel i can address the requirements very well but was wondering how much recruitment for these relies on candidates’ ethnicity. Karen, i am a finalist for a postdoc and i have a skype interview scheduled. Is there a major difference between preparing for a postdoc skype interview and a tenure track one? All the regular interviewing rules apply (read all my posts on interviewing) but you’ll be focused on the specific things to be accomplished during the postdoc term, and in terms of teaching–only the course or courses that are required under the postdoc (if any). I am currently writing an application for a philosophy postdoc and find some parts of it rather difficult (btw, it is a pure research position, which is a good thing because i do not have the people skills to be a teacher, even “participation” is a stretch for me). Writing articles the cdn front postdocs are highly centralised (mostly done through the federal tri-council online application system).
The relative enthusiasm of the department that would host you is also important (and sussing out what kind of space they have for you, whether they will have other postdocs, what kinds of opportunities there may be). Is really helpful to hear – i am in the process of preparing my sshrc postdoc application and trying to understand what aspects seem to really count. I am applying for a one year postdoc in social sciences which puts particularly emphasis on the training it offers to develop skills for future academic career. M applying for a postdoc that requires both a research proposal (and assumes that you’ll be revising your dissertation into a book manuscript) and a dissertation abstract. About the cover letter for cover letter you state: “after the discussion of research, the postdoc app letter will specifically discuss the plan of work for the postdoc year–ie, month by month, what new research and revisions will be made. The end of the letter you say: “lastly, in place of the typical tailoring paragraph, the letter will conclude with a brief paragraph explaining how the research and writing time of the postdoc will be used, how the scholarly community on campus will advance the project, and how the candidate will participate in said scholarly community. Am wondering if there is a distinction between “research and writing time” and plan for the postdoc year re: research and revisions? Am currently applying for a 3-year post-doc at a university with two faculty members whose research and theory has been very influential on my own. The online application does not accommodate a cover postdoc proposals will have a paragraph on contributions to/interactions with the faculty and 3-yr. Postdoc i am applying to requires just a single, 3,000 words or less personal statement that summarizes everything (it’s a nightmare to write). I’m applying for a post-doc that is specifically focused on conducting archival research for a broader project (in the humanities). Have a question about writing the research proposal for a research postdoc in which the plan is to turn the dissertation into a book. I just completed my phd in creative writing and am contemplating to apply for two year postdoctoral research in europe. M working on a postdoc application right now that asks only for a letter, cv, writing sample, and references. The postdoc is heavily focused on raising the department profile (so thanks for your discussion of that in your post!
Find your blog of much help and i am following your rules to tailor a good postdoc application. However, i am partecipating to a call for a postdoc position that requires a project of only three pages. M not sure what you mean by career statement, but docs for postdocs are not written as letters unless there is specifically a cover letter requested as part of the ck: apply for a hep postdoc position 2015 | ?? Following your general postdoc guidelines, i made a case for how my work both fits with what they already offer and injects some new blood. Two positions are fellowship where we can join as pre- or postdoc, and they main ‘obligation’ to the fellows is to publish/complete a writing over the year, either completing a chapter as pre-doc, or publishing the phd as postdoc, or write and publish an article. They ask for a 1500 words research proposal, i allocated 500 words to the publication of my thesis, giving some details on its content but mainly focusing on why i should have it published and why this publication is needed and timely, and then 9 have about 700 words and on a new project, for which i clearly state that it will be a long-run project to be completed over several year and i intend solely to initiate it during the postdoc and participate in conferences to present it. Wish you a nice you so much for your work – it has been so helpful to me as i navigate the stressful job and postdoc application process. Have a specific question about how to format the documents for one postdoc in particular. Karen, a word of thanks for the tips and advises on how to compile a postdoc application. I hope to apply for a postdoc and the tips you shared here have been ant post, edgy and very informative. I am applying to a humanities postdoc that asks for two courses: one, an introduction to a topic of my choice for first and second-year students from different fields, and the second, a more advanced seminar in my own discipline aimed at juniors and seniors in my host post above recommends designing a specific course that bears a clear relationship to your diss work, while speaking to a broader field. I am considering proposing an introductory lecture on film & media theory (my field), which i do not see offered in any of the university’s departments (but they do state film as one of the fields appropriate for the postdoc). M currently in the process of applying for a post-doc at a major r1 three years after the doctorate. Also i read elsewhere “include potential funding partners”, is it requirement to find a funding source to apply a postdoc? Monday: more on lipsticks and introducing to primary to secondary →blog→landing your tenure track job→the postdoc app: how it’s different and the next few months i will be posting the “best of the best” professor is in blog posts on the job market, for the benefit of all those girding their loins for the 2013-2014 market.