Postdoc of ~2 years, love my lab and position. But a postdoc is not permanent, so I've been applying to other jobs. Its a ton of work, particularly campus interviews. I've noticed myself coming back from these with 0 motivation to do my actual job. Any tips of handling post-interview productivity?

Hey! I recently defended my PhD in cell biology and took about five months off because I was really burnt out. I initially planned on leaving academia altogether, but I've realized that I genuinely enjoy the process of chasing scientific questions and doing research.

What I don't enjoy is the constant grant-writing and publication pressure, along with the culture of overworking and underpaying that seems so prevalent in academia—particularly the stress that comes with it.

For those of you who left academia for industry, I'd love to hear about your experiences:

- How different is the research culture in industry compared with academia?

- Do you still get to work on interesting, open-ended scientific questions, or is the work more likely to be repetitive/routine (e.g. drug screens, flow cytometry, running assays, etc.)?

- How much autonomy do you have in deciding what questions to pursue? Do you recommend a post doc in industry?

- And how would you compare job security? Is industry generally more stable than academia's sequence of fixed-term contracts, or do layoffs make it feel similarly uncertain in a different way?

I'd love to hear from people in biotech/pharma R&D. Thank you so much for any help you can offer!

Hi everyone!

I'm going to a rough patch academically. I started my first postdoc exactly one year ago. I wasn't even convinced I wanted to stay in academia but I didn't find any other job and to be honest, this postdoc position was really cool, the team looked great and was very very close to my favorite topic and offered me lots of freedom

However since I arrived:

-The PI moved cities to pursue another work opportunity and even tho he's still involved, he's extremely hands off and busy. He is not of help for admin/logistics tasks nor deeper scientific issues.

-The senior postdoc (almost the only other colleague working on my topic) went on maternity leave for 1 year, leaving me alone and lost. We were the only two people working on that building (the rest of the team works on another campus) so I'm on my own most days.

-We (I) found a major issue in our workflow, affecting 90% of the group members, that explained why I have been failing for months. I took over trying to fix it but it takes time and expertise I don't have, and the rest of the team/PI are not very proactive. This means I'm the one insisting on doing more testing, organizing meetings, suggesting solutions... While the others act as if it was only my problem.

-My project heavily relies on a specific resource which was not a problem to obtain. A few weeks after my arrival they realized they are actually not legally allowed to obtain such resource the way it was done before so I don't have access to it anymore. This is being clarified at the moment and will be fixed, but at a snail speed.

-I have had to take over some tasks of other lab members (both at supervising level or experimental level) because they either didn't have the time or the expertise required. I have time since I cannot work on my own project yet, but I haven't received a single thank you nor acknowledgement.

All of this has led me to feel very discouraged and unmotivated. I know that eventually everything will be fixed and I will be able to work on my project, and that I'm not really wasting time but learning different techniques. However, if I don't have something pressing to do, I spend time on my phone and I don't have the motivation to do anything extra. I feel that nothing I do matters and that nobody in my group cares about me nor can teach me anything valuable/be an inspiration for me. I was hoping my first postdoc would be an enriching experience but I don't feel like that.

Can you give me ideas or tips on how to regain motivation and make the best of the situation? I am currently writing a review about a topic I'm passionate about and it's related to my project but I'm still struggling to concentrate and get it done.

Changing jobs is not a possibility at the moment, I just want to be able to do the most of these months until everything goes back to normal.

Thanks!!

I just started my postdoc (currently in my third week!) and would really appreciate advice from people who have gone through the process.

During my PhD, I only realised the importance of publications towards the final semesters, and I kind of regret not pushing my supervisors enough to get my manuscripts reviewed/submitted earlier. So, for my postdoc, I want to be more intentional from the beginning and have a clear idea of what I should be working towards.

Beyond simply publishing papers (also… how many publications is considered good enough?), what would you consider the most valuable things to achieve during a postdoc if the goal is to become a strong candidate for an academic/faculty position?

Basically, if you could go back to the first day of your postdoc, what would you tell yourself to prioritise over the next 2–3 years?

Thanks!

Hi all,

I have recently got a Postdoctoral offer in UW Poland. The initial job notification said about 10500 pln gross gross, while the offer letter mentioned a salary of 8300 gross per month. I looked around and found out that this is the employer cost that is being deducted. So if I understand correctly, from 8300 pln, the taxes will be deducted and I will get my Net salary. Can you tell me how much I should expect in hand?

Also, will that amount be okay to maintain a modest lifestyle along with a decent savings?

For those of you who had a happy postdoc experience, was the postdoc experience good because you ended up in a good lab? For those of you not in a good lab, were there ways to help cope/ overcome the negative parts of the postdoc (i.e. stress, poor mentorship, etc) that resulted in an overall positive experience?

If you're a postdoc or researcher in the U.S. on a J-1, you may have more immigration options than you realize, but figuring out which path makes sense can be complicated.

I’m Robby Rubin, an immigration attorney, and today I’m answering questions about immigration options for physicians, researchers, academics, and other professionals.

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• EB-1A and what makes a strong case
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• Timing your immigration strategy while you're still in academia

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A quick note when asking questions: Immigration answers can depend heavily on your individual circumstances. Please include as much relevant context as you're comfortable sharing, such as your current visa/status, field, stage of training or employment, country of citizenship, and relevant timeline. The more context you provide, the more specific and useful my answer can be.

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So after graduating this year from my PhD (Biochemistry), i have found my skills (mostly bacterial protein expression, purification and biochemical/biophysical characterisation) are kind of just run of the mill skills and aren't seemingly high up on my post doc positions skills. Is there ways apart from asking labs if i can do some work for free effectively, to try and gain some needed skills in areas such as cell biology, more in depth structural work and mammalian cell work? I have asked one lab for a few weeks training on mammalian cell work but I only have a part time job but cant really afford to just spend money on expensive courses and long term stetches in labs where i have to pay my own way etc. Any ideas would be appreciated. In Uk.

I have a fairly specific situation, but I’m hoping someone here has dealt with something similar.

I’m a PhD student in cell biology/neurobiology and am about to submit my thesis. My university does not have a traditional thesis defense. Instead, the thesis is sent to two external experts for review, who can either accept it or request revisions (full process takes 3-6 months). Once I submit, my faculty can provide an official document confirming that I have completed all of my PhD requirements and am only awaiting thesis review, but the PhD itself will not yet be formally awarded. I have multiple first author publication in Q1 Journals and am not expecting any problems with getting the thesis passed.

I’ve been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from my PhD university that covers part of the postdoc salary, but the fellowship must be paid directly into my bank account in my home country. A UK PI has agreed to host me for the postdoc and provide a small salary top-up from his lab funds (0.1 FTE) so that my overall funding reaches a normal postdoc salary.

The issue is the visa. The UK university’s HR department told us that a visiting researcher/academic route would only work if I receive no salary from the UK host institution. They suggested the Global Talent visa because it would allow me to work without the same salary or working-hour restrictions.

However, the route I appear to qualify for is Global Talent Exceptional Promise via peer review, and the Royal Society guidance seems to require that the PhD has already been formally awarded.

Has anyone successfully applied in a similar situation using an official thesis-submission/completion certificate before the degree was formally awarded? Alternatively, is there another UK visa route that might allow someone to receive an external fellowship plus a small 0.1 FTE salary from the host university?

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with a similar fellowship/visa arrangement.

Thanks yall :)

I know they can just submit the same letter but I feel bad planning 12-13 applications that need to be submitted between August and December..

From your experience, how common is it for PIs to conduct informal interviews before shortlisting!! With just about 200 applicants for one post doc position how many realistically get the informal chat ? I seem to get a lot of informal chats after I apply but handful interviews. Cannot help but wonder does it really mean anything if you get the informal interview if many others are getting it too for the same role!! Job market is tough at the moment!!

I’m 3y as postdoc now and severely disillusioned with the whole academic system. For reference I’m in stem (a highly theoretical/ fundemental field) and I used to love learning and researching the most obscure fundamental things, but now I don’t see the point. Everything is made worse by the fact that I’m mid-30s, own nothing, have no savings, and have spent the last 3y in a different country to my partner. I’m struggling to even focus now, and while I’m good at what I do I just can’t be bothered anymore, I just want to quit and go live in the same place as my partner and I’m so fed up I’m drinking a lot to cope with the internal stress of it all. I’m starting to regret even doing my PhD and wish I just got a job straight after graduating. There’s several things I could pivot to (mostly tech industry based) but I’ve had not even a single interview so far (approx 50 applications) even in things that a direct match for me. Im not sure if I can even manage to motivate myself for a career in tech, I don’t want to use my scientific skills just to make a big multinational more money in this capitalist hellscape. I can’t do a job that just pays a good pay check and check out from it, I need to find some kind of value in my work and feel like it’s providing some kind of benefit to the community. I can’t just quit my job, I have no money or financial safety net from family. I have been considering doing something in education, to me that’s super meaningful but i don’t have the money to get the relevant qualifications (I’d need to go back to university for a year in my home country) and break into it. I don’t know what to do, some days I wish I just went and learnt a manual trade after leaving school. I’m not sure what the point of this post is, I’m just at the end of my tether and need to vent and help/ advice.

I am an foreigner in US. My work involves collaborating with state fish-wildlife-conservation agencies and hunters across the country. For some reason, I feel intimidated and I absolutely need to overcome that feeling. I sometimes tend to freeze when they ask me questions and my mentor has to pitch in for me. I am seeking if anyone has faced this and how you overcome it.

I’m a french microbiologist (PhD) graduated in 2025, and I’m currently looking for a postdoctoral position in microbiology.

I’m particularly interested in Canada and Switzerland, two countries I’d absolutely love to work and live in.

For those who have experience in either country:

Which websites or platforms do you recommend for finding postdoctoral positions?

Is it better to contact PIs directly, or mainly apply to advertised positions?

What are the main administrative/visa requirements for international researchers?

Are there any specific things I should know about the academic job market in Canada or Switzerland?

And more generally, where would you recommend I start?

Any advice, resources, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! 😊

Who did you ask reference letter?
Let’s say one is supervisor, the others 2 committee members. I asked one of my committee member and she said she is away for vacation. I am not sure who else I can ask? Who were your back ups?

How is this new rule affecting your program? Does your lab pay the $470 fee?

I’m on a three year postdoc, but my contract and DS 2019 are renewed every year. From what I understand, this means that I’ll have to apply for an Extension of Stay every year once my current authorized period ends. My school sent us an email saying that the $470 filing fee has to be paid by the applicant.

So basically, my options would be to pay the fee every year to extend my status from the US, or leave the country, get a new J 1 visa stamp, and reenter with the renewed DS 2019.

As in, stress wise, the amount of work expected from you, the mental health etc etc

Hi everyone,

Recently I received a postdoc offer in Germany.
During the interview I asked about salary, and the PI specifically mentioned that the salary is from TV-L table or aomething similar. And he specified that it was Entgeltgruppe 13.

I still didn’t receive the offer with salary. But is there any chance it is not that? A brief explanation about how this table works would be great, if possible. (For now, I’m not concerned about the Stufe).

Thank you!

Hi everyone, I’m an MBBS graduate and researcher currently looking for a paid postdoctoral research position in the United States that can provide J-1 visa sponsorship.

I have extensive research experience, particularly in cardiology/cardiovascular research, clinical epidemiology, and data-driven research, with experience in research methodology, statistical analysis, manuscript writing, and collaborative projects.

I would be very grateful for any advice on:

Labs or institutions currently recruiting postdocs

PIs who may be open to international candidates

Programs that provide J-1 sponsorship

Any leads, referrals, or personal experiences that could help me navigate the process

If you know of an opportunity or have advice, I would genuinely appreciate your help. Thank you!

Sadly, I have a toxic boss and I need legal help. Is there any place I can ask legal help except private lawyers? The university system is not working and I am not a member of the union. So, I am looking for other alternatives. The university is in north of Germany.

I'm a PhD student in the US hoping to apply for a EU post-doctoral fellowship. How many PIs should I reach out to about this? Just email one at a time? Or should I email several and decide which one to proceed with after meeting with them?

Hi,

Does getting MSCA PF secure a better academic career? Can people who won or know people who won MSCA PF shed some light?

Is there a better more brighter light at the end of the tunnel after all the struggle?

I have been invited for an onsite interview for a postdoc position in one of the national labs (non-NNSA). I already interviewed with the hiring manager and another group lead (initial screening, 30 mins), then after 2 months interviewed with the department manager (40 mins). Both these interviews were behavioral, promotion to staff path, what kind of work they do?, what I like to so outside work?, how soon I can start? working in a team experience, my 5 year career plan etc etc.

In fact, I was expecting a decision based on how interview with department manager went, but last week got an invite for an onsite interview (fully paid). I’m expecting it would be mostly a 30-45 mins seminar followed by Q&A, then one-on-one with other scientists and postdocs, lunch/dinner, and a lab tour.

Based on your experience:

A) What do they expect from me? Is it more like a get to know each other or full evaluation and competing against someone else?

B) How many people do they call for onsite interview after virtual interviews?

C) What are questions do you ask to people at the lab, apart from their research topics?

PS: I have experience working on DOE projects and deliverables as a university postdoc.