What is a postdoc?
Many people believe that postdocs are university students. Postdocs, however, do not study for a degree. A postdoc has already completed their doctorate studies. They work in a university setting on a fixed-term basis and are employed via an externally funded grant. A postdoc is not a permanent member of staff, and their career progression is not granted. They receive assistance/ mentoring from the Principal Investigator while completing research. Postdocs are most common in STEM subjects, especially in the fields of Science and Engineering.
It is a great position which would prepare you for an academic path and help you gain valuable research experience in academia. You may come across different postdoc positions advertised such as Postdoctoral Research Assistants, Postdoctoral Research Associates or Postdoctoral Fellows. To see a list of current vacancies, please visit jobs.ac.uk.
What are the responsibilities of a postdoc?
As a postdoc, your primary responsibilities include contributing to research activities. You would assist in writing funding applications/ grants. You could be involved in preparing data for analysis, interpreting data, managing large data sets and disseminating research findings. You would develop research objectives, projects and proposals. You could also be asked to work with partners within academia and industry. Although postdocs primarily engage in research, they may also be asked to undertake some teaching, and administrative tasks or supervise academic students.
What qualifications are needed?
You would need to have completed a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification. University employers normally ask for previous experience in conducting research including collecting, managing and analysing data. As the job criteria and responsibilities can be different for each vacancy, it is best to carefully look at the job descriptions prior to applying.
What skills are needed?
- Attention to detail and time management: As you will be working with large data sets, it is essential that you are able to pay close attention to detail. You might need to meet multiple deadline dates and manage your research projects. Strong time management skills would enable you to coordinate your own activities so that you can deliver your research, teaching, supervisory and administrative responsibilities.
- Team working: As a postdoc, you may be working in a closely-knit academic community. It is essential that you develop positive working relationships with colleagues from a range of different educational, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. In addition to working in teams, you would also need to be able to work independently.
- Verbal and written communication: Postdocs may be asked to give presentations at conferences, to deliver teaching to students or to network with other academics or industry partners. Strong verbal communication skills would enable you to work successfully with other researchers and to share your knowledge. The more you are able to demonstrate solid verbal communication skills, the more successful you may be at writing proposals, research papers and creating presentations.
- Critical thinking: Critical thinking is a transferrable skill. It means not taking things at face value but to ask some searching questions. The more you are able to demonstrate critical thinking skills, the more you are likely to progress in your academic career. You will need strong critical thinking skills when identifying credible data sources, collecting data and evaluating information. You would need to be able to think independently and to develop your interpretation followed by evidence.
- Research and analytical skills: You would need to have a genuine interest in your field of research and be able to conduct high-quality research. Analytical skills will be essential as you will be collecting, interpreting and disseminating data.
- Ability to reflect: At times, you will need to be able to step back from your research and reflect on your progress. You would need to reflect on your work as a researcher and explore how you can improve your skills. At the start of your career, you may naturally feel overwhelmed by how much you need to learn. Regularly devoting some quality time for reflection would enable you to acknowledge your progress and to see your work from a fresh perspective.
- Resilience: Being resilient means the ability to recover quickly from challenges. It means being able to ‘dust yourself off’ and to be adaptable when experiencing setbacks. When you are resilient, you are able to focus on what you can learn from the challenges. In your postdoc role, you could encounter several difficulties. You may be working with a colleague who constantly criticises your work. You might experience a lack of clarity around your job role and tasks. You might be uncomfortable working independently for much of your working day. You could find it helpful to find a coach to help you through difficult times. You could receive individual coaching or mentoring from a more senior research colleague who has been in your situation before and understands what it means to be an early career researcher.
What are the pros and cons of working as a postdoc? If you have completed a doctorate degree and you are passionate about your area of research, completing a postdoc position may be an ideal option. You can delve deeper into your chosen field and publish more research. You will have the opportunity to develop your research profile as well as collaborate with other academics. You could expand your research skills and continue learning through your research work.
A postdoc role is a fixed-term position, however, and you are not guaranteed permanent employment at the end of your contract. Many postdocs are concerned about how they will progress in their career after their contract ends. Postdocs may at times receive less support from their department than needed. Whether to complete a postdoc or not would largely depend on your commitment to developing a career in academia. If you are strongly committed to a career in academic research, you may find it easier to overcome the setbacks and find new research opportunities after the end of your postdoc.
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