Postdocs

In the scientific community, there are a disproportionately large number of people who hold a PhD. The depth of knowledge needed to successfully conduct research and uncover a new understanding of how the world and universe works necessitates countless hours pouring over the published literature. Many of those who hold a PhD entered graduate school with the thought in mind that they would pursue an academic career as a professor, but the numbers simply don't work out. There are far fewer available faculty positions than there are those with a PhD. The number of PhD holders has gone up significantly, while number of faculty positions are holding steady or in decline. This leads to plenty of PhDs, but not enough jobs that equal the qualifications. Enter the postdoc. This is, by definition, a temporary position meant to augment and develop professional skills. Postdocs exist in universities, industry, and government labs. And although the goals - an educational experience meant to allow for flexibility and professional development - are the same, the manifestation of the experience can be widely different depending on the setting.
Most institutions that hire postdocs end up relying on them to reach their research goals. And in many cases, postdocs bring novel perspective, paired to the latest technology, fresh out of graduate school. And in a temporary position, postdocs often are paid less than their permanently-hired counterparts. This is a huge advantage to employers of postdocs, but can be a detriment to the postdoc, who ostensibly are in a professional development position, but are really pulling more than their full share of the weight. As a postdoc myself, I'm finding it critical to make my career desires known to my mentors and immediate supervisors, while contributing as strongly as I can to develop the capabilities that will benefit the lab. But I'm also recognizing that doing good work and keeping my head down won't be enough to launch into the career I really want. So my advice to you, if you're a postdoc or considering becoming one, is:

• Get plugged into your organization. You'll be seen as an inherently temporary member of the organization, unless you make your presence known.
• Volunteer for organizations such as Postdoc Associations, research outreach opportunities, etc. Try to find resources for people who are in a similar place in their career. That network will be invaluable to finding opportunities for longer-term gigs.
• Take every opportunity to share your research, and make sure you plug it into a broad, easily accessible context.
• Build your brand. Figure out what you stand for, what problems and skills are most important, and make your mark. 

Check out this article on Nature on the future of the postdoc for more on this topic:

https://www.nature.com/news/the-future-of-the-postdoc-1.17253