Have you seen anyone who got a postdoc job without a first-authored paper? on PostgraduateForum.com

Cat123
4 years ago

Congrats. How far are you from completing your PhD? I have been thinking about when the best time to start applying for postdocs will be (also in science). I probably wouldn't be able to start a position until next Jan.

T

Tudor_Queen
4 years ago

Quote From sciencegirl3456:

If it is any comfort to you I just accepted a postdoc at a very good uni without publishing. The panel said they chose me over other candidates who all had had postdoc jobs already because they liked me and that I fitted in well with their team. It wasn't an easy process but I got there. My 3 main tips for this are: 1. ace the presentation of your thesis work, 2. emphasis you want to learn and 3. read up on all things related to the project. Also they love the question: where do postdocs in your department go on to do? If you can get any experience teaching project students or demonstrating they loved that.

Congrats! This is really encouraging!

S

sciencegirl3456
4 years ago

Quote From Cat123:
Congrats. How far are you from completing your PhD? I have been thinking about when the best time to start applying for postdocs will be (also in science). I probably wouldn't be able to start a position until next Jan.

Thanks :)

I just having my corrections post viva to complete. I started applying in September when I handed in. I applied for 14 postdocs got 5 interviews but my PhD was in something super niche. If you are thinking to start in January start applying around about Sep/Oct.

S

sciencegirl3456
4 years ago

Quote From Tudor_Queen:

Quote From sciencegirl3456:

If it is any comfort to you I just accepted a postdoc at a very good uni without publishing. The panel said they chose me over other candidates who all had had postdoc jobs already because they liked me and that I fitted in well with their team. It wasn't an easy process but I got there. My 3 main tips for this are: 1. ace the presentation of your thesis work, 2. emphasis you want to learn and 3. read up on all things related to the project. Also they love the question: where do postdocs in your department go on to do? If you can get any experience teaching project students or demonstrating they loved that.

Congrats! This is really encouraging!

Thank you!

S

sciencephd
4 years ago

Congrats sciencegirl3456! This is encouraging, but it also scares me because you mentioned the fact that you have been competing with lots of postdocs all the time! That means I will also need to compete with postdocs and stand out! But they have more lab experience, their experimental skills are better than mine, and they have more papers....All of these are daunting!
I'll try and improve my presentation skills and hopefully that will help me impress the search committee.

S

sciencephd
4 years ago

Quote From pm133:

I should add that my ex-PhD colleagues who came from a non-RG background and secured RG postdocs were in the fields of Chemistry, Physics and Biochem. Two of them have now secured permanent positions within those RG unis. Perhaps it would be different if they were in the Humanities. I have no idea.

Several of your ex-PhD colleagues have secured permanent jobs at RG unis! Wow that's impressive!
I'm in chemistry, so I'm interested in those stories. As far as you know, what made them become permanent academics? Is that because they have many brilliant first-authored papers? Did they make a big breakthrough in their field? Or is there anything else that's important for securing permanent academic jobs at top unis?

S

sciencephd
4 years ago

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
How about asking your supervisor how you can get a first authored paper? It sounds as though he runs the lab and has a strategy about papers and projects. If he realises you aren't happy to take no as an answer, he may start to include your interests in that strategy. I think this would need a conversation where he saw that you were serious and not about to easily back down. But also I don't think it would help to say you want to use the existing results that he already has plans for. You could see what he says when you state your position about needing an opportunity to publish some first author papers during your PhD. I'd say papers plural, as then you're more likely to get at least one paper out of a negotiation.

Many thanks for your suggestions. I asked my supervisor a few days ago, but he looked impatient. He couldn't understand why I need a first-authored paper. I insisted I need to get a postdoc position right after my PhD, so a 1st authored paper is important. He then asked me to work harder and do more experiments so that there may be more results for a paper. But he doubted if I could write a paper in a timely manner, because I've never written a paper before. I don't think this conversation is successful. Everything is still in uncertainty, and he seemed very impatient.

H

Hammurabi
4 years ago

I'm stuck in a similar position. While I defended my thesis with no problems, the lack of interesting results means that it's pretty difficult to publish most of it. I'm giving it until next summer to see how it goes, and after that start looking for an industry job as I can't see me getting a post-doctoral position without a publication record.