Hi everyone,

I have posted my situation about 2 years ago in science forum. Two years has been passed and everything looks the same. I am re-posting my history and would like to hear what your thoughts are. For sure is going to help me.

2 years ago:

Hello everyone,

I have been following this excellent forum for some time and now I need your help.
I found myself in some kind of dilemma. I will try to explain my situation and I really would like to know what your opinion is.

During my PhD I spent some time in US (2009-2010) performing some specific experiments for my thesis. When I came back to my country, I was able to publish my work in a very good journal which opened a lot of doors for me. After I have finished my PhD, I received two Postdoc proposals (one in US and one in Europe) and one “real” job proposal to work for a multinational American company in my country. I end up refusing the postdoc proposals and started to work for this company.

Then my problems just started. I accepted the job basically because the salary. The position is a very technical one and in the most of the time is very repetitive. I was aware in the moment that I accepted but again, the salary was good and growing in this company is supposed to be relatively easy. However, it is very frustrating. I have prepared myself studying years and years to work in a more demanding role, not a basic one. I don’t know if I will have patience to wait 2, 3 years for a promotion.

Now I am really inclined to quit my job and start a postdoc. However, at the same time I am really afraid of making a huge mistake. I have heard that the situation of postdoc fellowships and projects grants (in US) is not so good. Also, I know that I will need at least 5 – 7 years of postdoc (in the best case scenario) to then return to my country and then apply for a position in a good department. My friends keep telling me to never quit my job.

I already know that the moment to start a postdoc is right now because I and my papers are not yet so old. I think my situation is very unusual since it is a lot more common people desiring to move from postdocs to companies. But anyway, I really would like to know your opinion. Certainly will help me somehow.
Thank you!

PS: The possibility of moving to US by working for this company is very low. They are right now outsourcing all the lab jobs.

I can relate to your situation exactly, however, can't give you a clear cut answer. I've told the story of my second post-doc that people will be begging me not to tell it again. However, that bad experience led indirectly to a real world repetitive job with a safe, secure salary.

Personal reasons mean that a plan to move quickly back to a research-based position once in work never really materialised. I've now been in that real world job for some time now and my publication record, although with a decent number of papers, is looking dated now.

If you want to return to Uni. and do post-doc work, do it sooner rather than later whilst your papers are still fairly current and you've still contacts and acquaintances who know your work. The longer you leave it, the harder it will be.

Your personal situation will have a significant bearing as when family, kids and mortgage come along, you'll realise that repetitive job with it's safe, secure salary suddenly looks a lot more attractive and also more necessary.

How I would "reset" that situation, as with you, leaves me a little puzzled also. That said, I know of someone who came back after ten years, so I guess how you sell yourself as a researcher with an apparent break in that research profile has a lot to do with it.

That said, the reality is the tendency is for recent PhDs to occupy post-doc positions (some whilst writing up ensuring an income) with a surplus of those PhDs having to head for the real world to find work. Bluntly put, it won't be easy.

I, like you, feel frustrated, however, the passing of time has tempered my view. Because of this I personally would probably aim now at a research / development position in the real world (if suitable becomes available to me), as the thought of returning to two year contracts that might not be renewed would now be an important concern for me.

Ian