Hi Everybody,
I am new to this forum, so I apologize in advance if this topic has already been discussed many times...
I am in the process of applying for Postdoc positions in the States. I am writing to many potential PIs for advertised positions as well as to just inquiry whether there would be a position for me...
I am only just starting, so I have only wrote to 5 Labs so far and 1 got back to me saying they didn't have funding but that they will keep me in mind for a future opening. My question is about the way the PI answered, I am not sure it is a common way of replying of if he really meant it...

here is what he wrote: You have wonderful training and a very impressive CV. Unfortunately I don't have support for a post-doc at the present time. I will however, keep your CV on file should something open up in the next year.

Did he really mean this? Or is it just a nice way of saying we are not interested in you?
I live in the UK and it's my first time applying to the States.

Well, thank you guys for taking the time to read this post.

;O)

I think it's likely to be a polite dismissal. I've found Americans to be rather disingenuous and superficial (yes, living up to the stereotype) in a lot of cases and I think responses like this are common place. You may have found the odd one though that is genuinely interested should they get funding.

In general, US academia is very close-ranked. Many postdocs get their positions without interview, just because their PhD adviser knows their postdoc adviser or their labs have links etc.

Your best bet is to apply to advertised positions, rather than to cold call PIs, in my opinion. Or if your PI has any links with US labs, or even works on similar things so they will aware of the work, that is a potential 'in'.

Thank you TreeofLife, I thought so too!
I am starting to get the sense of how difficult it will be to get a postdoc position in the States... my supervisors said they don't know anybody, they are at the end of their career and do not network anymore, or they just simply didn't want to bother, I am not sure!
I will keep an eye on opening positions, hopefully something good will come up for me.
Have a nice day!

hi Susy_Postdoc, I believe that's a polite way of saying "no, we dont have position". I am in exact stage as you. applying for postdoc in US and I got these kind of emails a lot. My supervisor even introduce me to a lab but they had funding issues like many other labs these days. Good luck anyway :-)

Hi Boshra,
thank you for your reply.
I am sending many e-mails both for open positions and just to inquire, but nothing! No reply at all, only 1 PI replied and he is the one above, so not much luck for me!
In total, so far, I have sent 10 applications... but it is difficult to find more labs within the united states that work on exactly what I want to do... and I don't have any supervisor help at all!
I was wondering how many applications you sent so far and if you know, how many applications on average, has a poor just graduated PhD student to send to get a positive reply... even only for an interview!!!
;O)

Hi Susy,

I don't know if you already find a postdoc that suits you well. I'm now in your last year situation. I've only sent two mails though, but I'm very disappoint with no answer at all, even a mail of refusal!

I have found different cultures have different ways of saying things and that is how cultures are different. Due to the fact that North America has built by immigrants and the fact that our people are coming from many nations and races, being polite and indirect (or as you described it "disingenuous and superficial") makes more sense since you do not know them and for not offending them if they are new to the culture. As time goes on, they will melt into the pot and become Americans not "this race" or "that race" with derogatory terms sometimes you hear when you watch soccer matches coming from Europe... social mobility is much easier for immigrants in the US than Europe.

The language heard via communications with someone from from the UK (or generally Europe) does usually sound arrogant, rude and snobbish to the North American ears but again due to our political correctness we smile and thank them for their time (which again may sound superficial to some European ears :)...

I personally have found the English social class system dysfunctional and confusing for most people coming from the US and Canada. Perhaps it was suitable for colonial times but certainly it is outdated for a 21st century social model.

I know that every culture is different and I embrace these differences, but I don't have to like them. I can't help it if I found directness and politeness to be disingenuous and superficial; it's not in my culture to be friendly with every person I meet, nor to enquire about their life like we are best friends, so I may interpret things differently to the way they were intended. I can't help it if I love the way English people ignore each other when passing in a corridor, getting a smile or a nod at best.

I'm sure many Americans did find me to be snobbish at times (not sure about rude and arrogant but you never know!).

Also, we should be careful about thinking that what we see on TV reflects reality. I don't think racism is any different in the UK or US, and from what I saw, social mobility was no better in the US than in the UK, and in fact was probably worse.

My experience tells me that as long as you look like someone coming from a different culture, you get treated differently no matter where,in Europe, America, Africa or Asia because people do not know you. People put on masks that they know works for'em until they know you. People are just people and similar to anywhere in the world, we have true friendship, bad friendship etc in the US as well... once people get to know you and you know them, you will see that we are not much different...

Having said that I cannot wait for my next "cultural difference" experience in Europe such as smashing door to my face because no one holds doors for the next person, constantly encountering friendly binge drinkers on weekends nights and hear about their lives (*even though it is okay to ignore you when they pass you in a corridor when they are not drunk) , staying for green light before crossing, suspicious looks when you (wearing casual cloth) get into a first class train by mistake and getting fined for it, being taught table manners by the hotel employees, being called "Yank" and being treated as the US foreign Secretary even if I am Canadian... it is all part of the fun and genuinely I like it :)

I know that inside people are all the same Kimwipes. Most of my closest friends are not English - they are from Africa, Asia, South America, Indonesia and are atheist, Muslim and Christian. There also are plenty of English people I can't stand to be around and who feel the same about me. I also found plenty of Americans who I could relate to and would have been good friends with if I didn't move back home. I'm talking about the face Americans present to the world, not the people they are inside.

I also love learning about different cultures and languages; I find it fascinating. Cultural differences are one of the best things about travelling or working away, but it's not really surprising to find that I am most comfortable with the culture that I grew up in. This is because I understand the nuances of facial expressions, unspoken words, and saying one thing and meaning another that are common in English people. I have had to explain many times to my international friends the intentions of my supervisors because they don't get it. I probably didn't spend enough time immersed in US culture to understand it in the same way I understand my own culture.

That is not true ! ;) It is anyway hard to say that a certain behaviour is "european". There is definitely something like a european culture but the countries are still too different to relate this to something like gestures.

In few weeks, I am heading for a conference in one of the most European countries in Europe and will do a reality check again ;).. things might have changed since my last visit.... :)