what questions to ask lab members about the pi during postdoc interview

How to observe, utilize for, and choose a postdoc

past Ubadah SabbaghNovember 5th, 2021

If you're reading this, you're either wandering around my website or y'all're budgeted a place in your PhD where decisions near the hereafter tin no longer be procrastinated and you're starting to recollect about a postdoc.

If you're feeling a picayune clueless nigh the procedure or just by and large overwhelmed, that'south okay! Much of the process of transition to a postdoc is opaque to many people and full of "hidden curriculum" types of nuances, and then information technology's non your error. The goal of this commodity is to hopefully provide you lot with tools to move frontward, or at least get you thinking and so you can develop a strategy of your ain

The foremost thing to ask yourself is: should I practise a postdoc?

To transition to a postdoc shouldn't be viewed as the default next step to getting a PhD. There are plenty of opportunities to explore that aren't enquiry-based or academic and they range from communications to policy to biotech and more.

If your answer to this question is mayhap, then it's worth starting the process as if your reply was yes, because it will probable help clarify whether it's the correct phone call for yous. One time yous've checked out a few labs and talked to more people, you might realize it'due south non for you earlier committing to anything.

Other things to consider as y'all read this commodity

1) My words aren't meant to be prescriptive . Anybody's PhD feel is unique, and the postdoc is the aforementioned fashion. Take all communication with a grain of table salt; mine and others'. Take your time to reverberate on what's important to you - your needs and ambitions.
ii) There are some numbers suggested in this article that might seem high to you. I provide a rationale for why I think those numbers are appropriate, only if that rationale doesn't fit your case, change up the numbers.
three) You'll notice at no indicate do I suggest browsing job ads. That's considering, although they're useful for finding jobs, they're not the just way. This is ane of those 'hidden curriculum' types of things in academia. The reality is, at that place are tons of labs that do not post job advertisements and the way they hire is through prospective postdocs cold emailing them. If there are people you lot desire to work with every bit a postdoc, but email them (see below). Definitely cheque job ads, but don't limit yourself to applying to labs based on them having an advertised position.
4) Other caveats: I'm a neuroscientist based in the U.S. The suggestions I make might therefore be more relevant to the life sciences and to U.South. based researchers or those seeking positions within the U.S.

I. The Postdoc Field

By the time they approach their defense, some people have a clear thought of the scientific field within which they'd similar to do research. Others, like me, might have wide-ranging interests or simply more one interest that they've struggled to choose from. Once more, that is okay! You don't need to know precisely what your career-long enquiry interests are at this phase.

And so, how do you place the ideas and inquiry direction that interest you? In that location are multiple ways of doing this:

Get to conferences. Try to attend conferences during you final year or 2 of PhD with the intention of being exposed to new ideas and meeting new people. This might be your field's regular flagship meeting (for instance in neuroscience that would be SfDue north), or smaller, more intimate conferences (e.g. GRCs or Keystone Symposia).

Read papers. You're a scholar, an academic, you've been reading papers for several years at this signal, then why is it a suggestion here? It's to remind you that if you've mainly been reading papers within your narrow field, and if you experience like y'all might want to branch out in your postdoc, you should take the time to aggrandize the scope of your reading. If you lot read a paper yous thought was cool, make a note of the lab.

Use your network: Are there PIs around you whose opinion you value? Accept a chat with them and ask for suggestions. They don't even need to exist PIs, have conversations with students and postdocs around you about scientific ideas. One advantage of talking to PIs inside a field you're interested in is that they might actually have personal relationships with prospective mentors yous might consider, and they can either make an introduction for yous or at least provide you with some inside info about that lab'due south scientific vision and working culture. I will make a plug here for some outstanding humans I know, some of whom are hiring. If you are interested in their piece of work, check out their labs!

The bird app: Y'all can actually find useful information on twitter (wild, right?) and lovely scientific communities. If you're an outsider to a field simply have some questions or are interested in seeing some of the discourse by those researchers, twitter tin be helpful. Many scientists will jump in to reply your question fifty-fifty if they don't know yous. Yous'll also come across PIs announce jobs with some info about projects involved. I take a particular affinity for those who postal service not simply what they hope a postdoc candidate offers, merely as well what they have to offer the postdoc in terms of mentorship and back up. There's of course no quick and structured fashion to enter academic twitter other than to just make an business relationship and follow dissimilar people until you find the content you desire, and then this bullet betoken is more helpful if you already happen to be on the website.

II. The Lab List

Okay, now you take a bunch of ideas and have probably started to go a sense of the labs y'all're interested in. I highly recommend making a spreadsheet where y'all list the labs you're interested in and propose making it at least 15 groups. I actually had 36 on my spreadsheet, spanning at to the lowest degree 5 fields/sub-fields. But I have broad interests and so I wanted broad reach, hence the loftier number.

What gets you on my list? Interest. That'south it. That interest can stalk from their scientific scope, their technical skills, something I heard about their civilization that appealed to me, I talked to a postdoc by their poster at a conference and they seemed really happy with the lab, vibes, whatever. If I had a general interest in the lab it made the listing.

The reason I suggest having at least ten labs on your listing is because the goal should be to interview with 3-5 when the time comes. From my list of 36, I emailed a shortlisted 5 and interviewed with 3 of them. Having a few labs on your starting listing that represent a big field shift for you is a good thing because perchance you have a chat with the PI in that field that is just and so exciting that now y'all all of the sudden see yourself doing that work. It happens.

I made a template spreadsheet which you lot can feel free to change and use in whatever way works best for you. It really doesn't have to be fancy.
prospective postdocs listing template (.xlsx)
471 downloads (excluding mobile)

Three. The Trimming

Now you need a way to go from maybe dozens of prospective labs to a handful. I suggest aiming for having 5-8 labs on your shortlist. Allow's say you email half dozen labs; you might merely get responses or interest from just half of them. Another reason to I retrieve information technology's beneficial to meet with multiple labs even if you aren't super excited about all of them still is that it provides you with a broader perspective on scientific approaches/lab cultures/etc. Information technology also gives you more opportunities to practice presenting your work and coming together cool researchers that will be your colleagues regardless of whether yous join their lab.

To trim your list down, there are going to be a lot of considerations, and they will vary depending on your goals and lifestyle. Even so, if you're the kind of person who only cares nearly the science and will go wherever, that's valid and you can probably skip this part.

Then, what I'1000 going to practice is list some criteria you might want to consider. When defining the criteria for yourself, have your time and be thoughtful about it. This is a pregnant commitment later all, and at this phase of your life and career yous deserve to piece of work in a place that fits your needs and interests equally much equally possible. I split the criteria into two layers of trimming i that you can do with merely a bunch of googling and the other is ane that takes some talking to people. I want to emphasize that these are listed in no item lodge.

Danny Devito smiling in kitchen making pastries.

Layer 1: what tin be evaluated without needing to reach out to anyone

Cost of living: nosotros all know that postdocs are underpaid for their skill level and life stage. If cost of living is an important factor for yous, it would exist wise to find out what it's like for postdocs in the city you're interested in (can as well use tools similar this).

Climate: detest the common cold so much that information technology will brand you miserable? Avoid Boston.

Family & friends: if living well-nigh friends or family is important to your mental wellness or overall happiness, consider prioritizing this.

Childcare costs: got tiny humans? I hear they cost a lot to treat, and in some cities that amount can get absurdly expensive.

Lab alumni: if yous know the kind of position you would like to be in later the postdoc (industry, R1 position, LAC faculty, etc.) you might want to note how many postdocs accept successfully reached those positions (if any) from the lab. I would be careful with this though, because people choose all kinds of career paths and it's non always most the lab or mentor. This 1 is a lilliputian challenging to cheque sometimes because some labs don't have lab websites where they go along alumni updated. You can find out more by talking to people in the lab or the PI later.

Diversity (of institution or metropolis): this was an important i for me for a number of reasons, it might be for you. For example, if you lot belong to a marginalized group and the expanse is one known for racism for case, how would living there impact your mental health and prophylactic.

Visa considerations: if the postdoc lab is in a identify that will require onerous immigration-related paperwork that you don't desire to go through or can't practise, might as well accept those labs out of consideration. This was another one I used to trim my list.

Lab funding: if the lab doesn't take the funding to support your work, that can cause a bunch of bug for you lot. But it's not always piece of cake to determine the funding situation before actually interacting with the PI and lab. Nevertheless, information technology doesn't hurt to check places like RePORTER (this volition merely list public funding from the NIH). Additionally, the lab doesn't have to be funded in excess, just appropriately funded.

Scientific environment of the department: your scientific discipline doesn't happen in a vacuum, correct? You're going to exist interacting with a lot of people in your department (seminars, journal clubs, whatever) and it would be nice to know whether there are researchers that fit your interests in the department. This could also be useful down the line for potential collaborators, begin buddies who enrich your piece of work, or fifty-fifty secondary mentors.

Layer 2: what tin exist evaluated by talking to people in your network, checking twitter, or chatting with trainees in the prospective lab

For these criteria, it can be useful to talk to professors you know who might know some of the PIs on your list or at to the lowest degree know of them. Information technology as well helps to talk to people currently within the lab you're interested (or alumni). I plant that it'south best to do and then if y'all already have an existing relationship with the person, merely you can likewise common cold email a current or one-time postdoc and just ask for a 30-minute telephone call to chat about their feel. With any of these approaches, but be aware that in one case once more, one person's experience won't necessarily be yours, but gathering as much data as y'all tin is the all-time possible way to make a decision IMO. Also note that reaching out to alumni is really valuable in cases where the environment is particularly toxic because information technology's hard to get that data from current lab members who might hesitate to share out of fear of retribution. It's sad to say but it'due south true; so, try to talk to alumni equally well.

Lab civilization: this was the top criterion for me. More important than the scientific discipline, honestly. I reasoned that I'll exist spending nigh of my time in the lab working with my labmates, and if the surround is toxic, I'm not going to have fun, and if I'm not having fun, why am I there? You're already underpaid and undervalued equally a postdoc (more on that subsequently), why subject yourself to abuse and toxicity on top of that, right? Y'all tin can get clues about lab civilisation in different ways before e'er even reaching out to the PI. Because I prioritized this benchmark so much, I didn't email any PI who I didn't think could potentially be a skilful cultural fit.

Preparation and mentorship philosophy: some PIs explicitly detail this on their websites (examples here, here, here, and here), just it's still not mutual do. One of the things you lot tin can glean from conversations with alumni or current trainees in the lab is the values of the lab you lot're considering. What are the PI'south expectations of postdocs? How much creative and intellectual liberty does the postdoc have in designing projects or choosing research direction? How available is the PI (and does that fit your needs)? Does the PI encourage professional development opportunities and grooming outside of research (or at least not get in your style if you were to seek them out? Do postdocs have resource to attend conferences and network? When leaving the lab, how does the PI back up postdocs? Things similar that. I as well recommend explicitly request these sorts of questions to the PI during the interview procedure when you get there. Yous might feel like information technology'due south inappropriate, but it'south really non. I asked all of these straightforwardly and received straightforward responses that helped me brand better informed decisions.

IV. First Contact

Yous've trimmed your list down to a shortlist, and now information technology's time to contact the PIs on your list. If your current mentor or others in your network take a human relationship with a PI you're interested in, you might opt for asking them to ship an introductory electronic mail connecting you to the prospective PI. In my case, I opted to achieve out myself to everyone on my list. Also in my case, every PI was someone who'due south never met me or engaged with my work before (to my noesis). So, it was cold email time. Unfortunately, there isn't much guidance out at that place for how to establish contact and what to include in the first email. Some PIs practice mention on their website how to attain out (i.e., should you include a comprehend letter, CV, names of references, etc.), and if you meet that y'all may cull to follow those instructions. Ironically, in my instance I didn't check if the PIs had guidance on their sites and just sent the common cold email, but afterwards institute out that they had guidelines on their website. So, it might not actually matter? Unclear, *shrugs*.

Beneath is an instance of a cold email I sent to a PI I was interested in. I used this same structure (while irresolute content of course) for all five of the PIs I wrote, and received responses from all five. With the three of those whom I moved frontward with, nosotros scheduled informal interviews (chats, really) before going farther. I know some people have subject area line paralysis, and then if it helps my subject line for this was a uncomplicated " Inquiry virtually postdoctoral position ". This was sent November 2020. (click image to enlarge).

download postdoc inquiry email (.txt)
442 downloads (excluding mobile)

I never submitted a cover letter when contacting a PI about potentially doing a postdoc with them. But I do know some people like to do that, and some PIs even look it. If it helps, the general structure of the inquiry email higher up tin double as a cover alphabetic character besides. Likewise note that your electronic mail tin totally exist shorter than this one, merely I would definitely avoid going longer. If you don't get a reply to your common cold email, that's fine; it happens. After 10 business days, send a follow upwardly. You tin also inquire someone yous know who is connected to the PI you lot're trying to reach to nudge them to check their inbox. Whatsoever you practice, don't have a no-response personally. If the PI is interested, the side by side pace volition probably be an informal zoom interview or going straight to an in-person visit.

5. What When

When should you lot start building your postdoc list? When should you begin to attain out to people? Practise yous need to have published X number of first author papers before reaching out? What almost coauthored papers?

These questions are not unusual and are in fact a common source of stress and anxiety for senior graduate students. I honestly believe that there isn't a correct timeline for searching for a postdoc lab. There are as well many variables for there to be one correct style. That said, there are things that you tin can control timeline-wise, so allow's talk nearly information technology a little. I'll apply the questions above to frame these points.

(Note: considerations for timeline also include whether or not yous will exist doing virtual interviews or in-person visits. I interviewed in a pandemic, so it was all virtual. It sucked because I adopt in-person interactions, only it was useful in that it took upwardly mode less time that if I had to fly to multiple cities)

When should yous showtime building your postdoc list?
There cannot be a time that is besides early, but there can exist a fourth dimension that is late. Throughout your PhD, take note of papers that blow yous abroad, PIs or postdocs you hit it off with at conferences, or questions that you came across and thought "I would love to do this next". All of this will be useful to y'all when it comes time to build an bodily list. If you know a rough date past which y'all plan to start a postdoc position, I recommend starting to build your prospective lab list at to the lowest degree 9 months before, preferably one twelvemonth before. For reference, I was aiming for a July outset date, and began building postdoc list in September the twelvemonth before.

When should you lot brainstorm to accomplish out to people?
Again, depends on whether visits and interviews will be virtual or in-person. I recommend reaching out to your shortlist as soon as you accept information technology honestly. Every bit long as you lot articulate your intended start dates, at that place is no such affair as starting the chat besides early. I could exist wrong here, but I just don't see a downside. Besides keep in mind that you may accept to revise your shortlist if you don't become positive responses from the labs you desire, then having a absorber of fourth dimension helps. For reference, I was aiming for a July start appointment, and began reaching out to labs in late Nov the twelvemonth earlier.

Practice yous need to have published X number of get-go author papers before reaching out? What about coauthored papers?
There is no rigid dominion here. It actually is upward to the PI yous're talking to and the condition of your manuscript. Some dissertation papers take longer to come together than others, some people publish 3 first authors in their PhD and some publish 1. It's so variable that it merely comes downwards to communication. If you don't take a publication all the same, but have a paper in the pipeline, permit the PI know in your email and include it in your CV as "in prep". If it's ready to be posted on a preprint server like bioRxiv, piece of work with your current mentor on posting information technology and getting the piece of work out there.

6. The Interview

The header of this section is a little misleading here in that there is no unmarried "interview". It's really a procedure rather than an interview, and thoughtful PIs will take all aspects of this procedure into account when considering a candidate. The next pace after sending out your emails is getting responses from interested PIs wanting to schedule a zoom or telephone call with y'all to discuss your interest further (some PIs may even get straight to an in-person visit). You can think of this as an breezy screening interview. It's a run a risk to introduce yourselves to each other and bear upon your scientific and career interests to see whether in that location is potential for this existence a expert fit. If both of you lot experience skillful about it, the PI will want to schedule a visit.

When I sent out my emails, the covid19 pandemic was at ane of its highest peaks and vaccines weren't yet bachelor. So all my visits were virtual. If at all possible for you, I would try to visit in-person. It'southward just a more informative experience. And then what does a visit entail? Information technology actually varies and there is no standard. That said, it volition typically involve you lot giving a talk to either the lab or the department. Then you'll have a meeting/interview with the PI, in addition to meetings with lab members. Meetings with lab members can be several one-on-ones or a group meeting over lunch.

Alee of some of my visits, I asked the PI whether it was possible to schedule meetings with other kinesthesia in the section that his lab interacts with a lot. I asked for this considering I wanted to go a sense for the scientific community I'd exist joining, not just the lab. And considering information technology was virtual, my experiences are completely express to zoom meetings. I also asked to meet with postdocs in the section to go a sense of how postdocs in that department experience. Are they supported? Is there a sense of community?

Danny Devito laughing in the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand.

The Visit - chats with the lab

Okay, so what should you discuss with current lab members during your visit? I've cleaved down questions into themes here. You lot don't accept to ask all of these , they're just things for y'all to think about and choose what to ask. My promise is that they serve equally a reminder of things yous may not have thought to ask, or perchance thought would be inappropriate to inquire. Some of these may be better to ask if you're having a ane-on-ane meeting rather than a group meeting.

Lifestyle
•How is the postdoc salary for you in this urban center?
•What's a regular commute similar?
•What are some things postdocs do around town hither when non in the lab?
•Where practise most postdocs in the department/institution alive? How'due south the cost of living?
•(for people with tiny humans) What are the costs of childcare similar? How are the schools?
•What is the postdoc community similar? Do yous hang out/support i another?

Lab Culture
•How do people get along in the lab?
•What is the structure of responsibilities in the lab?
•(when speaking with technicians or students) Practise you feel like there are salubrious and respectful dynamics between lab members regardless of seniority?
•How frequently practise conflicts ascend? How are they resolved?
•Are you happy with your projection and with the lab?
•Are labmates collaborative? Or is every postdoc an island?
•Practise you train each other and help each other out?

Mentorship
•What's it similar working with this PI?
•How available is the PI to yous? (this is especially important to know for more established PIs)
•How do y'all feel almost the PI'south expectations of y'all?
•What happens if i's project fails (or fails to rise to the desired level of touch on)?
•Do people get to accept projects when they leave?
•How practice you experience nearly the PI's investment in your projection and your success?
•(related to above) Is the PI a micromanager?
•How do y'all recall your PI handled (or is treatment) the pandemic?
•When people leave the lab, what (if anything) practice they have with them? How are they supported?
•Does the PI support postdocs investing fourth dimension in their own career advancement (fellowship apps, prof dev workshops, etc.)?

Resource
• Let's say you need to buy a new piece of equipment or a reagent, what's that procedure similar? Do you feel that you're able to accordingly deport out that work?
•What are the core facilities bachelor to you, and how easily are you lot able to employ them?
•Practise you lot have opportunities to collaborate and potentially collaborate with other researchers in the department or does the lab stay isolated?
•(for those to whom it'due south relevant) How is the clearing office in the department?

Think that everyone's experience will not necessarily be yours, and people accept varied experiences and reflections depending on how long they've been in the lab. Over again, the goal is to gather equally much information as you can before making a decision for the side by side 4+ years.

The Visit - chats with the PI

It'due south time to talk to the PI. This tends to happen at the end of your visit. Some times an offer may fifty-fifty be extended in this meeting, although ofttimes the PI will wait until they've heard feedback from other lab members on how the rest of your visit had gone before extending an offer to yous. Think of this as the "tough questions" meeting. They're non actually tough, but some of them may exist intimidating to ask. Just recall, you lot're highly skilled at this stage and will likely be underpaid (sigh), so you lot have every correct to ask directly questions and advocate for yourself. Merely like higher up, I will listing a agglomeration of questions hither that yous might desire to bring up in your conversation. But, let'southward beginning with what you should exist prepared to exist asked about likewise.

Questions you should be prepared to answer
(these may not be asked directly like how I'm wrting them, but exist set to answer the spirit of the question)
•Describe your scientific findings in your PhD and why information technology's of import to the field. Exist able to put it in context of what's known and show that you're excited about it. Fifty-fifty if information technology's not directly relevant to the work of the lab you're interviewing in.
• Why are you interested in our grouping? They will expect yous to be able to articulate what put their lab on your radar. Hopefully, some version of this answer was already in your initial email to the PI, but this is an opportunity to really emphasize your background and futurity interests and how this lab fits within that context.
•Do you lot have a research project in mind? I was asked this in all my interviews. My answer to all was "I don't have projects in mind, I have interests. My hope is that I volition take the time to brainstorm a projection and endeavor my hand at different things before long after joining." This answer was in line with what I wanted to practise, it may not work for you. If y'all have a clear idea of what you want to work on, say that. Additionally, you may detect that some PIs look you to know exactly what you want to do and fifty-fifty propose a brusk enquiry statement on it. I didn't want that so I avoided it.
•What are your research interests? What questions motivate you? What are yous passionate about solving? This is of import because you're not interviewing for a technician or student position. You demand to bear witness your ability to synthesize ideas, be curious, remember critically, and have some vision. At this signal in your PhD training, you're fix to do this.
•What are your core technical skills? This is about what strengths y'all bring to the lab.
•At the stop of this postdoc, what do you hope to have achieved? What are your career goals?
•When tin can you offset?

Questions to ask prospective PI
(you'll discover some of these are repeated from above. that's because information technology'south useful to go the PI and trainee perspective on these issues)
Lab Civilisation
•What is the structure of responsibilities in the lab?
•How frequently do conflicts ascend? How are they resolved?
•In that location are techniques your lab has that I'm not familiar with, will there exist people available to railroad train me on them?

PI's Grooming and Mentoring Philosophy
•What's it similar working with this PI?
•What is your availability like?
•What are your expectations of postdocs? How oft is there a data report?
•How much command will I have over the design and execution of my projects?
•What happens if it looks like my project is reaching a dead-end, at what signal do we pull the plug? What happens next? What happens to the data generated?
•I see the lab publishes a lot of papers in journals Ten, Y, and Z. What is your publishing philosophy. Does a projection have to reach a certain level of 'impact' for us to start preparing a manuscript?
•How are conversations surrounding authorship and credit had? This is specially important for labs that publish big collaborative projects with long author lists.
•What is your philosophy for when a postdoc leaves to starting time a kinesthesia position? What can I accept with me (ideas, transgenic lines, newly adult tech, etc.)? Exercise you still write grants and publish on the same topics later on I get out?
•How do you think the lab did/is doing during the pandemic?
•It'due south of import to me and my professional goals to be doing [something with no directly connection to your inquiry] during my postdoc. This means fourth dimension away from the bench. It won't dominate my fourth dimension but it is important all the same. How do you experience most that? I asked this question to everyone I interviewed with, and in my example the 'something' was DEI service and advocacy. For you, that might exist instruction or something else.
•I plan to write at least 10 number of fellowships during my postdoc, because even if the lab doesn't demand the money and even if I don't get them, it's a skill I would similar to piece of work on. How do you feel about that?

Resources
•What's the funding portfolio for the lab expect like?
•Permit's say y'all I need to purchase a new piece of equipment or a reagent, what's that process like?
•What are the core facilities available to your lab?
•How are decisions nigh establishing new collaborations made?
•How often will I have funds from the lab to travel to conferences and present my work?

Stability
•Where practise you see the lab's scientific direction going in the adjacent 5 and the adjacent 10 years?
•Exercise you lot have any plans of moving the lab or changing careers over the adjacent five years?

I'll be honest, I asked every single 1 of these questions to people I interviewed with. I asked them considering I genuinely cared for the answers, but too because they served as a litmus indicator for me - to run across whether the interviewer respects me enough to engage transparently rather than beingness offended by very fair (even if unusual) questions. I guess I merely decided that if a PI was offended by any of these questions, and so I wouldn't really want to work with them anyhow. Then, nosotros all do good.

VII. More than Resources

Dr. Daniel Gonzales has written a blog on how to email a prospective postdoc mentor (with examples) here.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently held a useful workshop entitled "Re-envisioning Postdoctoral Grooming in Neuroscience". You tin can sentry a recording of the event here or read the published proceedings here.

Some twitter threads discussing different aspects of postdoc search: switching fields, virtual interviews and visits, and general notes on transition.

Full general resources (including lists of postdoc funding opportunities) found here.

Final Thoughts

•In general, have in your heed iii references - including your current PI - prepare to get. They don't need to have messages ready (though it's great if they do), but you lot may be asked by your prospective PI for those references at whatsoever bespeak. It can be correct after the cold email, or after the visit and before an offer is made. So in general have a mental note of who you'd inquire to transport letters.

•Practice not discourage yourself from applying to a famous lab whose work you adore solely out of fear that you're "not good enough". You're often incorrect near that. Academia (and just life, really) already beats into us that we're not expert enough, so let's not also exist accomplices to doing that to ourselves likewise. Reflect on how far you've come up now that yous're nearing the end of your PhD, and realize how much yous're capable of if you were in the right surround for your postdoc.

•Many of the questions I listed in the Interview section of this article do not take a correct or incorrect reply. The goal is for you lot to become all the information you need to brand the best informed decision possible given your goals and values.

•Zippo here is comprehensive, only I did endeavour to write downward equally many things as I could think of.

•Considering of how long this article is, you might be left with the impression that this stage is rather overwhelming. It's non! Information technology was actually pretty exciting for me and is for many others. It'south full of feelings of potential and rich scientific conversations. While this article is long, you might find that a lot of this is already intuitive to you.

•This article has no information on negotiations for salary, relocation costs, benefits, etc. but I strongly encourage you to appoint in those conversations before accepting an offer.

•When it comes time to brand your decision, reverberate again on your goals and exist honest with yourself. Talk to people around you and seek communication from your mentors.

•If you found this article helpful, delight share it with others who might benefit.

edits

2021-eleven-half dozen: minor grammatical and spelling corrections.
2021-xi-7: edited for more emphasis on speaking with lab alumni.

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