What I wish I knew when I was a PhD/postdoc
Embarking on a PhD or postdoctoral research can be an exciting, but daunting time.
Scientists from around the world got together recently to provide PhD students and postdoctoral researchers with advice they wish they’d had when beginning their careers.
CDM early career researcher Harish Potti took notes on the main takeaways from the event.
1. Learn to communicate effectively
CERN Applied Scientist, Erica Brondoli:
Communication is the most important skill. PhD students should:
· learn how to effectively communicate their research questions and results with their supervisors and other people in their field
· seek help from their supervisors from time to time. As they gain experience, students are expected to solve many of the research problems independently
try to build a support network for guidance and help. This network can be with people you meet at conferences, experimental or theoretical collaborators, or students from your university. These types of networks will not only help with the research but also with the career when you are looking for jobs.
2. Get a mentor
University of Zurich postdoctoral researcher Eluned Smith:
It is very common for PhD students to feel overwhelmed at some point during their course. Having a mentor would be invaluable during these times to put things in perspective and also to get help for improving the areas you are struggling. I personally believe that a mentorship relationship has to come naturally. It can be with people you collaborate with or with people with a shared background, like other women in academia, etc.
The University of Texas at Austin postdoctoral research associate Deepa Thomas:
I fully agree that the mentorship relationship should come naturally. For me, mentorship surprisingly came from people I did not expect. I asked for suggestions from people I met at a collaboration meeting and they gave really good advice. This gradually developed into a mentorship relationship. In large collaborations like LHC experiments, it is very easy to find a mentor. Mentors do not have to be older people. They can be from different career stages. Try to communicate with your mentors regularly throughout your career. You can also get mentors through organised programs like the “LHC Early Career Mentoring Program”.
CMS Collaboration spokesperson and Fermilab Distinguished Scientist Patricia McBride:
Lots of people will give you advice but you should try to find a mentor who can listen to your concerns and address specific problems you have. Mentor-Mentee relationships are really useful for achieving long-term goals and also for balancing different types of duties that you have to do at various career levels.
3. Choose between academia and industry early
Upstart Research Scientist in the Machine Learning team Sourav Sen:
My advice to PhD students would be to try to decide at least a year before their graduation whether they want to continue in academia or switch to Industry. Some of the software stack and technical tools used in academia are slightly different compared to the ones used in the Industry. So, if you are sure about your choice of working in the industry, it would be better if you incorporate the industry software and technical tools (instead of conventional academic software) into your PhD research projects. If it is not possible, you can do some side projects to develop your skills in areas that are more relevant to the companies you want to work for.
Also, try to make as many connections as possible by attending career fairs and industry events. Networking is really important to get shortlisted for industrial job interviews.
4. …. or take a break if you need it
Carleton University PhD student Ben Davis-Purcell
It is totally fine if you would like to take a few months off after graduation to choose a career path between academia and industry. You might face some monetary constraints during this gap period but you can always get a temporary job while you are deciding on a permanent job.
5. Accept new responsibilities and challenges
Yale University postdoctoral researcher Fernando Antonio Flor:
As a postdoc, you are expected to be an independent researcher without much help from your supervisor. It is understood that you will start building using the skills and network you have already developed as a PhD student. Another major difference is that your duties are beyond a single topic. You have to have a broad and wider vision of the field as a researcher, educator, or even a bureaucrat. Additionally, you should also take an active role in the management like organising committees or junior scientist boards. One great advantage of being a postdoc is that you have a bigger sense of freedom. You can collaborate across departments and universities, and introduce new techniques and ideas into your research more easily.
The transition from PhD student to postdoc will become easier if you gain additional experience by:
becoming involved in student leadership organisations
participating in science outreach & other pedagogical activities
making yourself aware of the postdoc responsibilities by discussing them your PhD supervisor well before the graduation
6. Be visible
TU Dortmund postdoctoral researcher Dominik Mitzel:
Visibility is key to success in academia. The base is obviously performing excellent work with unique and innovative techniques, but even then it's not guaranteed that you will get the credit you deserve for your work.
Be proactive. If you get a chance to present your work, don’t turn it down. Frequently attend conferences and workshops to show your results.
If you have the freedom to pick research projects, select the ones that are relevant to a wider audience. That way, you automatically get visibility.
Actively seek management roles within collaborations which will give you an opportunity to network with a lot of people.
Introduce yourself to relevant people in your field and ask them for a coffee meeting. There are many dedicated programs like Meet and Eat which can help you in meeting a lot of people.
7. Be strategic to gain a permanent position
CMS Collaboration spokesperson and Fermilab Distinguished Scientist Patricia McBride:
Always be curious. From time to time, think about the skills you need for your next research question and how you can develop them. When you are looking for a job in academia, you should be able to convince your colleagues that you can pursue your ideas as an independent researcher.
Whatever you are working on in your current job, make sure that it is successful. If you are stuck or facing problems, reach out to your network for help with your situation. We are all interconnected, especially in large experiments like the LHC. We are not only looking for the success of the physics program, but also the success at the individual level. So, do not get discouraged to ask for help.
Know your strengths. It’s a lifelong journey of finding out our strengths. :-). When you are planning your career, first introspect “What do you like to do?” and “What are you good at?”, then make a decision.
Get leadership experience. This could be achieved in many ways like by becoming a technical project leader or physics analysis convenor or outreach expert. Think early on, about how to put your best self forward.
Communicating your research is really important. Most likely, you have to teach in addition to research in permanent academic jobs. So, get an experience of giving talks at all levels: To your peer groups, people in other research fields & other institutes, and the general public. Increase your visibility by going to conferences and workshops.
Be interested in the broader area of physics and know how different fields fit together. You need to show that you are generally aware and interested in all other areas of research performed at the institute to which you are applying.
Your mentor and network can be really useful for practising interviews. Try to form answers to questions like Why do I want this job? What skills do I bring to the table? Your interviewers want to see that you are engaged and genuinely interested in their research. They will be asking themselves: Do I want to be working (or have lunch) with this person for the next 30 years?
Discuss with your friends & family to find out: What’s really important to you? How do you want to balance your life? How close to your family (or your favourite adventure place) do you want to live? What's the most important thing in the institute you would like to work for? Put a lot of effort into only those institutions which are a good match for you and where you can make a difference.
Finally, it is absolutely okay to not know everything, and also there is no one correct career path. Life as a PhD student/postdoc is a beautiful experience. So, don’t forget to enjoy it while you are still in it. Take care of your personal health and relationships as they are equally important.