Biophysical Newsletter - August 2014 - page 11

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
11
AUGUST
2014
Dear Molly Cule
Professor Molly Cule is delighted to receive comments on her answers and (anonymized) questions
at
, or visit her on the BPS Blog.
How do I approach a professor about a
postdoctoral position in his/her lab?
First off, congratulations on your impending
completion of graduate school. Finishing your
PhD is no small feat. If you are interested in
pursuing a postdoctoral experience, the ball lies in
your court to approach a professor, which can be
intimidating. However, with appropriate planning,
a bit of soul searching, and doing your homework,
approaching a professor about a postdoctoral op-
portunity in his/her laboratory will be much easier.
Prior to approaching a professor about a postdoc-
toral research opportunity, there are several things
to consider:
1) Perhaps the most important item you need to
learn about yourself is: What do you want from a
postdoc and where do you want to be when you
finish your postdoc? Consider whether you want
to pursue a faculty position at a major research
university; a teaching-faculty appointment at a
research university or undergraduate college; or an
industry position in molecular biophysics, engi-
neered biofuels, or big-data algorithms at a Na-
tional Laboratory or trading firm on Wall Street.
Think about which new skills and techniques you
want to learn from your postdoctoral position and
what you can build upon given your strengths.
Take advantage of your postdoctoral experience, as
it can be the most opportune and productive time
to learn new techniques and begin to develop inde-
pendent research directions. Before you approach
a professor, you want to be confident in what you
hope to gain from the experience and be convinced
that you have explored the opportunities that will
best meet your needs.
2) Now that you have clarified your individual
reasons for pursuing a postdoctoral position and
considered the challenges associated with it, you
will have an opportunity to learn about and iden-
tify potential postdoctoral mentors who can help
you meet your goals. This might be the most fun
part of the process. Your search can take many
forms, but you definitely should consider discuss-
ing your thoughts with your PhD advisor, as he/
she probably has a broader network of colleagues
and will be able to help you identify potential
advisors.
3) Be aware of pitfalls when considering postdoc-
toral locations and mentors. You want to choose
an environment with a track record of produc-
tive postdoctoral researchers who have moved on
towards solid industry positions or independent
academic faculty appointments. You will have to
ask about the funding, space, and time that the
postdoctoral mentor can provide you, making sure
that you will have the appropriate resources to
accomplish your work. Ask about his/her expecta-
tions of you, in terms of what you can contribute,
what you will be eager to learn, and how long you
should expect to be in his/her laboratory. Think
about what you need and want from your post-
doctoral experience, and what you can provide
to make it a win-win for both you and the post-
doctoral advisor. Additionally, you may want to
consider the institution’s location. Make sure you
will be able to access your favorite leisure activities
in your time outside of the lab.
This process can take some time, and if you find a
good fit early it may also provide you the opportu-
nity to prepare a postdoctoral fellowship applica-
tion to support your postdoctoral studies before
you even arrive. Often it is easiest to approach
faculty who you have known over the years, people
you have met through meetings, or distant col-
leagues of your PhD advisor. These personal con-
nections help lessen the trepidation of asking for a
postdoc. If you are not familiar with the professor,
first write an email to him/her, explaining why you
want to be a part of his/her research group. Let
the professor know that you will call to follow up
within a few days to discuss the possibilities, which
will let him/her know you are serious about the
position, rather than just searching for options. If
you have done your homework on the process, you
will have well thought out goals and solid ideas
about why this postdoc will be the best fit for both
of you. This will go a long way to starting the dia-
logue that allows you to find a great postdoctoral
research opporunity.
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