Postdoc Career Optimism On the Rise (nature.com) 33
Nature's global survey finds that postdoctoral researchers still feel as though they are academia's drudge labourers, but have more confidence about job prospects in a post-pandemic world. Nature: In 2020, respondents to Nature's first global survey of postdoctoral researchers feared that COVID-19 would jeopardize their work. Eighty per cent said the pandemic had hindered their ability to carry out experiments or collect data, more than half (59%) found it harder to discuss their research with colleagues than before the crisis, and nearly two-thirds (61%) thought that the pandemic was hampering their career prospects.
That outlook has changed, according to Nature's second global postdoc survey, carried out in June and July this year. Now only 8% of the respondents say the economic impacts of COVID-19 are their biggest concern (down from 40% in 2020). Instead, they are back to worrying about the usual things: competition for funding, not finding jobs in their fields of interest or feeling pressure to sacrifice personal time for work. Overall, 55% say they are satisfied in their current postdoc, a slide from 60% in 2020. This varies by geography, age and subject area. Postdocs aged 30 and younger are more likely to be satisfied (64%) than are those aged 31-40 (53%). Biomedical postdocs -- who make up slightly more than half of the respondents -- pull the average down, because only 51% say they are satisfied with their jobs.
That outlook has changed, according to Nature's second global postdoc survey, carried out in June and July this year. Now only 8% of the respondents say the economic impacts of COVID-19 are their biggest concern (down from 40% in 2020). Instead, they are back to worrying about the usual things: competition for funding, not finding jobs in their fields of interest or feeling pressure to sacrifice personal time for work. Overall, 55% say they are satisfied in their current postdoc, a slide from 60% in 2020. This varies by geography, age and subject area. Postdocs aged 30 and younger are more likely to be satisfied (64%) than are those aged 31-40 (53%). Biomedical postdocs -- who make up slightly more than half of the respondents -- pull the average down, because only 51% say they are satisfied with their jobs.
postdoc what is that 250K-500K student loan to pay (Score:2)
postdoc what is that 250K-500K student loan to pay off?
but under deferment with your $29K/year postdoc job you don't feel it at all.
Re: postdoc what is that 250K-500K student loan to (Score:2)
You owe the bank a thousand dollars, you have a problem. You owe the bank a million dollars, the bank has a problem.
Perfect way to run a country, eh? Jokes on them: when they figure out it's all smoke and mirrors, I'll be dead!
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postdoc what is that 250K-500K student loan to pay off? but under deferment with your $29K/year postdoc job you don't feel it at all.
Uh, I know you were trying to make a point here, but you're doing a hell of a lot more than just feeling a $29K/year income. You're enduring it. And probably just barely.
I've seen prison terms sell loopholes better than that.
Re: postdoc what is that 250K-500K student loan to (Score:2)
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Rosy Title (Score:2)
Even the summary crushes the optimism of the title.
A more accurate title would be: "PhD job fears same or worse compared to pre-Covid."
Post Docs in WHAT? (Score:2)
But I couldn't give a flying fart about the career prospect of someone who has spent years pretending that their psychology studies are real science and of any actual use to anyone ( beyond people selling newspapers ).
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STEM bros and medics and biologists should have their research supported..
What's up with this shit? Really, bro?
Like the world needs another Martin Shkreli drunk on Holmes and snorting pure SBF.
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You oppose science research because People Done Bad?
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No, I more oppose those who value 'bros' in certain fields. Particularly when the price paid for 'bro' arrogance ends up being someones life. Quite painful for those who can't be as dismissive as you.
STEM can't afford the move fast, break shit, kill people mentality any more than the medical community could afford Shkrelis drug prices. Don't feel like getting infected with the worst of history again either because of dismissive ignorance either. We've done that. Again and again. Time to learn from pas
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Musk's move fast etc. has revolutionized three industries already.
And you sit there whining about Shkreli and Holmes, neither of whom is a STEM bro, FFS!
Up your shitty argument skills.
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My argument was not allowing the bro attitude in any field of work because overconfidence and arrogance can bring deadly consequence. Don't assume that move fast, break shit mantra can be successful everywhere. Even Musk understands that, as he was one or two more failed launches away from bankruptcy. Hardly a brag for the 'revolutionary' business books when his shit barely worked.
Thanks for validating my point about arrogance.
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"pretending that their psychology studies are real science " How stupid can you possibly get? We want to know why people take so poor care of themselves in the U.S. The health care industries and government programs depend upon getting the real fact so they can make policy, not chase down dumb political ideas about the reasons. Pick problem the U.S. has and sooner or later it comes down to psychology. Dumbass.
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Thinking that psychology is real science.
Really?!
""How stupid can you possibly get?
"That’s right. Psychology isn’t science.
Why can we definitively say that? Because psychology often does not meet the five basic requirements for a field to be considered scientifically rigorous: clearly defined terminology, quantifiability, highly controlled experimental conditions, reproducibility and, finally, predictability and testability."
NOW FUCK OFF.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/l
Post-pandemic? (Score:4, Insightful)
The pandemic is still going on. People just got tired of it. Couple big swinging dicks say it's over and POOF, it's over I guess? People are so easy to manipulate. Derp
Re: Post-pandemic? (Score:2)
Still triple masking and zooming to the guy down the hall when you need to chat?
Re: Post-pandemic? (Score:2)
That would make the common cold a pandemic.
Re: Post-pandemic? (Score:2)
Just about anyone who refers to it as endemic.
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No one said the pandemic is over. What they did say is we do not have the statistics to point to it being over or not because jackasses took offense at the government collecting statistics. The American people would rather wallow in ignorance as long as they can use it to make a political point.
I personally claim to have rescued at least (Score:2)
two people from postdocdom during my time in grad school.
It was exceedingly simple. I told them how much I made when I went into the workforce straight out of college. It was more than they were, or would have, made as postdocs several years later.
One of them, a postdoc at yhe timen disappeared from campus shortly thereafter, only to be found on the staff roster at my workplace. The other graduated before making a similar teleportation.
It is possible. Be kind and adopt a postdoc.
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Yup, somehow the amount of money you make shows you just how valuable you are. Did it ever occur to you that some of us do science because we like it and think it is important....well, more important than counting ones beans.
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They could afford to pay better, but they won't.
How it works actually: You write a proposal for submission to a funding agency (I heard in US it's like DOE, NSF). Say you ask for 1 million currency units for 3 years. Out of that, 25% is overhead, it goes to the faculty for general expenses. Now you have 250k per year. You are expected to assign 60% for HR and 40% for running expenses. So now you have 150k for salaries. Out of that, you the academic have to remove enough to pay yourself because your university will ask you to pay yourself on your project
Re: I personally claim to have rescued at least (Score:2)
Correct. And if the same funding body went to a private sector or a non-academic nonprofit to do the same work, they'd get a bid for 2 or 3 million so they can pay real experienced professionals to do the same job without getting distracted by writing other grants, taking classes, trying to graduate, looking for faculty openings, teaching classes, etc etc etc.
You can feed the beast or you can starve it of oxygen. Can't have it both ways at the same time.
Re: I personally claim to have rescued at least (Score:2)
The part where the software is a means to an end, not the end itself.
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There are 2 outcomes to post-doc career: 10% find a tenure position in higher education*, 90% exit to other jobs. Postdoc is not a career, someone at the yth time knows very well you don't make it to (y+1)th for values of y larger or equal to 3 (older postdocs can't find grants). Which means if your observation is susceptible to a a population bias. The two students you talked to were statistically bound to exit to other jobs anyway.
I also find it strange that your post-doc colleagues were immediately convi
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There are some fields where having one student at a time is fairly normal, but in most you've got more than that. Sometimes a lot more. The 9/10 figure you cite seems a bit high to me, but reasonable. But that's postdocs. IIRC a couple % of PhD graduates get faculty positions, and a lot of those are shitty non-tenure track contract ones.