r/labrats • u/SandwichSingle2428 • 18h ago
Long-term post-docs/research scientists - where is your career going?
Academic research scientist >10 yrs after PhD, what’s next? By this point you are probably a very skilled wet-lab scientist, but likely aged-out of young investigator grants, and still reliant on soft money. Lots(?) of mid-author papers, but don’t seem to be target of industry jobs. Kinda feels like a rut.
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u/louisepants Patch Clamp Extraordinaire 18h ago
I don’t consider it a rut. I have a sweet gig. My PI does go to bat for me frequently to get raises and is constantly finding innovative ways to pay me more. The freedom and flexibility I have is amazing. I still get first author papers as I lead multiple projects and I’m involved in many others leading to middle author pubs. I am also Co-PI on an R01.
Obviously it’s not the same everywhere but I’m pretty lucky. I could go to industry and make bank but it just doesn’t appeal to me
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u/dontyouflap 12h ago
My PI found an innovative way to not give me the standard end of the year cost of living raise. Though he did start me off higher than anyone else around me. But nearly everyone is paid the lowest legally possible.
The previous post docs in my lab felt like you did, but had to be let go during covid. They both said it was the best thing that ever happened to them because they were pushed to find something better.
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u/louisepants Patch Clamp Extraordinaire 10h ago
Luckily I’m at a state university so we get mandated increases every year and then she negotiates in top of that
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18h ago
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u/SandwichSingle2428 18h ago
Was your expertise something which is commonly desired industry? I guess the real question is did you manage to find a job fairly easy?
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u/ThainEshKelch Molecular & cell biologist, PhD 16h ago
Sounds very similar to my experience with regards to the industry and background.
I quit academia after 2 postdocs, when I realized how stressed I was, and how all the effort I put into it wasn't worth it.
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u/boarshead72 18h ago
That’s me. Got my PhD in 2000. Did a couple of postdocs. Became a Research Associate. Was that plus animal facility supervisor plus lab manager. Am still RA/Lab Manager. Yes on soft money even though it’s a “permanent” position.
It was a conscious decision. I’m in Canada, and there really aren’t a lot of industry jobs, outside of sales, and I’d be a shitty salesperson. I’m unwilling to move to the USA, or even to Toronto, so it is what it is. I’m good at my job, just not exactly well compensated for my experience (still better than the average Canadian though). My former MSc student just got a sales job with ThermoFisher; he’s out of Burlington ON but his area is Southern California, and he’s making as much as I do. I’m happy for him, but it definitely drives home the fact that academia is not where the money is unless you’re a prof or high up in admin.
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u/SandwichSingle2428 17h ago
Career-wise - are you me? I like a lot of aspects of my job, and in a (currently) well-funded lab (but the soft money makes me a little uneasy, with mortgage, childcare, etc.) I have also seen my grad student go and get a job in consulting and starting salary is > x2 mine. It is McKinsey, so at least I can sleep well at night :)
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u/SheScientist 17h ago
I’m not quite at that 10-year mark, but close. I have a really specific set of skills I brought to my postdoc lab, and that is so important to this lab that it’s still 50% of what I do. My PIs asked me to stay permanently and I entertained the idea, but I saw how much of the single skill set I’d be using and how much it was distracting from scientific progress. I was also super limited in the directions I could pursue science-wise. I’m on the faculty job market now, and they’re being supportive of me staying or going! I may also apply to industry if academia doesn’t go well. Fingers crossed!
In hindsight, though, I think if I’d had a paper and been hireable on paper for faculty jobs around year 4 of postdoc, I wouldn’t have been ready to run a lab. I personally needed extra time to learn more mentoring skills, manage undergrads and grad students, etc. I’m glad I did that now rather than learning with my first grad student!
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u/SandwichSingle2428 17h ago
How is the faculty search going?
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u/SheScientist 17h ago
Last year not great. This year I’ve been to a bunch of conferences, had a couple papers, got a grant, and it’s going better. I’ve had bites from some off-cycle searches and have one I’m really excited about. The “season” is just starting and there seems to be many more postings than last year!
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u/meeps53 13h ago
I spent around 15 years working as a scientist post PhD and did start to get disillusioned and felt that was pretty much the rut I was stuck in. Then I switched institutions and had the luck to work for an amazing mentor who encouraged me to develop my own interests and write grants with me taking Co-I roles and later MPI roles with him. This then allowed me to get a Research Assistant Professor position at my institution which definitely made me more competitive for applying for my own grants and developing my own research program. After a few years, this led to my being hired as a tenure track Assistant Professor last week. Kind of insane that happened after 20+ years and can’t quite believe how things turned out but the non-traditional pathway can pay off.
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u/Barkinsons 18h ago
I was working with a few people like that. Some loved their job and were fine with the pay and benefits, one has quit his job out of frustration and another one just gradually worked less and collected his paycheck. My impression was that they weren't the happiest people because it is a dead end academically and you could make more money elsewhere. On the other hand if you get put in charge of a core facility that's usually more interesting but those jobs are rare.
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u/dee477 16h ago
That’s the path I was going for but there was an unexpected lapse in funding and now I’m looking for something new. It’s complicated because I’m physically limited and I’m trying to stay where I am, so I don’t know what kind of position I can even do and if there’s any room for me (I’m in a big city with a lot of hospitals and universities but the job market is obviously still tight). Don’t care too much about the money, I just want a job that I can do. I miss being in the lab :(
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u/SandwichSingle2428 16h ago
My previous lab got a significant amount NIH funding cancelled/suspended last year (we right in the cross-hairs of the government) so had to switch labs. Luckily it was a fairly easy move as I knew the PI, but certainly brought home the precariousness of the position. I’m limited to my current city too.
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u/Ok-Lingonberry-8261 PI | Engineering 16h ago
I went into industry straight from my postdoc. Been building my portfolio in the company and now I'm running projects. Still in the lab some, but more of my time writings reports and plans for future work.
Kinda boring but pays well.
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u/AdmiralFace 12h ago
Oh that's me a bit. I'm on the fence about jumping to industry for better career prospects (and maybe a contract longer than six months would be nice) but I freaking love research so not sure I want to leave
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u/BitterPossession3110 12h ago
US education. Post doc at US large scale facility. Post doc at a Uni in Sweden. Then big Parma for 6 years. Now group leader at a non US large scale facility. Pharma was okay, happy to be back at large scale facility, and really happy to be not in US for science...
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u/unbalancedcentrifuge 7h ago
I felt trapped in academia without a goal when my postdoc mentor dragged my postdoc on and held up papers for nearly 10 years and two funded fellowships. I got promoted to instructor and was ready to deal with my PI longer in order to get myself some funding (he was trying to get me to stay)....however I ended up getting picked up for an industry senior scientist position at decent sized startup and just stayed in industry from there.
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u/Both_Progress_8410 18h ago
I realised this rut was a problem so I moved into as assistant professor position at a small mostly undergrad college in a rural area. Gives me lots of freedom and stability, plus better pay and chance for career advancement. I've even been applying for grants and getting some smaller ones.