Finding a Good Postdoc: Tips & Resources

A postdoctoral position (postdoc) is an important step between your doctoral studies and your professional career. It is a unique period dedicated to advanced training, research output, and professional development. However, because postdoc roles vary significantly across institutions and disciplines, navigating this transition requires reflection and planning.

This guide aggregates essential resources and advice to help you determine if a postdoc is right for you, how to conduct a strategic and thorough search, and how to evaluate potential mentors and labs to ensure they align with your long-term objectives.

  • The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education defines a postdoc fellowship as “a training-focused position available to people who have earned a doctorate. Postdoc positions usually act as a stepping-stone between the student experience and the full-time professional experience.”
  • Postdocs are typically hired under a funded research project, and they are expected to move that project forward with meaningful contributions to deliverables and outcomes.
  • Another component of a postdoctoral training is professional development. The NIH Advisory Committee to the Director Working Group on Re-Envisioning NIH-Supported Postdoctoral Training recommends that “…career and professional development occupies a minimum average of 10% of a postdoctoral scholar’s effort…”
  • The multi-purpose nature of postdoctoral positions makes them complex and flexible, and they vary dramatically within institutions and between labs.

  • Taking on a postdoc might seem like the next reasonable step after you complete your PhD, but you should consider the value of a postdoc for your future career.
  • Think about what you what kinds of careers you might want to pursue, find people in those positions, and ask them about the necessity/utility of postdoctoral training. This approach has several benefits:
    • You’ll expand your network to include career role models to guide you as you move through postdoctoral training or enter the job market.  
    • These connections might also offer some insight about what skills you can work to build in whatever position you choose to pursue that will support your future career goals.
    • If you meet people who have done postdoctoral work before, they might offer an insider’s perspective on working with their PI or in a specific institution.  
  • Network your way through this question by setting up times to speak with with your mentors, advisors, colleagues, and current postdocs in and outside of your lab.

  • Many advisors will recommend that you start considering your postdoc options within the last year of your doctoral program.
  • Join professional associations in your field, and present your work through departmental seminars and professional association meetings to get your name out there and connect with others who have similar interests/expertise.
  • You can get some experience in supervision by taking on mentorship responsibilities for undergraduate students in your lab.
  • You might be considering applying for funding to support your postdoc, so consider requesting opportunities to participating in drafting research grant proposals in your lab.

  • Try a multi-pronged networking approach including a combination of to following strategies:
    • cold emails to PIs with intriguing research
    • reach out to postdocs in labs that do exciting research
    • go to scientific meetings and hear about cutting edge projects
  • Ask your PI, advisors and postdocs in your lab to introduce you to some of their colleagues who share your interests or could use your expertise.
  • Email advisors or PIs early to express interest in potential future positions.

Chicagoland STEM Postdoc Readiness Initiative

  • This is a collaborative initiative among the three largest research universities in the Chicago area (UChicago, UIC, and Northwestern University). Our goals are to explain the postdoctoral recruitment and hiring process and empower prospective postdocs to make career decisions that reflect their individual goals and needs. 

University of Michigan Postdoc Preview

  • Postdoc Preview is a recruiting event and opportunity for upper-level graduate students to explore the extensive postdoctoral research and training opportunities in biomedical sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School.

NCI Postdoc Recruitment Event

  • The Postdoc Recruitment Event (PRE) (formerly known as the Graduate Student Recruiting Program) provides doctoral candidates the opportunity to explore postdoctoral opportunities at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The goals of PRE are to support doctoral candidates during their career exploration and raise awareness of the rich training environment and unique resources available at NCI.

NPA Academic Postdoc Hiring Fair

  • The Academic Postdoc Hiring Fair is a national, virtual recruitment event designed to connect PhD students and postdoctoral scholars with universities and research institutions actively recruiting postdoctoral talent (all tracks) across disciplines. The event is hosted on Handshake.

Rutgers Health and Rutgers Brain Health Institute Postdoc Peek

  • Rutgers Health and Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) invite senior graduate students and early postdoc fellows to apply for Postdoc Peek, a two-day, all-expenses-paid, on-campus visit. Participants will explore postdoctoral training and research opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines at Rutgers, connect with faculty, and learn about life and research across Rutgers campuses.

Stanford Postdoctoral Recruitment Initiative in Sciences and Medicine (PRISM)

  • Stanford PRISM connects advanced graduate students with potential postdoctoral mentors at Stanford. Twice a year, PRISM provides a unique opportunity for graduate students—especially those who may not have considered Stanford for postdoctoral training—to visit the campus, immerse themselves in its dynamic postdoctoral community, interview with faculty and lab groups, and network with current postdocs. 

Yale Virtual Postdoc Recruitment Event

  • This event brings together scholars interested in pursuing postdoctoral training at Yale University. Our objectives are to: support participants in exploring career pathways and identifying actionable next steps, engage with scholars from varied disciplines and backgrounds, and increase awareness of the postdoctoral experience at Yale and the resources available to support postdocs.

Consider status, leadership style, training record, and funding.

  • Status: An Established PI has rank and influence, while new PI is likely to spend a lot of time in lab and can give more direct training
  • Leadership Style: Does the PI give postdocs freedom to work independently? What kind of schedule are postdocs expected to follow? Is the lab collaborative or competitive? Does PI supply up-to-date equipment?
  • Training Record: Are past trainees in high-level positions? Are current trainees getting quality training?
  • Funding: Does PI have funding to pay postdoc for 3-5 years? Does PI have a strong extramural funding record?

  • Many Postdocs in academia have roughly same salary nationwide due to federal funding guidelines.
  • Postdocs in industry generally pay more, but may not be best choice for those pursuing academic careers because of potential limits on publishing and applying for funding

  • If at all possible, visit the lab before making a decision; consider the reputation of the institution.
  • Talk to other graduate students and postdocs in lab to determine work style.
  • Think about how you like to work—as part of a team, individually, with what level of supervision?
  • Does lab location and surrounding environment satisfy your non-work interests?
  • Do people in lab work 9am – 5pm, only when experiments need to be done, or all of the time?
  • Do you prefer a lab with a lot of money and space or are tight spaces and budgets okay?
  • Do you want a lab that acts like a “family” and hangs out all the time or sticks to business?
  • How much attention do you want from mentor? More people may mean less time with a mentor.

  • Avoid strictly continuing work you did in graduate school; a postdoc is an opportunity to diversify your expertise. What skills do you want to build?
  • Think carefully before extending your graduate work into a postdoc in same field. It is unlikely to maximize your gain of broader experience, but that can be offset by rapid and important publications.
  • Does lab you are entering have a track record producing high-quality publications? Are publications essential for the next steps in your career?
  • Understand the expectations around outcomes, and set goals and timelines with your PI.
  • Communicate with your PI to align expectations about authorship, project work, and time to take advantage of professional development opportunities.
  • Find out about the source and duration of funding before accepting your position.
  • Good mentors will understand that your independence is the goal. Consider what you’re working towards (your own future lab, group leader) and set some goals/milestones to mark your progress.
  • Strive to get your own money—plan ahead for this, as most funds come from joint application with mentor.