Where next, post-postdoc?

Members of an alumni association provide advice on finding career paths inside and outside academia

Top tips

• Resist the belief that an academic career would be superior to one elsewhere.
• While a postdoc, forge connections with those outside your immediate academic field.
• Make use of your university’s careers service and existing networks of postdocs.
• Spend time engaging with fields or industries where you could see your career developing.

For postdoctoral researchers, navigating the jobs market has never been an easy task. The Covid-19 pandemic has only worsened an already difficult situation for early career researchers, many of whom are looking outside academia for sustainable career options.