Postdoc in a panic

A blog for postdocs, or for those supporting them in similar situations.

Blake (not their real name) came to me visibly concerned, “I’ve been thinking about my career development and what my next steps are. But I’ve just found out that my PI is leaving. They go in three weeks. My current contract won’t be renewed. I’ve only got 5 months left. I’ve got a mortgage to pay for. I’m really worried”.

This type of situation isn’t uncommon. Extensions or follow-on contracts don’t always materialize for a variety of reasons. Postdocs often feel a great deal of loyalty for their role and corresponding guilt around leaving contracts early as they are aware of the impact and delay this can have on the research and the PI’s workload in refilling the post. Postdocs often behave this way regardless of if this loyalty is rewarded or reciprocated. 

In Blake’s case I asked if he’d heard of the University’s redeployment list. Typically, only staff with three months or less left on their contract are eligible but given his circumstances I suggested he may wish to ask if it’d be possible to get access a little earlier. His initial response was one of respectfully not wishing to burden his PI with an additional ask, as with them leaving in three weeks' time meant they were busy with handing over or closing activities. Being selfless, meant that Blake did not consider that the PI had themselves made the choice to depart. The PI was no doubt acting in their best interests and that of their career/life. However, Blake was not. Blake was struggling to put himself and his needs first even with this very small and reasonable request.

• Remember it’s professional / a business – Whilst you may work closely with your PI and get on, they cannot offer you permanence or guarantee your next contract no matter how much they like you or the esteem they hold you in. It is grant-dependent. Aim to strike a balance of professional respect, openness and mutual trust, so that both you and your PI can discuss future plans, along with their associated risks and probabilities. 
• Be clear on your boundaries – Can you not work late on Tuesdays because you need to pick up your kids? Do you need someone else to attend that conference so you can care for your partner? What is your boundary? How do you want to work? Once you’ve got clarity on this consider how you can constructively communicate it. Explore this episode of Squiggly Careers on YouTube.
• What do you need right now? There is no point berating yourself that you should have seen this coming or thought about this earlier, you are here now. You can be frustrated and upset that things have not worked out as you hoped. Treat yourself to a fixed time wallow in these feelings (say an evening), then get practical. If you’ve got no time and no savings then applying for any job to keep the bills paid is fine. It’s a temporary stop-gap. If at all possible, try to find something that pays enough for your basic bills whilst leaving you enough time and energy to find something that is a better fit. 
• Next doesn’t have to be perfect. Your next role (not just the temporary one to pay the bills) just has to be good enough. It doesn’t have to be fancier. It could help you figure out if a sector or role type suits you. It could turn out to be a perfect fit, but that’s almost impossible to figure out from the outside. 
• Start from here. Try to leave any harsh judgemental thoughts aside, no telling yourself you should have done this sooner. Get clear on what is important to you. Do you know what makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning? If not start getting clear on your values. You might also like to spend a bit of time thinking about your professional identity. Got that covered? Do you know all of your skills and can articulate them with examples? If not, try identifying them at this page. No idea where your skills and values could take you? Start from the Career Clusters.
• Think about what would you say to a friend in the same circumstance? Self-compassion is motivating, self-chastisement isn’t. Practice self-compassion from this video.
• Acknowledge your achievements and progress and set realistic targets or goals.

Blake had already applied for 60 roles and had 1 interview already, with another in the diary after only a couple of weeks of job hunting. Still he didn't feel he was doing enough: is applying for 60 roles realistic, or are there other ways of job hunting? When it comes to job application focus on quality, tailor you submission to that role. Think about how you fit, how you are the answer to the recruiters problem! Consider what you can control and what is beyond both your sphere of control and influence. Connect with your professional network, let them know you’re looking for a new role and see what leads come your way.