Years spent as a postdoc are a time of intense research, personal growth, and career uncertainty. Whilst postdocs may treat their time as a postdoc as a stepping-stone to a permanent academic post, the ratio of such posts to the wider postdoc population is acute. This can leave many postdocs feeling unsure of what their next step should be. 

The good news is that postdoc experience equips you with a powerful skillset applicable to a wide range of fulfilling careers.  

Prosper and research-careers.org recently co-hosted a panel session as part of the University of Liverpool’s Making an Impact month, featuring several former postdocs who went onto to chart varied career paths beyond academia. The panel spoke about their personal experiences and how the skills they acquired as researchers helped them succeed. Speakers included: 

The former postdoc panelists, clockwise from top left: Dr Naomi Billingsley, a former Arts and Humanities postdocs who used to work for the British Library and is now Research Manager at the Courtauld Institute of Art; Dr Allison Landman, a former bench scientist who transitioned into scientific editing at The Lancet Oncology; Dr Ryan Kyle, former biomedical postdoc who now works as principal scientist for Oxford biotech SME Sitryx; Dr Eamon Dubaissi, who now works as Partnership Manager for non-profit Medicines Discovery Catapult 

You can watch/listen to the full session here: https://prosper.liverpool.ac.uk/postdoc-resources/explore/former-postdoc-case-studies/former-postdoc-panel-session-may-2024/ – or read below for some of the top tips that emerged:

 

Embracing the Detour: The Nonlinear Postdoc Journey 

The panelists unanimously emphasised the non-linear nature of career paths. Gone are the days of neatly following a pre-defined roadmap. Today's professional landscape encourages flexibility and adaptability. 

'My journey wasn't a straight line, there were unexpected turns, but each experience added valuable skills to my toolbox.'

Dr Allison Landman, a former bench scientist who transitioned into scientific editing

You might initially be drawn to a specific research area or industry, but your interests and priorities can evolve over time. The key is to be open to new opportunities that align with your evolving skillset and passions. 

'The key is to think about what your skills are, what are the things you enjoy... what are you good at?'

Dr Ryan Kyle, former biomedical postdoc who now works as principal scientist for Oxford biotech SME Sitryx 

'Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Take time to reflect on what truly motivates you. What kind of work environment do you envision? What lifestyle do you desire?'

Dr Eamon Dubaissi, who now works as Partnership Manager for non-profit Medicines Discovery Catapult 

Once you have a clear understanding of your priorities, research different career options and assess their practicality based on salary, work-life balance, and growth opportunities. 

The Power of Transferable Skills 

A big psychological hurdle for postdocs considering transitioning out of academia is the perception that, by this point in their careers, their skills are too specialised. The panelists were all keen to dispel this notion. A PhD, coupled with postdoc experience, equips you with a formidable arsenal of transferable skills highly sought after across diverse industries – increasingly so, in fact, in today’s economic landscape. 

The panel gave examples of skills that enabled them to thrive in their new professional setting: 

  • Problem-solving and critical analysis: Whether your experience as a postdoc is in STEM, the Arts and Humanities, or anything else – the fact is you've spent years tackling complex problems. This expertise translates seamlessly into various roles requiring analytical thinking and creative solutions. 
  • Communication (written and verbal): From writing papers to presenting your findings at conferences, postdocs spend a lot of time breaking down complex and multifaceted facts and issues into engaging narratives. Even if you don’t consider yourself a confident speaker or communication to be a strength, you might be surprised at the extent to which you’ve been honing this skill over the years, relative to others without your postdoc experience. These skills are crucial for success in any career path involving written or verbal communication, which encompasses a vast array of pathways.  Many organisations in today’s economic landscape have need of people who can draw out salient facts and conclusions from huge data sets, or tell complex stories in simplified and engaging ways – whether it’s on a subject completely removed from your area of study, or potentially not (e.g. science liaison roles are a growth area). 

  • Project management: Running research projects equips postdocs with valuable organisational and project management skills — essential skills for managing teams and ensuring tasks are completed on time and within budget. This is a skillset that many outside academia never explicitly train for, and often acquire ‘on the job’ - the intense project-driven higher education research environment can give postdocs an advantage over non-postdocs in demonstrating this aptitude. 
  • Leadership: Postdocs often take on complex and demanding leadership roles within research groups, guiding fellow researchers and delegating tasks. Again, this is a much sought-after quality at a huge range of organisations beyond academia – many postdocs simply don’t think about their researcher experience in this way, and so don’t realise how attractive this can look on a CV. 

The panelists provided several examples from their own journeys of how they leveraged their transferable skills:  

'I did quite a lot of convening activity during my postdoc... [which involved] managing across and managing up... working with established academics to grow a research centre was a good introduction to this aspect of my work now'

Dr Naomi Billingsley, a former Arts and Humanities postdocs who used to work for the British Library and is now Research Manager at the Courtauld Institute of Art

'As a postdoc, I spent a lot of time reviewing grant proposals and manuscripts. This experience honed my ability to identify strengths and weaknesses in research, which is essential for my current role as a scientific editor.'

Dr Allison Landman, a former bench scientist who transitioned into scientific editing

Dr Eamon Dubaissi drew upon his research background, presentation skills, and leadership abilities as he transitioned from research-to-research management and ultimately a partnership manager role in a non-profit organisation:

'The grant writing and presentation skills I honed during my research years proved invaluable when I transitioned into research management. Now, in my role at the non-profit, my ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to a non-scientific audience comes in handy every day.'

Dr Eamon Dubaissi, who now works as Partnership Manager for non-profit Medicines Discovery Catapult

Explore diverse career paths 

The panel emphasised the importance of making the time to learn about the diversity of careers open to postdocs – even if only to get a better sense of your options. Getting a sense of available/possible options needn’t involve any commitment or decision, and it’s the only way to truly put your career choices on an informed footing. 

'I think it's never too early to start thinking about your next move. Attend events like this, engage with your careers service if you have access to one, and connect with people around you, whether from your own institution or those you meet at conferences – invite them for coffee to chat about their career journeys.'

Dr Naomi Billingsley, a former Arts and Humanities postdocs who used to work for the British Library and is now Research Manager at the Courtauld Institute of Art

The discussion showcased a range of successful career paths embarked upon by postdocs. Here's a glimpse into just a few of the options explored: 

  • Research and Development (R&D) in Industry: Many postdocs leverage their expertise to join the R&D departments of pharmaceutical companies, biotech startups, or technology firms – all massive growth areas in the current landscape. Dr Ryan Kyle highlighted how his biological expertise, project management skills, and ability to work collaboratively on different projects proved invaluable in his new role.  

'The fast-paced, collaborative environment at the biotech company is very different from academia'

Dr Ryan Kyle – former biomedical postdoc who now works as principal scientist for Oxford biotech SME Sitryx 

  • Science Policy and Advocacy: For postdocs in STEM fields, their scientific knowledge and research background can be critical assets in shaping science policy or advocating for scientific research funding. 
  • Communication and Outreach: For postdocs with a passion for making research accessible to the public, a career in writing, journalism, or education is a possibility. The role needn’t be 100% related to one’s field of research – demand for the generic ability to take complex topics or research and boil it down into engaging content is growing. 
  • Research Administration and Management: Universities, libraries, and research institutions, to take just three examples, rely heavily on research administrators and managers to maintain efficient research operations. Your research experience and project management skills fit perfectly in these roles. 

Take the time to reflect and plan – it’s worth prioritising 

Perhaps the most important point of all – affirmed by all panelists – is that whatever your desires, situation or options, you will thank yourself later for making the time to reflect on your career situation, make pro-active career plans, and develop yourself - even if other things can seem more urgent or pressing right now. 

This can sometimes mean having the courage to recognise that a situation isn’t working out for you, and you need to try something different. 

The panelists urged postdocs to trust themselves to know when to listen to themselves and make a change: 

'I was over-resilient. I stayed one grant too long. I should have listened to myself. I do wish I’d spent more time earlier on actively thinking about all the careers I could do and what skills I enjoy honing.'

Dr Eamon Dubaissi, who now works as Partnership Manager for non-profit Medicines Discovery Catapult

The panelists further emphasised that postdocs in this situation are better-equipped than they might imagine with the necessary tools to make a change - using the professional connections, support network and skills they’ve built up during their time as researchers: 

'Lean on your support network, graduate students, friends and other postdocs to try and find something else. Know yourself!'

Dr Allison Landman, a former bench scientist who transitioned into scientific editing

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