选择博士后的十个简单法则
Ten simple rules for selecting a postdoctoral position02008-01-16 04:14:20
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Ten simple rules for selecting a postdoctoral position
You are a PhD candidate and your thesis defense is already in sight. You have decided you would like to continue with a postdoctoral position rather than moving into industry as the next step in your career (that decision should be the subject of another “Ten Simple Rules”). Further, you already have ideas for the type of research you wish to pursue and perhaps some ideas for specific projects. Here are ten simple rules to help you make the best decisions on a research project and the laboratory in which to carry it out.
Rule 1: Select a Position that Excites You
If you find the position boring, you will not do your best work—believe us, the salary will not be what motivates you, it will be the science. Discuss the position fully with your proposed mentor, review the literature on the proposed project, and discuss it with others to get a balanced view. Try and evaluate what will be published during the process of your research. Being scooped during a postdoc can be a big setback. Just because the mentor is excited about the project does not mean you that will be six months into it.
Rule 2: Select a Laboratory That Suits Your Work and Lifestyle
If at all possible, visit the laboratory before making a decision. Laboratories vary widely in scope and size. Think about how you like to work—as part of a team, individually, with little supervision, with significant supervision (remembering that this is part of your training where you are supposed to be becoming independent), etc. Talk to other graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory and determine the work style of the laboratory. Also, your best work is going to be done when you are happiest with the rest of your life. Does the location of the laboratory and the surrounding environment satisfy your nonwork interests?
Rule 3: Select a Laboratory and a Project That Develop New Skills
Maximizing your versatility increases your marketability. Balance this against the need to ultimately be recognized for a particular set of contributions. Avoid strictly continuing the work you did in graduate school. A postdoctoral position is an extension of your graduate training; maximize your gain in knowledge and experience. Think very carefully before extending your graduate work into a postdoc in the same laboratory where you are now—to some professionals this raises a red flag when they look at your resume. Almost never does it maximize your gain of knowledge and experience, but that can be offset by rapid and important publications.
Rule 4: Have a Backup Plan
Do not be afraid to take risks, although keep in mind that pursuing a risky project does not mean it should be unrealistic: carefully research and plan your project. Even then, the most researched, well-thought-out, and well-planned project may fizzle; research is like that. Then what? Do you have a backup plan? Consider working on at least two projects. One to which you devote most of your time and energy and the second as a fallback. The second project should be more of the “bread and butter” type, guaranteed to generate good (if not exciting) results no matter what happens. This contradicts Rule 1, but that is allowed for a backup plan. For as we see in Rule 5, you need tangible outcomes.
Rule 5: Choose a Project with Tangible Outcomes That Match Your Career Goals
For a future in academia, the most tangible outcomes are publications, followed by more publications. Does the laboratory you are entering have a track record in producing high-quality publications? Is your future mentor well-respected and recognized by the community? Talk to postdocs who have left the laboratory and find out. If the mentor is young, does s/he have the promise of providing those outcomes? Strive to have at least one quality publication per year.
Rule 6: Negotiate First Authorship before You Start
The average number of authors on a paper has continued to rise over the years: a sign that science continues to become more collaborative. This is good for science, but how does it impact your career prospects? Think of it this way. If you are not the first author on a paper, your contribution is viewed as 1/n where n is the number of authors. Journals such as this one try to document each author's contributions; this is a relatively new concept, and few people pay any attention to it. Have an understanding with your mentor on your likelihood of first authorship before you start a project. It is best to tackle this problem early during the interview process and to achieve an understanding; this prevents conflicts and disappointments later on. Don't be shy about speaking frankly on this issue. This is particularly important when you are joining an ongoing study.
Rule 7: The Time in a Postdoctoral Fellowship Should Be Finite
Mentors favor postdocs second only to students. Why? Postdocs are second only to students in providing a talented labor pool for the least possible cost. If you are good, your mentor may want you to postdoc for a long period. Three years in any postdoc is probably enough. Three years often corresponds to the length of a grant that pays the postdoctoral fellowship, so the grant may define the duration. Definitely find out about the source and duration of funding before accepting a position. Be very wary about accepting one-year appointments. Be aware that the length of a postdoc will likely be governed by the prevailing job market. When the job market is good, assistant professorships and suitable positions in industry will mean you can transition early to the next stage of your career. Since the job market even a year out is unpredictable, having at least the option of a three-year postdoc fellowship is desirable.
Rule 8: Evaluate the Growth Path
Many independent researchers continue the research they started during their postdoc well into their first years as assistant professors, and they may continue the same line of work in industry, too. When researching the field you are about to enter, consider how much has been done already, how much you can contribute in your postdoc, and whether you could take it with you after your postdoc. This should be discussed with your mentor as part of an ongoing open dialog, since in the future you may be competing against your mentor. A good mentor will understand, as should you, that your horizon is independence—your own future lab, as a group leader, etc.
Rule 9: Strive to Get Your Own Money
The ease of getting a postdoc is correlated with the amount of independent research monies available. When grants are hard to get, so are postdocs. Entering a position with your own financing gives you a level of independence and an important extra line on your resume. This requires forward thinking, since most sources of funding come from a joint application with the person who will mentor you as a postdoc. Few graduate students think about applying for postdoctoral fellowships in a timely way. Even if you do not apply for funding early, it remains an attractive option, even after your postdoc has started with a different funding source. Choosing one to two potential mentors and writing a grant at least a year before you will graduate is recommended.
Rule 10: Learn to Recognize Opportunities
New areas of science emerge and become hot very quickly. Getting involved in an area early on has advantages, since you will be more easily recognized. Consider a laboratory and mentor that have a track record in pioneering new areas or at least the promise to do so.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Mickey Kosloff for helpful discussions. 10条选择博士后的法则
身为一名博士生，并且答辩迫在眉睫， 你决心继续读书（博士后）而不是染指社会（工作）作为你职业生崖的下一步。
进一步讲， 对要做什么样的研究，你还有那么一点idea。
这里是十条简单的法则，帮你走出不知道去那个实验室不知道去做什么样的研究的困惑。
法则1：选择能让你兴奋的博士后课题
如果你觉得你做的东西很无聊的话， 相信我， 你是不可能有所成就的， 即使你有很高的薪水。与你的导师（辅导员）彻底的谈一谈你要做的东西，查一查与你课题相关的文献， 也与其他人谈一谈，以便得到一个较为全面的了解。尝试着估计一下你可能发表什么样的论文。如果等到做了博士后才后悔，这等于是走了一条很长的弯路。你的导师对那个项目很有激情不等于你也能把这个项目坚持做到底。
法则2：选择一个适合你生活习惯的实验室
如果有可能的话，在你作出决定前，去那个实验室转一转。 不同的实验室大小容量都不同。想一想你喜欢一哪一种方式在一个团队里工作，喜欢较少的老板的干涉还是喜欢老板很多的指导 （注意博士后也是你独立研究前受训的一部分）。和实验室里其他的博士生博士后谈一谈一了解那个实验室的工作习惯。你只有在心情最好的时候，才能做出最好的工作。要考虑一下你对实验室地理位置，周围环境满意吗？
法则3：选择一个能让你学到新技能的实验室和项目
掌握到更多的东西能让你在职场上更具价值。当然你要注意平衡因为最后你是要在一个特定的领域做出非常的贡献。不要选择一个仅仅是重复你博士做的东西的项目。博士后因该是你博士的延伸， 因该是加深家阔你的知识和经验。对于要不要在现在的实验室做博士后要仔细考虑，因为你的简历将不会是很好看如果你的博士和博士后在同一个实验室。而且很难在增加你的经验和知识， 当然如果能很快的发表比较好的论文的话，还是值得考虑的。
法则4：给自己留条后路
不要害怕危险，当然选择一个危险的课题并不意味着你可以不现实：认真的研究和计划你的项目。但是即使是这样，前前后后想了无数遍，计划的好好的课题， 最后也很有可能以失败告终----这就是研究，这就是re--search。 所以说了，你就要跟自己留条后路了。比如同时作两个课题，把主要的筋力放在第一个，第二个作为一条后路。而且第二个因该是多多少少一定有结果（即使是不让人兴奋得结果）的课题。当然，这一条与第一条是相冲突的， 但是却给你留了一条后路。在第五条，我们可以看到，我们需要一些结果。
法则5：选择一个与你想要的职业相关的项目
以后想教书的话， 你最好能多发些论文。 所以你要看一看你要去的实验室是否发表过好的论文？你的导师是否很牛？可以和已经离开这个实验室的博士后聊一聊。如果你的导师很年轻，看他能否承诺你的项目可以发表论文？尽可能的每年发表一篇好的论文。
法则6：在你开始之前，谈一下论文作者的顺序
今年论文作者的平均数量一直在涨：这显示了科学越来越倾向于合作了。从科研的角度看，这无疑是好的， 但这对你的职业前景有什么影响呢？如果你不是论文的第一作者，你的贡献会被理解成中贡献的1/n， n是总共作者的数目。杂志，比如我这篇文章的杂志，一般会记录下作者的贡献；这是 一个相对较新的概念，并且很少人又关注它。要懂你成为第一作者的概率在你开始你的课题之前。最好是你在面试的时候就解决这个问题，这样会防止以后可能会出现的冲突和失望。 不要因为害羞而不坦诚的讨论这个问题。这一点尤为重要如果你加入的是一个正在进行的课题。
法则7：做博士后的时间因该是有限的
除了学生外，导师最喜欢招的就是博士后了。 为什么呢? 因为博士后是仅次于学生的廉价苦力。如果你很牛的话，你到导师可能让你做更长时间的苦力。不管在什么领域，三年的博士后都已经是足够长了。而且三年往往是给博士后发工资的学术基金的长度，所以学术基金的长度决定了博士后的长度。在接受博士之前一定要了解 一下基金的来源和长度。如果只有一年，你就要小心了。 注意博士后的长度是和市场的好坏相关联的。当市场好的时候，做一个助理教授或进入工业界都意味着你职业生涯的下一步。然而一年以后的市场都是很难预计的，因此有一做三年的博士后是比较好的。
法则8：评价发展的道路
很多独立的研究人员都继续着他们在博士后的课题但他们成为助理教授甚至是进入了工业界之后。当你研究你的课题领域的时候，有多少是已经被发现了的，有多少是你可以继续研究在读博士后的时候， 你也要考虑在读完博士后时，是否还能继续研究这个领域。 你应该跟你的谈一谈，因为你以后可能要跟你的导师竞争。 一个好的导师是可以理解你的将来是独立的----你自己的实验室，自己的研究团队。
法则9：拼命拿到钱
拿到博士后的容易程度是与能拿到钱的多少相关的。很难到钱就很难拿到博士后。如果你能处理自己的钱将会增加你的独立程度也会是你简历中的一道靓丽的风景。这需要前詹性的思考，因为大多数的基金来自于你和你导师的共同申请。极少的博士生极少思考在一个合适的时候申请博士后。即使你开始的时候没有申请基金，这（申请基金）仍然是一个很好的选择，甚至使你已经开始了你的博士后课题和一个新的基金来源。在你博士毕业的前一年，找一两个合适的导师一起申请基金是比较推荐的。
法则10：学习抓住机遇
新的研究领域的出现和发展是非常快的。早早的进入一个新的领域是比较有优势的，因为比较容易出名。考虑那些奋斗在或将要进入新领前沿的实验室和导师。
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