"I am a postdoc at the university", "oh ok! you are still studying !"

I was chatting with my best friend today after a very long time and we were catching up on what each of us had been up to in the last few months. As I was rambling on about my work at the university, my friend asked me how long I will be in Zurich and I replied that I have signed the postdoc contract for a year with an extension of one more if I wish to. She said 'that's it, one year ??!!'

When I was in India after my PhD, the same friend congratulated me and innocently asked me 'So which company are you going to work for?' I told her it is not a private company and I will be working at ETH(Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology). She said in a bewildered tone 'oh, you are going to study further....??'
Let me tell you, this is not the first time someone has told me this. I distinctly remember my grandparents' reaction when I first told them that I have decided to join ETH, Zurich as a postdoctoral researcher. This was on the phone, so luckily I could selectively answer their questions which means any uncomfortable question could be ignored. There was a long pause and finally with lot of concern my paati said 'you are going to study again !!'
As I was trying to come up with some major fundaes about postdoctoratal fellowships, she didn't wait for an answer. She continued breathlessly ' You are 26, how long will you be studying ? Shouldn't you get married and get settled in life ??' My thatha was a bit more practical( apparently in his opinion). He told me ' let's be practical. Young people these days are very independent and bold. So I am not going to talk about your personal issues (he meant my marriage, ofcourse) but a piece of advice - make a trade for yourself and settle down in a steady job'. Great piece of advice thatha, thanks ! (My thatha actually made a good point here which made me ponder for days, i will come back to this later).

Well, this was not all...

I had to endure this in person when I went to India for a short vacation before coming to Zurich. What was surprising was that some friends and relatives of this generation also seemed to be quite concerned that I would remain a student forever !!
Apparently, they all seemed to have selectively missed the part that I 'work' at the university, not 'study'. Rather, I think, they just heard university and immediately drew a mental picture of me sitting with all the students in a classroom.

I tried explaining to a few (who I thought were broad-minded enough to understand) that I am not doing class-room studies but I will be working in a lab, doing experiments in a university and I am paid for it. So I am working there, I am a staff-member (this lingo is more familiar in India and I thought this ought to explain everything). Next question that came almost made me want to jump out of the window (no kidding !). It was from one very concerned maami (who btw is more inquisitive about what happens in her neighbours' homes than her own, that's probably because she spends more time gathering and exchanging news at other people's houses.) Anyway, her question was: 'You are a staff, that means you are a professor ? Very good. I know a young professor in the States and his parents are still looking for a bride. Nambalava thaan' I was at a loss for words and was afraid to even open my mouth because I knew I would end up saying something spiteful.

Why are people finding it so difficult to understand the concept of a postdoc ? I mean its self-explanatory. I am not a student and I am not a Professor. I am a postdoc !!

It was baffling when my friends too were confused about my postdoc status. This is just one of the many examples that shows how ignorant people are about research and academics in India.

To all those who scorn or don't understand what a postdoc is:



A postdoc is just an extension of a PhD. While PhD is a training period where one is out of a class-room atmosphere and exposed to research. Often, PhDs are termed as PhD students since they are still trainees (in the corporate lingo) and receive a scholarship/stipend every month. As a postdoc a person is on a salary structure, which means that he is in a REAL job but on a contract basis and this can turn out to be a tenure track job.

Why should anyone do a postdoc after PhD?

First of all, it is not necessary to do a postdoc after PhD. It depends on your ambitions and interests. Some industries or companies hire fresh PhD graduates and train them for their needs. If you want to get into academia, by that i mean universities or research institutions, then postdoc is essential since it is viewed as additional experience because during a postdoc one typically trains to become a professor (this means teaching, assisting bachelor, master and PhD students in their thesis, writing research proposals, refreeing etc). Postdoc positions are not just restricted to academia, postdoctoral positions are also available in some R&D labs in private firms. In such cases they assume the role of a senior scientist or group leaders and need not be involved in teaching. So a postdoc is an extension of a PhD.


There are many myths about doing a postdoc and the one that irks me the most is:

--If you are doing a postdoc, then you can only become a professor--

To all those ignorant souls:

After PhD, sometimes people like to take time to decide where they are headed (e.g. academia, industry, consulting, entrepreneurship ...) and postdoc is the perfect opportunity to gauge oneself and decide where he belongs.

Sometimes, people do a postdoc to change their research area from what they have been doing in their PhD because this gives them the platform to start working in a new area.

Can one make a career out of a postdoc ?

No.
Usually, postdoc positions are offered on a contract basis for one, two or three years depending on the policies of the funding agency/university/the professor heading the research group. Typically, after one or two years of postdoc in one lab, people shift to another lab for a second postdoc.

A word of caution: It is not considered good to keep jumping from postdoc to postdoc since it is viewed as an escapist route to applying for permanent positions, especially in academia.

What after a postdoc ?

That's why you are doing a postdoc ! Options are plenty and its never too late to figure out especially with a few bucks coming into your pocket every month ..... that's amazing isnt it ? you can figure out your passion in life while you are still employed !!

Coming back to what my thatha said about choosing a trade for myself and settling in a stable job - well, i must agree that it rekindled my insecurities. I mean when I think about my classmates from school or college who graduated and got settled in a job, I realize that I am still just at the very beginning of my career.

I have a whole life time ahead, this postdoc is just the beginning.....


Translation of tamil words used:

paati: grandmother
thatha: grandfather
maami: aunty
Nambalava thaan: our type only