Timeline for Going back to do a Postdoc at 35?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
17 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24, 2017 at 10:44 | answer | added | Denis | timeline score: 2 | |
| Jan 20, 2016 at 20:16 | vote | accept | user643192 | ||
| Jan 19, 2016 at 15:13 | comment | added | BrianH | I would only caution you to be aware that employment situations are highly field and region specific. From what I understand, if you were in social science or the humanities you would be being overly optimistic, and your thought that you'd be in the same place you are now after 3 years would likely be true (at best). On the other hand, in "science" (STEM) - and especially in technology fields, though I don't know how structural engineering is fairing now a days - things do not seem nearly so grim. With a family, if you can have a good plan B, you can afford a more ambitious plan A. | |
| Jan 19, 2016 at 14:35 | answer | added | adipro | timeline score: 9 | |
| Jan 19, 2016 at 12:52 | comment | added | user643192 | @adipro I'm German. Does it matter? | |
| Jan 19, 2016 at 11:58 | comment | added | adipro | If I may know, what is your nationality? | |
| Jan 18, 2016 at 21:46 | history | tweeted | twitter.com/StackAcademia/status/689202310271078400 | ||
| Jan 18, 2016 at 8:16 | comment | added | user643192 | @Olorun yes, I have and knowing him from doing my PhD I know that he is overly optimistic as far as academic prospects go. | |
| Jan 18, 2016 at 2:56 | comment | added | Olorun | You might want to bring up your concerns with your professor, and ask him about his opinion about your future, since he probably can judge this situation best and can give you meaningful advice - although he certainly may be biased. | |
| Jan 18, 2016 at 0:14 | comment | added | user643192 | @CaptainEmacs Thanks for the advice. I wish this PostDoc was anything remotely using my coding skills, but it will be straight-up engineering, so unfortunately that won't apply. You pretty much summed up what my best friend said though: do it and you'll probably be where you are now in three years, but you will also be nearly 40. Depressing. | |
| Jan 18, 2016 at 0:09 | comment | added | Kimball | related answer: academia.stackexchange.com/a/17462/19607 | |
| Jan 17, 2016 at 23:51 | comment | added | Captain Emacs | Your plus is, you have work experience. Your minus may be your age. There are no rules for this kind of business, but if you are very energetic, ready to churn out papers, work like a nut to build up a reputation, you could turn the wheel in your favour, but the odds are slightly against you. One thing in favour, though, is that currently all good coders are sucked in into industry (at least in the UK), so vacancies for lectureships are opening up. I doubt this will remain so, once the hype is over, but right now, it looks good. However, this is personal impression, so handle with care. | |
| Jan 17, 2016 at 23:44 | comment | added | user643192 | ... applied science, which is exactly what the PostDoc will be about. It's right up my alley to be honest. I would lie though if I didn't say that the freedom to organise my own work and to take ownership of a project isn't a big draw in doing the PostDoc. I would very much prefer grappling with an open-ended problem and trying to push boundaries, than doing data management or calculating the size of steel members to UK/EU/JP design codes. And if I were single, I wouldn't even be asking here, because the choice would be clear. | |
| Jan 17, 2016 at 23:41 | comment | added | user643192 | I have some publications from when I was doing my PhD and one I published whilst I was working in Japan. I have three four years experience as a structural engineer and three as a .NET programmer. I'm not particularly fussed about where I get a lecturer position, as long as I do and as long as it isn't a dead end (otherwise I might as well work in a post office or similar place). Whilst I enjoyed working on complex buildings I didn't find it near as challenging or interesting as the research I did during my PhD. I am an engineer, so I'm not that interested in pure science, but I really... | |
| Jan 17, 2016 at 21:47 | comment | added | Captain Emacs | Do you have publications? Work experience? Do you aim to get a lecturer position at the very best universities at the end, or are you ready to compromise on rank? Are you obsessed with science, or is it just an option amongst two? | |
| Jan 17, 2016 at 21:24 | review | First posts | |||
| Jan 17, 2016 at 21:36 | |||||
| Jan 17, 2016 at 21:22 | history | asked | user643192 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |