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When applying for postdoc positions, one has the option to send out lots of applications, possibly get several offers, then choose the one that seems best.

Alternatively, the applicant could contact the research group that looks the most relevant or best suited for him, and focus on getting a position there. If the feedback is not positive, then (and only then) move on to the next best choice.

I believe that in the USA it is accepted that people will shop around for positions, and not taking an offer is considered completely normal. However, in some other places it is possible that if the applicant shows a lot of interest for a certain position, then gets an offer to be hired, and doesn't accept it anyway, it could be considered rude.

What is the usual or best way for applying in various countries? I think it is very important to research this point to avoid any misunderstandings or bad feelings because of differences in attitudes towards the application process.

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    "However, in some other places it is possible..." That is stated so broadly as to be unhelpful: yes, it is very, very likely to be possible that somewhere in the world X happens...and this is true for almost any non-ridiculous choice of X. Unless you are studying the anthropology of strange academic practices, please indicate what region or regions you are actually interested in. In none of the academic systems I'm familiar with is it even plausible that not accepting a position offered would be considered rude. Sep 10, 2014 at 2:48
  • I have voted to close this as "too broad". "What is the usual or best way for applying in various countries?" is not a good fit for the Stack Exchange model.
    – xLeitix
    Sep 10, 2014 at 6:14
  • Mer - I believe the essence of your question stays the same even if you delete that sentence (pointed out by xLeitix) which is anyways taking the post off a bit. You can edit it to prevent it from getting put ''on hold''. :)
    – 299792458
    Sep 10, 2014 at 7:16
  • @PeteL.Clark I find your comment rude and condescending. I read posts on this site occasionally, but this attitude is very disappointing and I am not going to come back any more. I want this post as well as my account deleted. Also, it's clear from your comment and your answers here that you have very little understanding of how things work outside the USA, so you should have refrained from commenting in the first place.
    – Mer
    Sep 10, 2014 at 13:17
  • @Mer: My comment was intended to be helpful. If you didn't find it so, I will return 100% of my compensation for answering it. Your question was closed by three people, of which I was not one. I was rather suggesting how you could modify your question so to get a useful answer. Since you mention it, I have lived and worked in academia outside of the US for several years. What I do not have is comprehensive knowledge of how academia works across the entire world, nor do I know anyone who does Sep 10, 2014 at 13:43

3 Answers 3

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You should remember that universities are also looking at the resumes of many candidates for a given position. If it is not rude on their part to consider many applications and rejecting most of them, why will it be rude for a candidate to apply to many positions and reject some of them?

This is a many-to-many matching market between applicants and positions. You are trying to optimize your chances, they are trying to optimize their interest. If you look at it from this game theoretic perspective, you will not feel any qualm of conscience.

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While Pete's concern looks valid to me, even in this hypothetical situation, a polite declining letter/email should do fine. For a somewhat reliable account of how faculty generally thinks you should go about declining an offer, follow this link.

Of course, the above was written in the context of grad school applications, and post-doc is much more personal than that AFAIK. (You contact a person, not an institution - so if there's any possibility of declination being deemed rude, it is more likely to be the case in a post-doc application than in the grad school context, which necessitates it further). But the intent is the same, and content (of the email) could also follow suite!

But having said that, please bear in mind that the professor would've himself been in your position some time back. He/she would've himself declined offers in his days, and I don't he will consider it rude. (Unless of course, if your correspondence went to a very advanced stage, you assured him you would join, he told other applicants that he's full and has no vacancy, and now you insist on not joining! But if it is simply that you were considered and found good enough, and decide on not joining, go ahead with the advice to avoid rudeness concerns.)

Hope that helps

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For a moment think about both ends:

  1. You want to find a postdoc position, to continue your research. Hopefully you will contribute a number of good journals, and move forward through your goal (an academic position). So you should be very careful where and with whom you will do your postdoc. In a long run playing the number game (i.e., sending your cv everywhere) does not pay off, because even if you find a position, it doesn't mean that much until you contribute great results. And that 'great' result is based on many factors out of your hand (e.g., supervisor, the team he/she made around him or herself, the city you will do your postdoc, etc.). So, do your search wisely and apply to ones that truly you think you will be useful.

  2. Supervisors look for a postdoc position to ease their job to some extent in the first place (e.g., help them with proposals, help them in labs, etc.). Lets face it, they already have their permanent position, so if they pay for a postdoc, they want a helping hand in the first place. In some cases, publication comes second hand for them, they already publish papers/journals on regular basis without you anyway.

So if you want the situation be in your favor as a postdoc, you really need to look into these factors. Just don't send your CV some strange place, expect to be great situation. You might tie yourself to a nightmare (e.g., in the middle of project, and they don't care about your input).

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