Questions tagged [early-career]
On issues affecting academics or researchers specifically in the early stages of their careers.
297
questions
-1
votes
0answers
26 views
What are the pros and cons for doing a PhD in Machine Vision? [closed]
I am interested in the perception and vision for autonomous navigation of robotic vehicles in teleoperation.
My long term goal is to work as a researcher in a company.
Is going for a PhD in this field ...
14
votes
2answers
4k views
Resignation from a postdoc without appropriate notice period (UK)
I am 3 months into a 15 months postdoc in the UK, so I am still into the initial 6-months probation period. My contract specifies I have to give 3 months notice before leaving (plus some further ...
2
votes
1answer
91 views
Get exposure on different topics before choosing one for a PhD
I started my PhD in computer architecture in 2017 and after one year I left it to start working for an information security company. I have been in the industry for 4 years. I now want to go back to ...
0
votes
0answers
90 views
First year postdoc at career crossroads - how do I communicate this with my PI?
I'm in a predicament on where and how to take my next career step, and how to communicate this to my PI. Important note - so far they've been really supportive of me and my career. TL;DR at bottom of ...
0
votes
1answer
158 views
Should I abandon my PhD topic after a year?
After the first year and pretty much at the cusp of submitting my research proposal, I feel that my PhD topic and supervisor is far too technical. I had completed a masters that was closer to ...
0
votes
2answers
225 views
Does the country where you do a postdoc matter (irrespectively of other aspects)? [closed]
I am looking for postdocs, and I have different postdoc offers.
I am really hesitating between different possibilities.
Some of those offers are interesting, in a dynamic group and they are in eastern ...
6
votes
6answers
6k views
What's a reasonable length of unemployment after finishing my PhD?
I finished my PhD one month ago. I applied to post-docs and I received three firm offers. Those offers are interesting but are (i) not in the field I would ideally like working on, (ii) are not the ...
0
votes
1answer
58 views
What are the tips for getting promoted to a Program Coordinator at a 2-year college?
I am a fresh graduate from my graduate program who just landed a casual instructor position at a 2-year college.
In the 2-year college that I will be working for, instructors are usually hired as a ...
11
votes
0answers
235 views
Does the new law "zur Stärkung der Berliner Wissenschaft" make postdocs in Berlin de facto permanent?
In the German city-state of Berlin, a new law titled Gesetz zur Stärkung der Berliner Wissenschaft (law to strengthen Berlin science) was passed. One of the changes has been described as tenure track ...
10
votes
1answer
181 views
Why do I need to declare parallel grant application(s)?
Some funders (e.g. the ÖAW and the FWF in Austria) require the grant/fellowship applicant to declare if they have submitted any other grant application(s) at the same time. (This is asked during ...
12
votes
2answers
338 views
How to do research without being a star researcher?
After my PhD and postdoc in computer science I got a permanent position in a company's research lab. This is my first time to work without a supervisor nor colleagues (other members have there own, ...
2
votes
2answers
195 views
How bad is it: doing the first PostDoc and PhD at the same place? [closed]
In academic recruiting it is often asked that one has lots of experience which includes being at different institutions preferably in different countries.
I would like to who:
What are the potential ...
1
vote
1answer
162 views
DAAD funding for stay abroad for PhD students and postdocs: is it added to the regular TV-L salary?
There are several funding options from the German DAAD for PhD students and Postdoc working in German universities to visit other countries:
Research grants for doctoral candidates
Research grants ...
6
votes
0answers
185 views
How to pursue an academic career in Italy
I am an early career scientist that want to pursue an academic career in Italy.
I am familiar with the usual track of an academic in Italy: Phd, "assegno di ricerca", "RTDA", "...
4
votes
1answer
391 views
How do the logistics work for recipients of a DFG "Eigene Stelle" grant (in Germany)?
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), which funds most basic research in Germany, has a grant program that funds a temporary position ("Eigene Stelle") for novice principal ...
3
votes
1answer
156 views
Italian universities: how to find out the "hiring plans" for researchers in the next 1-4 years?
In Italian universities (mathematics departments), is there a way to find out in advance what are the "hiring plans" for the next 1-4 years? In fact, when is it known within a university ...
1
vote
0answers
149 views
Career choice：postdoc or non-tenure assistant professor job with little teaching load
I am a PhD candidate and I am currently in the mist of choosing my career path.
A little about my current situation:
I have a family in a large city where my husband grew up in. We are not likely to ...
26
votes
9answers
10k views
Do academics look down on applicants who leave academia and try to go back?
For example, if I do a postdoc and then leave for a year and then decide I want to go back to academia, is it possible, or will researchers look at my file, say, "Oh, a year not in academia,"...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
How do I share my ideas without being scooped?
I finished grad school and now I will probably be an adjunct but will apply for postdocs again. I want to talk about my research ideas with other people but I am worried that postdocs will work on ...
3
votes
2answers
120 views
What other academic pre-PhD positions can I apply for in the UK?
In my home country, it is common for people to work at a research lab/group with titles such as "Research Assistant" after their Masters before their PhD.
Do such positions exist in the UK, ...
2
votes
0answers
100 views
Postdocs or RTDa/b positions and a question on PhD acquired outside of Italy and equivalence with the Italian title
Is it necessary to have obtained the "equivalence" of Ph.D. acquired in another country (Germany in my case) to the Italian title before applying for postdocs or RTDa/b positions in Italy?
I ...
6
votes
4answers
8k views
Are researchers generally sympathetic to not taking jobs in certain countries?
Suppose that an early career researcher received a job offer from a country that the researcher really doesn't want to go to, because of political or other personal reasons (concern for safety, ...
1
vote
2answers
206 views
How to: Change of research field after thesis
I'll soon have finished my PhD in mathematics in a not top ranked university, and as far as I see it, my thesis is not going to be especially impressive.
My goal after the defense is to either leave ...
15
votes
2answers
1k views
Is spending 16 years (in total) in academia to get three degrees career suicide? What do I do?
It took me 5.5 years to get my BSc, 3 years to get my MSc, and 6 years to do my PhD. I had a child as a teenager (so I have spent my entire adult life a mum) and we moved countries (to Germany) when I ...
1
vote
2answers
127 views
Potential for interview when abroad
I attended a panel for early career researchers, and one of the panelists mentioned that at the university he was at, it is more challenging for the department to pay for the flight costs to host an ...
3
votes
3answers
345 views
How to deal mentally and emotionally with a prolonged stressful period?
I am a second-year PhD student, but I think this question may interest a broader readership.
I'd like to ask experienced researchers for some insights on how to navigate a prolonged stressful period.
...
15
votes
6answers
9k views
How should I address racist comments from a superior?
After finishing my master’s, I applied for a couple of positions, and the first interview I was invited to was at a renowned research institution in my field. I was living in our capital at that time ...
79
votes
10answers
21k views
I feel like male professors don't feel comfortable taking me as a student. How should I address this problem?
It has happened in many instances in my education that my male advisors or professors get very uncomfortable around me and some refuse to take me as their student. They tell me that in a decent way, ...
0
votes
1answer
144 views
Which domain should I choose for my personal website? [closed]
I have decided to create an academic personal website, but I am unsure whether I should choose a .com or a .org domain.
I have read that .com is mainly used by commercial organizations, whereas .org ...
4
votes
2answers
313 views
How to search for a Career Counselor / Specialist for Life Sciences?
Does anyone know how I could go about finding a career counselor that can help an "ex-academic" in some way to find a job in "real world"? Essentially, I am looking for type of ...
15
votes
4answers
6k views
Getting married abroad on August 21st, job begins on August 23rd. What do I do?
I just completed my Ph.D. and have recently been offered a lecturer position in a university. The first day of classes is on August 23rd, and I am getting married abroad in Europe on August 21st. The ...
5
votes
1answer
445 views
Who exactly is a pseudo professor?
I was recently in a meeting with other university professors and one of them introduced himself as a "pseudo professor". The other, when introducing themselves reiterated that they ...
0
votes
1answer
275 views
PhD - unhelpful supervisor, how normal is it?
My question maybe trivial but I really want the opinion of others if the problem is with me or with my supervisor/ the lab.
Half a year ago I started PhD in a small university town in Europe. I am a ...
14
votes
4answers
2k views
Is it worth it to continue thinking about academia? [closed]
I will try to make this short.
My Ph.D. was in life sciences. I was a part of an "International Ph.D program in life sciences" in Germany. The Ph.D was a nightmare of its own. I had to ...
2
votes
1answer
268 views
Changing fields after PhD, master or post-doc?
I am not far away from finishing a PhD in molecular toxicology, however with time i have gotten more and more interested in topics such as renewable energy, environmental/climate science and ...
2
votes
1answer
232 views
How to gracefully leave a lab due to poor infrastructure and aiming to move into a new field of research?
I am an early career postdoc in a prestigious high-ranking university in US. I did my PhD in from a good state university in US and published a decent number of papers. My current PI has no expertise ...
0
votes
3answers
271 views
Is there a biological age drawback for comparable academic experience in order to get permanent position?
I wanted to know if there are (potentially unofficial) limits about biological age in order to get permanent positions.
For instance let's say that you started your 3 years PhD about 27 (where people ...
2
votes
1answer
176 views
Choosing between PhD offers - top supervisor at my current institution or good supervisor at new university [closed]
I have offers for a funded PhD at equally prestigious universities in the same country. One is the university I did my undergrad (and doing my masters) in, with a "rising star" PhD ...
1
vote
1answer
359 views
Does it get easier?
So I'm a current PhD student in applied math. My interests have somewhat gravitated over time so I feel like I'm constantly in new territory and constantly struggling to understand the papers I read. ...
2
votes
1answer
143 views
Feasibility of a partially remote postdoc [closed]
(This question is somewhat related to those answered here and here, but is different in the "partially" remote aspect, and in a few other details I list below.)
I am currently finishing my ...
78
votes
7answers
14k views
Can I be a good scientist if I only work in working hours? [duplicate]
I am doing postdoc in developmental biology. Recently I started to leave work at the lab, meaning that I don't work at home anymore. Before I spent many hours at night (at home) analyzing my data; now ...
24
votes
8answers
9k views
Should I hold back some ideas for after my PhD?
I guess this a question about 'career pacing'. I am currently a first-year grad student studying for a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at a research university in the US. Even though I have only been ...
3
votes
0answers
72 views
Having a Promising Assistant Professor vs Well- Known Full Professor as a PI [duplicate]
If one's ultimate goal is to obtain tenure (as a professor of chemistry or some other STEM field, for example), is it honestly better to have a more well-known professor as a PI versus an assistant ...
5
votes
1answer
172 views
Careers at the National Research Council of Italy and difference from the university system
What is the organization of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR)? In particular, I'd like to know
How does one get a position there? I assume there are public competitions (as for university ...
3
votes
1answer
307 views
Нow to start an academic career if you got your PhD five years ago and didn't do science for these five years?
I think that it's too late for postdoc. Also, I think that my PhD thesis is weak and not many people would be interested. What is the way to start academic or near-academic career, if not teaching? ...
4
votes
1answer
260 views
Quick publication in a good journal VS long fight to publish in a very prestigious journal. What's more impactful at the beginning of a career? [closed]
I'm the first author of an article which, according to my advisor, has some chance of being published in the prestigious IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. This however would probably entail a ...
3
votes
1answer
254 views
Prerequisites for RTDb (tenure-track assistant professor) position in Italy
I have read that a prerequisite to apply for a RTDb (tenure-track assistant professor) position in Italy is to have held a 3-year RTDa position in an Italian university or an equivalent 3-year postdoc ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Is it possible to quit a TVL13 job in probation period?
I would like to ask whether it is possible to quit a wissenschaftlicher mitarbeiter job based on a TVL13 contract in the middle of probation period? Or do I have to wait until I finish it?
I have ...
1
vote
2answers
194 views
Is there such thing as a person who books guest lectures?
I'm a professional photographer. I have done numerous lectures at colleges and high schools about photography and photo assisting. This has always been for ex-professors or peers that have become ...
16
votes
4answers
3k views
How concerned should one be if he/she does not get referee invitations?
A friend of mine is an experienced researcher in early career. We are surprised to learn that she never get invited to referee for any journal. I once rejected a referee request and referred the ...
