1. “Getting that first post-doc”
Anthony Moorman
Professor of Genetic Epidemiology

2. Overview of session Negotiating the academic career pathway
Selecting the right post-doc for you
Applying for the job
Questions

3. Academic Career Pathway

4. The dream

5. The reality

6. Career pathway of PhD graduates

7. More and more competition!

8. Academic Career Pathway
PhD Student
Research Technician / Assistant / Associate
Team Scientist
Post-doc
Independent Researcher
Fellowship
Lecturer
Senior Lecturer
Professor
Tenured Academic Position

9. Get a five year plan Where do you want to be in five years?
Fellowship
Joint application on grant
Expert in particular technique / field
Lecturing
Industry
How are you going to get?
Which elements will this post-doc fulfil?
What else do you need to do?

10. Get a mentor

11. Laying the foundations of a good CV
Finish your PhD on time
Publications
First author > Joint first author > Second author
Techniques (quantify)
Basic
State-of-the-art
Present research at conference
Spoken / Platform presentation
Poster presentation
International > National > Local
Networking

12. Networking
It's not what you know but who you know that makes the difference. [Anon]
It isn't just what you know, and it isn't just who you know. It's actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living. [Bob Burg]

13. Networking Make yourself known Attend conferences
Talk to PIs etc in your institute
Accept any invitation to meet external speakers
Do “research in progress” talks. Prepare well in advance.
Attend conferences
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Introduce yourself to leaders in the field
Ask your supervisor(s) to introduce you
If you have a poster make sure to display on time and for full length of time. Be in attendance during “poster” sessions.

14. Faculty Fellowships
These Fellowships are flexible awards aimed at highly talented and motivated scientists in the early stages of their post-doctoral research careers.
Candidates will be provided with up to 12 months underpinning support to secure external fellowship funding.
Level 1 - is aimed at researchers with typically 0-2 years’ active post-doctoral research experience
Eligibility: You must have a PhD in the subject area, a strong publication record and be highly motivated and eligible for prestigious externally funded fellowship awards as appropriate to your level of research experience. 
For Level 1 applicants, if you have not got your PhD at the time of application, you must have it by the start of your fellowship.

15. Goals for your first-doc?
First author publications
Experience of grant preparation / writing
Learning new techniques/skills
Teaching experience – didactic/lab-based, UG

18. Selecting the right post-doc
“Should I stay or should I go”
Plus going abroad
Changing fields
Technique driven
Topic/Disease driven
Cast net early and wide
But be careful Very important decision

19. Assessing a potential position (1)
Are they ....
... leaders in the field?
... the next big thing?
... journeymen?
... the weakest link?
Aim as high as possible
Look up the RAE (REF) rating of university/department/unit
Literature search – including citation index
Money
How much have they got and from where
Cross reference their website from funders website

20. Assessing a potential position (2)
Group metrics / dynamics
Who is publishing as first author / corresponding author?
Size of group
Ratio of senior : junior staff
Clinically active heads of lab
Who do they collaborate with?
Website PLUS publications
Use your contacts to gather informal information

21. Preparing your CV Clear & Concise Divide into sections Publications
Qualifications (including training courses)
Research Skills
Be honest, Quantify, Official training
Other skills (e.g. languages etc)
Meetings / Conferences
Presentations
Publications
Mission / Personal Statements

22. Applying for a position
Do not apply cold.
Contact PI in advance. Ask questions about project and team.
Read their papers.
Try to find project application via funder website.
Covering letter
Write, re-write, re-write and re-write

23. Interview
Smart dress
Don’t bullshit!

24. Interview (cont’d) Be prepared to …. Ask some questions
Give a brief interesting overview of PhD – contextualise
Discuss research interests of PI offering the job
What your ideal next experiment would be if there were no financial or logistical problems.
Describe how did you trouble-shoot a technical problem
How you approach writing your first author paper
Ask some questions
Research related
What have former post-docs gone on to do?
Teaching opportunities