Postdoc life

In brief, after Ph.D., if one wants to join elite academic institutions, a Postdoctoral research experience is vital. A postdoctoral researcher adds value and support to the academic staff and the research community. The life of a postdoc is highly independent (well sometimes) but at the same time comes with its own issues. It further depends on where or in which country one does postdoc. Pursuing a postdoc in the United States is a good choice as one gets to experience cutting-edge technologies and also the research funding scenario in the US is far better than any place I have seen so far. Being said that, from my experience, most postdocs get paid poorly and plenty of postdocs leave research as a career after postdoctoral experiences. Largely postdoc life is all about getting a good boss or PI who can support him/her. Hardly 10% of postdocs surviving and making a good career out of it. On a positive note, a postdoc life is about taking time (in both research and personal life) and understanding where we stand. It gives an opportunity to contemplate deeply as to what we are, why we are here, and can we contribute anything to society.

Best regards,

Prateek