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Author	Message
crouch1212 [Registered User] 16 February 2018 08:35	Advice for a Struggling Postdoc? User: crouch1212 - 16 February 2018 08:35 Hi everyone I am looking for a bit of advice. I finished my PhD at the end of 2016 and went into a 4 year postdoc at a new institute. It's a great institute and my PI is really agreeable. My PhD, however, was a bit of a jackpot. I had the ideal type of supervisor and we remain good friends and collaborators. I was able to get 2 papers from my thesis, one of which in a very high impact journal (~19). I went into my new role in high spirits that I could continue on the same positive momentum. I've changed fields slightly but the idea is to apply stuff from my PhD to this new role. However, here I am over 1 year on and I feel like zero progress has been made. I'm constantly spiralling back to square one. I can't see where any paper is going to come from and I feel demoralised and like I might have taken the wrong job. I have 3 years left so there is time to get stuff done but it's almost like the 'mid-PhD blues' that I avoided have suddenly hit me in my first postdoc. I am just after a bit of advice from anyone who has had a similar experience. Should I be worried at this stage?
pm133 [Registered User] 16 February 2018 19:20	User: pm133 - 16 February 2018 19:20 It sounds to me like you are making the classic mistakes of both setting your expectations too highly and chasing impact factors and publications instead of focussing solely on the research. The former follows the latter. I would take a step back and re-evaluate your approach and expectations of your career at this point. If you focus too much on the ends you risk destroying the means. A postdoc is no different to industrial employment. In both games you need to achieve measureable success or you will struggle but if you continually try to visualise "lifting the cup" (as advised by bogus "motivational coaches" everywhere) you run the very real risk of psyching yourself out and being knocked out in the first round. Focus on the day to day stuff and set smaller targets. You should start by recognising that your PhD publication record is now irrelevant to your current situation. The impact factor thing is certainly not helpful right now.

Author

Message

crouch1212

[Registered User]
16 February 2018 08:35

Advice for a Struggling Postdoc?

User: crouch1212 - 16 February 2018 08:35

Hi everyone
I am looking for a bit of advice. I finished my PhD at the end of 2016 and went into a 4 year postdoc at a new institute. It's a great institute and my PI is really agreeable.
My PhD, however, was a bit of a jackpot. I had the ideal type of supervisor and we remain good friends and collaborators. I was able to get 2 papers from my thesis, one of which in a very high impact journal (~19). I went into my new role in high spirits that I could continue on the same positive momentum. I've changed fields slightly but the idea is to apply stuff from my PhD to this new role. However, here I am over 1 year on and I feel like zero progress has been made. I'm constantly spiralling back to square one. I can't see where any paper is going to come from and I feel demoralised and like I might have taken the wrong job.
I have 3 years left so there is time to get stuff done but it's almost like the 'mid-PhD blues' that I avoided have suddenly hit me in my first postdoc.
I am just after a bit of advice from anyone who has had a similar experience. Should I be worried at this stage?

pm133

[Registered User]
16 February 2018 19:20

User: pm133 - 16 February 2018 19:20

It sounds to me like you are making the classic mistakes of both setting your expectations too highly and chasing impact factors and publications instead of focussing solely on the research. The former follows the latter.

I would take a step back and re-evaluate your approach and expectations of your career at this point. If you focus too much on the ends you risk destroying the means.

A postdoc is no different to industrial employment. In both games you need to achieve measureable success or you will struggle but if you continually try to visualise "lifting the cup" (as advised by bogus "motivational coaches" everywhere) you run the very real risk of psyching yourself out and being knocked out in the first round. Focus on the day to day stuff and set smaller targets. You should start by recognising that your PhD publication record is now irrelevant to your current situation. The impact factor thing is certainly not helpful right now.

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