By Michael Whaby
Postdoctoral fellow (postdoc): "An individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path." – National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF)
Earlier on in graduate school, I thought of only one option for my career: becoming a tenured professor. Part of the reason I decided to pursue a PhD was because I had some very influential professors in college. I wanted to do research, teach, mentor, and inspire others like they did. What other career would I aim for?
After a few years in graduate school, however, I started to doubt the academic career path for myself. I still really appreciate many aspects of academia. Afterall, it shaped me into the scientist that I am. But there were things that made me reconsider this career path for myself:
I had a hard time imagining myself fitting in with research-intensive academic faculty;
I did not want my career to depend so heavily on grants;
and I did not care for the work culture that I experienced in academia throughout graduate school.
This realization was uncomfortable because I didn't know what else I would want to do with a PhD. Typically, freshly graduated PhDs go on to do one or more postdoctoral fellowships (postdocs). In academia, the traditional career path goes from PhD student to postdoc to professor (Figure 1, middle). There other university positions that exist for PhDs outside of the traditional path (Figure 1, bottom). For example, lecturers and adjunct professors teach university courses, typically on an as-needed basis by the university but sometimes can be full-time, and staff scientists are full-time researchers who occupy a position in a lab of an academic professor.
As a PhD student, you get familiar with the academic career paths because you've been immersed in that environment. On the flip side, it can be difficult for PhD students to gain exposure to career options outside of academia. The truth is that there are many career options for PhDs outside of academia. After becoming aware of this and exploring some of these opportunities, I decided that I wanted to gain experience working in an industrial setting.
I came to learn that are many reputable companies that offer postdoc positions. "Industry postdocs" offer PhDs the opportunity to further their scientific training at a company as opposed to a university. Industry postdocs differ from one company to another, and some companies offer different types of postdoc training. For instance, some postdoc tracks might aim to have postdocs publish novel research and focus on discovery while other postdoc tracks might aim to develop a new drug or technology and focus on innovation and patents.
At the time of writing this, I am a Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow at Novartis Biomedical Research where I do cancer research. Some goals of mine while in this position are to discover novel mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer, learn more efficient and advanced methodologies for experiments and data analyses, communicate my research through presentations and publications, and to grow personally and professionally in my post-graduate school life.
Deciding to do an industry postdoc felt like a heavy decision. As a PhD student, it is common to feel like you are expected to pursue the traditional academic route by peers and mentors. I found it useful to have frequent conversations with others about career aspirations. After opening the dialogue, it becomes easier to explore and plan the career decisions that are right for you.
Below, I discuss some reasons that I chose to do an industry postdoc as opposed to the more traditional academic postdoc. There are many facets to this decision, so keep in mind that I am only sharing my perspective. At the end of the article, I will provide other sources that might be helpful when considering an academic or an industry postdoc.
Reasons I chose to do an industry postdoc:
A new experience
To be honest, I was unsure of whether working in industry would be the best decision for me. I thought, how would I really know unless I experienced it? Many freshly graduated PhDs go straight into industry staff positions and forgo a postdoc altogether (and are well-prepared to do so) but since many PhD-level industry positions require both postdoc experience and industry experience, I wanted to gain both. I also wanted to learn how companies do research to develop new medicines and how this process might differ from what I experienced in academic research.
Work culture
Work culture was something I was eager to experience outside of academia. In graduate school, I worked seven days a week for months at a time over four years. I did this not only because it was encouraged by the culture, but also because I really thought it was more productive. It probably led me to finishing my PhD earlier than I otherwise would have, but what it really did was cause burnout. This fueled a bit of resentment, and it stripped the joy and passion away from the work, ultimately making it difficult to enjoy life even outside of work. I wanted a healthier work-life balance in my future.
Benefits
It's no secret that postdocs in academia are underpaid—and frequently overworked. Industry postdocs typically make (~20%) more than academic postdocs. Aside from the base salary, many companies offer an array of employee benefits that enable and encourage a fair, balanced, and healthy lifestyle.
Duration of postdoc term
Unlike academic postdocs, the length of an industry postdoc is typically a fixed period. Most industry postdocs are two to four years long. In academia, there is usually no maximum number of years that a postdoc will last, and this can blur expectations. This is very similar to doing a PhD, you really don't know if it will take four years or eight years to finish. However, postdocs already have their degrees and thus have more freedom in their career decisions at any point when compared to that of a graduate student.
At the end of the day, though, most PhD-level positions in both academia and industry want to see at least a few years of postdoc experience—and a productive one at that. This highlights the importance of choosing where to do a postdoc and what can be accomplished during it. One good postdoc experience outweighs several subpar postdoc experiences.
Continue sharpening the knife
I ultimately chose to do an industry postdoc (where I currently am) because it seemed like it would be the most valuable experience to complement my professional goals. Even if I did not land an industry postdoc position, I likely would have done an academic postdoc because, in general, I believe that there is value in postdoctoral training. Doing an industry postdoc would help sharpen my skills as a scientist while also giving me the opportunity to explore all of the previously mentioned reasons above.
I hope this information was helpful for anyone considering or learning about doing an industry postdoc. Please keep in mind the term "industry postdoc" is vague, and my perspective alone will not encompass what industry postdocs are like everywhere. Many of the things stated here might be more applicable to larger biotech/pharmaceutical companies as opposed to smaller companies or start-ups.
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