If you care about postdocs, the general dearth of reliable information about them is probably a continuing frustration. It’s encouraging, therefore, to report on two recent studies that offer useful insights.

Choosing where to do your Ph.D. or postdoc can be a career-defining decision. There are probably myriad places where you could have a truly rewarding experience, but getting it wrong can have dire consequences. Finding a good spot is a personal thing—a great fit for someone else may not suit you at all—so it is essential that you go into your search with a good idea of what you want.

Resource for graduate students seeking funding for research support, language study, multiple-year general support and dissertation-writing support.

Whether your ultimate goal is to become a tenure-track professor or not, if you like research, becoming a postdoc is still a common next step for many graduating PhD students. By becoming a postdoc, new PhDs can (finally) receive a full-time salary to conduct research and diversify their skill set, making themselves more marketable for future job searches. As I started preparing to seek out postdoc and job positions for next year, I asked five postdocs for advice. It seemed that many followed a general timeline, set before prospective graduation.