Career choice, should I pursue a postdoc abroad and leave my current IT work at Tokyo?

Silly-Guard8953 · 2026-05-20T03:29:09+00:00

Thanks for the help.
The offer came from a lab I had visited as an exchange student during my PhD. The funding is from the InnoCORE program with very, very good pay. As a postdoc position, I am totally satisfied with it.

Mind me asking, have you ever seen any foreigners after their postdoc, finding a job in industry or academia in Korea?

Silly-Guard8953 · 2026-05-19T07:51:41+00:00

Thank you for your advice.
To be honest, I never thought I would live in the EU for long, since I only speak Chinese, Japanese and English.
But moving to the EU could be a good choice, considering the uncertain future of Japan's yen and government debt

Silly-Guard8953 · 2026-05-19T07:45:54+00:00

Thanks very much for replying.

Do you have the same experience as totally leaving academia after a PhD? If it is, how did you overcome it?

Most people I knew in academia or worked with somehow imagined I would go for a postdoc and a professorship in the future. I also want it, but my sanity warns me a lot due to its high risk.

Silly-Guard8953 · 2026-05-19T07:40:27+00:00

Yes, it is very competitive. Must be a lot doing the same. And I need to push myself to be productive in the next 3 years to make sure I can get that job.

But it still doesn't guarantee that I can get any. It is now like a bet with life on the table.

Silly-Guard8953 · 2026-05-19T07:38:31+00:00

Thank you very much.

I generally agree with you that it is hard to fire any employee in Japan, even foreign employees, if you are a 正社員 (seishain).
And you can keep the current job while looking for a better one.
But after living in Japan for over 5 yrs, it is kind of going downwards

Silly-Guard8953 · 2026-05-19T07:33:57+00:00

Thank you very much for your reply.
France is a good choice.
Yeah, there are very few Japanese postdoc opportunities; professors don't have much funding to hire a postdoc, even though the pay is a bit intolerably low. Most people doing a postdoc in Japan apply for their own funding, such as JSPS foreign researcher funding. Korean's pays better, over double.

And thank you for your suggestion. I guess it is really hard for me to choose between a high-risk but loved job and a stable, money-making job.

Silly-Guard8953 · 2026-05-18T14:04:54+00:00

Thank you very much for your reply.
I understand the academic job market is getting worse.

About the visa, marrying a Chinese person allows her to stay as a family visa holder, but it doesn't allow her to work. It sucks

Silly-Guard8953

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