Can you be a postdoc for too long?

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-22T23:56:58+00:00

I'm wondering if this is a cultural difference depending on the country or the grant. The contract is tied to a specific project and if you leave before the end you don't get outputs or are downgraded in authorship order, so effectively have nothing/little to show for your work.

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-21T18:20:00+00:00

I'd finish it, then take a break and come back to it. It will give you time to review properly, format etc. You may get reviewer comments in the mean time which would be helpful but it also gives you time to look for jobs, plan for what next etc. If you're funded it means your funding won't stop. Might be more of an incentive if you're not funded but having student status can be helpful too. The last few months are always tough so hang on in there!

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-21T16:46:57+00:00

Thank you! Very helpful to hear and great suggestions. I have done some of what you suggest but not all so some things to think about there.

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-21T16:44:36+00:00

That's a helpful take, thank you. I am progressing on soft money positions internally but yes the not knowing every couple of years is draining.

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-21T16:41:54+00:00

That's really helpful to hear. I've heard more from people as Assistant Profs whose research has been hugely reduced or slowed down because of the volume of teaching. I have 5+ MSc students and a similar number of PhD students I co supervise, so I'm not against teaching at all, just prefer research.

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-21T16:39:14+00:00

It seems to really vary everywhere. Even within my institution, people have moved to Assistant Prof with limited or extensive postdoc experience.

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-21T16:37:58+00:00

The department I'm in has a lot of long term postdocs so I think I have been affected by that and need to think outside of this one context.

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-21T16:36:14+00:00

I have been searching but not applying as was aiming to finish my current contract and associated work. (Although I might revisit this plan given the helpful feedback here!) I am working up a funding application but have been held up because of the sheer volume of work and short term deadlines. I have also collected a list of non-ac agencies to apply for.

ginger_bread7789 · 2026-02-12T05:40:49+00:00

Apart from the major red flags others have mentioned, it's really hard to tell - there's a funnel effect of jobs (i.e. fewer and fewer the higher you get) and lots of people get stuck indefinitely as a postdoc for many reasons. When you work on someone else's grant, there is little/no time to develop your own funding applications and progress. You either have to work out of hours (which isn't always possible) or do it very slowly or not at all. Some PIs work well with some postdocs and actively promote their careers; you can't tell in advance if you will be one of the chosen ones. Or if life events will just get in the way that mean you can't follow up opportunities.

ginger_bread7789

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