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[vizioy]

I have been a post-doc (electrical engineering) for almost an year now. I started this position immediately after my PhD from a second tier research university. My industry job search while in grad school did not go very well and I also wanted to keep my career options open (academia vs industry) - hence this post-doc venture. My advisor treats me very good and has been suggesting that I get involved in grant writing activities that may help with my career later (he seems to assume that I am decided on an academic career). He has also offered to promote me to a Research Assistant Professor in my next contract year - the main factor behind my question. Please read on...

I do not have a spectacular publication record (an indication that I may not be suited for academia) and I am not comfortable with the instability/uncertainty in an academic career (particularly serious for someone like me who may not be the best fit). I have sacrificed a lot and made my family sacrifice even more just so that I can taste the gratification of earning a PhD! I think it's high time I stop chasing excellence and take the easier path: find an industry position, take good care of my family and live a more stable, albeit (possibly) less gratifying, life. I, however, hope that my current post-doc experience will be of some help when I try to enter academia in India (my home country) several years down the line (I am very serious about a second career in academia back home).

I will be re-starting my industry job search this December. If this does not go well, I will renew my current contract for another year and accumulate a few more publications. My concern is whether the title Research Assistant Professor (if the promotion gets cleared by the committee) would create an identity issue for me in the industry job market. Will I be branded an academic and possibly unfit for the positions I will be applying for (I am NOT focusing only on industry research positions)? I am already concerned that the longer I stay as a post-doc, the slimmer my chances of getting an industry position may become.

Could you please provide some insights into my situation. This is a career defining moment for me and I want to make a very well informed decision here. Your help is much appreciated. Sorry for the long message...

[ideagirl]

Maybe I'm wrong, but my general impression is that in most fields (including engineering), a title of "[insert adjectives here] Professor" doesn't create a bad impression; it doesn't make people think you're overly academic or suited only for academia. Rather, it creates a good impression: it makes people think you're extra smart. I don't see how it could hurt, since regardless of whether your title changes, you will be applying from a university position. In other words, regardless of your title, you will be applying for industry jobs and your CV's work experience section will show you've been working in academia. So why not have a more impressive title?

[vizioy]

Thank you ideagirl. It is indeed true that such a title would be impressive and that anyways I will be job hunting while being in an academic position. My concern is that the perception of `extra-smart' as suggested by the title may make me `over-qualified' for certain positions in the industry that I am willing to pursue. Given the competitiveness of the job market today, this may work against me. Would you agree?

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Please provide your thoughts. I need to take a stand on this issue very soon. Thanks again. 

[macaroon]

Accept the research assistant professor position!

It isn't going to make you overqualified at anything; it merely signals that you were successful as a postdoc and deserved a promotion. 

[southerntransplant]

In most programs in my field, the new position carries with it an increased responsibility for taking the lead on proposals. (Typically as a post-doc you can't take the lead or even be a co-PI on proposals). This might have some implications for you come evaluation time if you aren't aware of it. It seems that your post-doc advisor is aware and confident in your abilities here, and would like to make you a partner and give you the opportunity to exercise your own initiative.

But, as far as your concern as to whether or not this new position would unexpectedly hurt you in future career opportunities...no, I can't see how that would be a problem.

[vizioy]

Thank you all. Thanks "southerntransplant" for the tip on the evaluation part - I wasn't aware of that. I think I will do just fine. I am now more inclined to take the offer, but have a related concern:

I have this impression that staying in the academia (irrespective of the title) for `long enough' would decrease one's chances of getting an industry position. Is this true and is there a quantification to this `long enough'? I am sure the answer would be very subjective. But still, please share your opinion/experiences.

I want to know how soon I should get aggressive about my industry job search (with the peak industry hiring period - winter quarter - fast approaching). I see a potential trade-off here. If I hunt for jobs now, my advisor will be upset about it, because he has plans for me for at least another year. If I do it later, say, next year, I may have reduced chances in the industry job market and may have to continue in the academia for a third year and the cycle may repeat. Do you think this notion has any merit to it? Please share your thoughts. Once again, I sincerely appreciate your feedback.

[southerntransplant]

I really don't know to what extent the new position will hurt you in terms of obtaining industry employment, but I'm willing to guess that it is pretty close to zero.

[macaroon]

I have this impression that staying in the academia (irrespective of the title) for `long enough' would decrease one's chances of getting an industry position. Is this true and is there a quantification to this `long enough'? I am sure the answer would be very subjective. But still, please share your opinion/experiences.

Not that I've seen in my field.  I've seen folks at every rank move into industry - including, off the top of my head, two full professors with some distinction above just being "full". 

Good luck!

[bluezebracat]

May I suggest you talk to some people who've worked in both worlds?  I have a sneaking suspicion that your assumptions about stability in both areas may not always hold.  There's instability in industry and in academia, but the rules are different and the kind of instability is different.  But one may not be a safe haven over another. 

Also, maybe you're underestimating yourself.  Obviously someone thinks that you're fit for a promotion.

[slownsteady]

vizioy,
It appears that your PI would like to have you around and is offering this new title as an incentive. Since you are only one year away from PhD, you could wait untill the next year to take this position- If you think it matters. Many people know that this position is "similar" to post doc and hence it may not matter in industry jobs. But for EE I have seen that a 2 year postdoc is pretty typical. I do think that being fresh out of PhD or postdoc will make you more desirable candidate for industry positions. They usually want people who are not too set into a field and are more flexible. They can see from your CV that you are in the second year of postdoc. So it should be okay.
If I were you I would keep looking for industry positions this year and if nothing works out accept the RAP position next year. Taking that offer also would mean  that you are expected to stay around for a bit and help with managing the lab and research for a bit longer than one year. 

[kron3007]

Take the promotion?

What kind of position would you be over-qualified for as a research assistant prof. but not as a post-doctoral fellow?  It would be very strange that this would be some sort of tipping point and I find it hard to believe that accepting this promotion could have a negative impact of getting hired elsewhere, if anything it should help.

[vizioy]

Thank you all for your feedback. Maybe I should wait a few more months, while simultaneously looking for industry positions, and go for the promotion if I decide to continue here another year. I will keep the forum posted on the developments on my side. Of course, more comments are appreciated.

Once again, thanks all.

[merinoblue]

Thank you all for your feedback. Maybe I should wait a few more months, while simultaneously looking for industry positions, and go for the promotion if I decide to continue here another year. I will keep the forum posted on the developments on my side. Of course, more comments are appreciated.

Once again, thanks all.

Goodness.  Have I missed something here? Why would you ever hold off on accepting a promotion? You can conduct your industry job search with the new title.  Promotions look good to employers of all sorts, academic and non-academic. It will show on your CV.  You might be entitled to an increase in salary or benefits (have you looked into that?)  And you might not get another promotion from your PI if you turn this one down. To dilly dally over a promotion doesn't send the right message at all to him. In short: even if you intend to leave your job the very next week, it is folly to decline a promotion.

Accept the promotion, keep looking for positions, and keep moving up and on.

[vizioy]

Hi all, things have been going smooth so far in my post-doc. I have not yet applied for the RAP promotion. Neither have I started applying for industry positions. I have been asking around some of my friends in the industry (many of them in product development oriented companies, which I am open to) about them hiring anyone with the RAP title. They have not seen any such scenario. However, from many of your opinion, I see that avoiding the promotion is a bad sign to the advisor (he once again brought to my attention the prospect of a promotion.) I have been thinking of a middle ground. I have seen researchers with title `research scientist', `research associate' in my department.

I am not sure how these titles compare under the following categories: (1) the inherent senority/significance of the title itself - am I justified in requesting to be considered for a research scientist position when an RAP promotion is in the talks (2) industry job prospects when I apply from each title - this is of primary concern to me (3) Nature of work - I think the nature of work would not change drastically in my specific case. But are there differences, traditionally?

Kindly share your thoughts. I very much appreciate your opinion.   

[kron3007]

They probably have not seen that scenario because the RAP position is not ovverly common, not because there is an inherant problem.  I think you are looking for problems when there really arent any and over analysing it.

Just take the darn promotion.