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[bluezebracat]

A friend of mine was lucky to not only land a TT job but also to get a postdoc, and he's wondering what his goals should be.  It's a year-long position, and of course, he knows what his academic goals are, but he's wondering what he should be trying to learn during his visit to the institution since it will probably be one of the few times in his career where he'll have a chance to observe another university so closely (and freely, since he's not TT).

So what are some things, like ten things postdocs should do or not do (besides their work) to maximize their time?  He's on a research postdoc with very few obligations.

[matand]

In my field, new methods and statistics.

[merinoblue]

I'm sorry I don't have any advice. I'm actually very interested in understanding the logistics of him taking up the two offers, if you know anything about this. Do they overlap? If so, has he postponed the start date of his TT offer for one year, to take up a one-year postdoc? Or has he started the TT job, and is he taking a leave of absence from the TT job to take up the postdoc? And, how did he sell the arrangement to his Chair?

[laurel_knx]

9. Set clear, manageable goals for the postdoc given the time frame and what will best set you up for the tenure track. Discuss these with postdoc mentor/advisor.

[mleok]

1. Develop a good taste for manageable but interesting research programs which are achievable with the resources available at the TT position.

2. Establish long term research collaborations, and explore opportunities for external research funding.

[bluezebracat]

Merinoblue:

He delayed his TT start date.  He sold it to the Chair/Deans by pointing out that he would be a stronger and better-established product (I say product because sometimes I think universities see us as expensive products) and he added some stuff about 'how he would have much more time to focus on his new duties at X' etc, etc.

Postdocs usually mean that you're hot property somehow, no? 

---
He's in the qualitative social sciences.  Thanks for the suggestions--I'm going to suggest that he shakes a lot of hands, give a few papers, make himself useful and have a couple of lunches.

[scampster]

Postdocs usually mean that you're hot property somehow, no? 

Not only are we hot property we are HAWT with a capital H!

I presume this is a social sciences thing - postdocs are a dime a dozen in the standard sciences.

[shrek]

write, write, write

[offthemarket]

Also, here's another thing.

Save as much of the writing as possible to be submitted AFTER starting the tenure-track job. Unless the postdoc supervisor has a lot in stake about getting pubs out (in the sciences, this is true, but in the social sciences, I don't know how much autonomy there is) - get lots of research written up and submit in the first year or three on the tenure track.  This is going to 'count' towards tenure, the earlier ones won't.

[shrek]

Also, here's another thing.

Save as much of the writing as possible to be submitted AFTER starting the tenure-track job. Unless the postdoc supervisor has a lot in stake about getting pubs out (in the sciences, this is true, but in the social sciences, I don't know how much autonomy there is) - get lots of research written up and submit in the first year or three on the tenure track.  This is going to 'count' towards tenure, the earlier ones won't.

If a postdoc of mine did this it would just piss me off b/c this is basically what I'm paying a postdoc to do-- it helps them, but it also helps me-- maybe they could put off their own work, but not mine.

[offthemarket]

Also, here's another thing.

Save as much of the writing as possible to be submitted AFTER starting the tenure-track job. Unless the postdoc supervisor has a lot in stake about getting pubs out (in the sciences, this is true, but in the social sciences, I don't know how much autonomy there is) - get lots of research written up and submit in the first year or three on the tenure track.  This is going to 'count' towards tenure, the earlier ones won't.

If a postdoc of mine did this it would just piss me off b/c this is basically what I'm paying a postdoc to do-- it helps them, but it also helps me-- maybe they could put off their own work, but not mine.

Well, yeah.  But if the postdoc is funded by some kind of center or some scholarship to the individual (which I think is more common in social sciences) - rather than by a particular lab or grant - then this would be fine.

Also, this makes the point that I wouldn't want to hire a postdoc who I knew was starting a TT job one year later.  They would be so busy getting ready for their new lab, research plans, and all that, that I wouldn't get as much out of them as I would want.  You want a postdoc who needs pubs now, not tomorrow.

[merinoblue]

Thanks, Bluezebracat. I didn't think this would fly. Didn't we just have a thread a while back where someone wanted to take a leave from a TT job to take on a postdoc, and everyone said, "No!" ?? Or was that the thread where the OP wanted to do two postdocs at the same time, and we all said, "No!""?

Or am I just brain-addled from trying to write syllabi for the first time in a decade?

[weedinthewheat]

Also, here's another thing.

Save as much of the writing as possible to be submitted AFTER starting the tenure-track job. Unless the postdoc supervisor has a lot in stake about getting pubs out (in the sciences, this is true, but in the social sciences, I don't know how much autonomy there is) - get lots of research written up and submit in the first year or three on the tenure track.  This is going to 'count' towards tenure, the earlier ones won't.

If a postdoc of mine did this it would just piss me off b/c this is basically what I'm paying a postdoc to do-- it helps them, but it also helps me-- maybe they could put off their own work, but not mine.

Presumably, if the postdoc isn't writing he/she is working on other projects / potential papers, right? I am not really sure why this would piss you off. How would waiting 6 months or so to submit a paper hurt you?

[polly_mer]

Also, here's another thing.

Save as much of the writing as possible to be submitted AFTER starting the tenure-track job. Unless the postdoc supervisor has a lot in stake about getting pubs out (in the sciences, this is true, but in the social sciences, I don't know how much autonomy there is) - get lots of research written up and submit in the first year or three on the tenure track.  This is going to 'count' towards tenure, the earlier ones won't.

If a postdoc of mine did this it would just piss me off b/c this is basically what I'm paying a postdoc to do-- it helps them, but it also helps me-- maybe they could put off their own work, but not mine.

Presumably, if the postdoc isn't writing he/she is working on other projects / potential papers, right? I am not really sure why this would piss you off. How would waiting 6 months or so to submit a paper hurt you?

My grant deliverables may have included papers on a reasonable timeline.  Holding those papers for publication until two years after the grant ends (delay on writing, R&R a couple of rounds, semester from hell, and soon two years have passed) will not help me get that next grant or even show adequate progress on this one.

Having a paper or two submitted on time and then three others later is fine.  Working on my project and then sitting on the papers instead of doing them in a timely manner is not.

[mleok]

Presumably, if the postdoc isn't writing he/she is working on other projects / potential papers, right? I am not really sure why this would piss you off. How would waiting 6 months or so to submit a paper hurt you?

Have you been a PI on an external grant and had to submit annual progress reports? Some of the defense related agencies put their PIs on an even shorter leash, and have pulled funding when the progress is less than satisfactory.

Can't help but feel that some (most?) postdocs have no clue about what is involved in establishing and maintaining a well-funded research program, and that there are expectations to be fulfilled, and that a lack of productivity has real consequences, particularly in the current tight funding environment.