The quest for an ecological postdoc

Advertisements for faculty positions in creasingly require, or imply a strong prefer ence for, candidates who have held one or more postdoctoral positions (Russo 2004). Unfortunately, the number of available postdoctoral fellowships is not keeping up with the yearly increase in the number of graduating PhD students (COSEPUP 2000). As a result, more and more postdoc positions in ecology are creatively defined, soft money positions, often requiring some level of self-fund ing. The lack of standard application methods, guide lines, or support can be worrying for students trying to squeeze a job search in between writing dissertation chapters. Here, we describe the experiences of three recent PhD graduates in preparing for, applying to, and obtaining postdoctoral positions. We emphasize the preparation and persistence needed to reach this increas ingly important rung on the ecological career ladder. When do I begin the search process? Our own experi ences, and those of our peers, suggest that PhD students who began thinking about their future goals well before their final year in graduate school were the most success ful in obtaining quality postdocs. They shared their goals with their dissertation committees, as a way of cross checking expectations and developing a realistic timeline for degree completion. Stories of students who graduated with no job waiting for them are all too common. Less common, but perhaps equally frightening, are the tales of students who started jobs before completing their degrees and ended up with terminal AbDs (All but Dissertation). An early inventory of career and personal goals leads to success in graduate school, which provides the founda tion for a successful postdoc search (Boume and Freidberg 2006). What types of opportunities are out there? Ecological post doctoral positions can range from teaching at a small lib eral arts school, to conducting research at a large univer sity, to working for a government institution. The process of applying for each of these varies greatly (WebTable 1). In general, we have found that the complexity of the application process is positively correlated with the degree of autonomy a postdoc will experience on the job. With advertised positions, principal investigators expect their postdocs to work on the project funding the posi tion, whereas fellowship and institutional positions that require a proposal as part of the application process offer the postdoc greater independence. Due to the burgeon ing pool of applicants and the dearth of available posi tions, many students find they must create a position for themselves, which can offer even greater flexibility, but demands considerable forethought and planning. How does one create a postdoc position? One of us (KH) began the process of creating a postdoc position 14 months prior to her expected graduation date. She began by researching the past and current work of potential postdoc mentors with whom she was inter ested in working, including the work of their current students and postdocs. Initially, she sent each potential mentor a personalized email with new research ideas and explained how she thought her ideas would fit into their lab's research mission. She also inquired about funding opportunities and offered to investigate oppor tunities to write proposals with them for new funds. She maintained continuous communication with potential mentors throughout the final year of her PhD, to nur ture these budding relationships, and was rewarded for her efforts when one grew into a successful postdoc collaboration. The process itself was also extremely valuable, as it allowed KH to meet and discuss her research with several prominent ecologists. How do I make the most of professional relationships? As with any job search, it is often not what you know, but who you know that really matters. The importance of personal relationships cannot be overemphasized. In this regard, the dissertation committee can be a student's greatest asset. Two of us found postdoc positions directly through a committee member, and all of us relied on committee members for letters of reference. Interacting with committee members outside of official meetings, as well as taking a class or seminar with each member, are great ways to strengthen these relationships, which will, in turn, improve committee member reference letters. Then, when applying for jobs, references should be care fully matched to the position announcement. Social branches that extend beyond the committee are another effective means of fostering future postdoc oppor tunities. Employers frequently interview candidates rec ommended by someone they trust, and are more likely to hire someone they already know and respect. Active par ticipation at professional meetings can lead to greater name recognition. Meeting participation also offers an opportunity to assess the general level of interest in your