Progression from finishing a PhD to a Post-doc career - (Jun/17/2014 )

How long did it take you to get a job after having your PhD thesis accepted? 

What are the tips you can provide for a finishing PhD? Keep checking job sites? Hope that your PhD advisor has funding to employ you? There just seems to be a transitional joblessness void. 

I was working full-time as a lab manager whilst I completed my PhD, so I was a little slow to get started in the job hunting process. From the time I graduated to the time I received a job offer as a researcher was about 4 months (7 months after submission of my theisis). Realistically, I should be looking from about  6-12 months prior to graduation not after submitting my thesis. 

My biggest tip for getting a job is network, network, network.... it is not what you know it is who you know. Sad but true. Where I come from (Australia) any university or government job over 12 months in duration has to be advertised regardless of whether there is a candidate already identified for the position. So applying through job ads can sometimes be a pointless process. You are better off approaching researcher leaders (during your last year of your PhD if possible) and talking to them about job opportunites directly. Even if there isn't one available at the time you are more likely to be remembered when positions do become available.

Mirco

Agree with networking.  Please be aware there re so many opportunities in various industries.   Beware your post doc career doesn't become become career posdoc. 

For me, it was 7 months between the end of my PhD and my postdoc.

Look at jobsites/ Science Job / Nature Jobs has been known to work. And I did get one such job offer (which I turned down) by going down that route.The job I did take up was obtained by talking to my PhD supervisor, who recommended me to a colleague of his who was working in the same field.

So....

Talk to your PhD supervisor. Ask him if he knows someone of knows someone who has a position opening.

Ask your PhD supervisor about his past PhD students and where they might have gone. Go contact them and ask if they know of a job.

Talk to the collaborators of your lab. Ask if your supervisor can help with an introduction if you don't already know them.

Go to your uni career office. Ask for a list of alumni for your school/department.

Even talk to that sales rep that keep coming buy to sell stuff to your lab. The company needs somebody to test the stuff that they make.

Be aware that 85% of all jobs are in industry.

Also there are research positions in the government, including in the military.