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A jump into the unknown work of research
15 November 2009
By John Griffiths
In January 2003, at the age of 38, some people may have considered the decision to pursue a career as a PDRA as somewhat belated, even too late. Leaving a permanent position in a multi-national company for a 3-year temporary contract at University was viewed by some as a risky, even irresponsible, move. However, as I now approach the end of my seventh year of PostDoc research with a further four years of the latest 5-year contract remaining, I have no regrets in taking that unknown leap.
Whilst it is certainly true that a “permanent” post in industry was seen as the safer more secure option five or more years ago, the same cannot be said nowadays. A permanent contract is effectively a rolling 3-monthly (or whatever notice period is required) contract, dependent upon all the financial instabilities of the global marketplace. In contrast, funding for a temporary contract is secured up-front, and provided the PI does not move or befall some accident, job security is as sound as any can be.
It is not just the stability of the temporary contract, perverse as this may sound, which is attractive. In my experience, the working environment in industry is far more rigid, and often (but not always) intellectually less challenging than that of a University lab.
I’m fortunate enough to work in a multi-discipline team of equally motivated and committed scientists. It’s amazing what can be learned from others simply by having regular group meeting (tea breaks!) and taking the time to ask questions of colleagues.
So, would I ever go back to industry? Well never-say-never, but if I do, I’d like to think I’ll return as a far better scientist as a result of my experiences in academia.
Matthew Salois17 November 2009 at 09:28 AM
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Thanks for the great comparison between industry and academia. I always thought (albeit naively) that an industry job would mean better pay and more stability. While there are research economists that work in industry, this sort of research is highly structured and always serves a business purpose - never the jump into the unknown (as you say). Perhaps this is the greatest allure of an academic life and surely, as so many have iterated on these blogs, the chance to investigate the unknown is highly appealing.
Nick Dickens17 November 2009 at 11:27 AM
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An interesting and mind-opening point of view, I think what you've said about fixed-term contracts having secured funding upfront is a good point. Although if your PI doesn't have money and you are not in a mobile band then your job is only secure as theirs. Even if you are in a mobile post (sorry, what I mean by this is that your contract is with the institution and you would be offered an alternative position or made redundant) then redundancy is very poor unless you have been there a while. I would be interested to know if you aspire to become a PI, and also I would be interested to know if you have any family or mortgage commitments. Thinking about these is what gives me my uncertainty with fixed-term contracts.
John Griffiths17 November 2009 at 03:50 PM
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In answer to your questions Nick, I do indeed have a young family as well as the usual mortgage millstone. In my experience, mortgage lenders have no problem with fixed-term contracts - even in this post bank-crash era. Maybe the fact that the PI has a very strong track record of generating funding (as Head of Research he should have) that helps give me some sense of security. I think that provided you always have one eye on the termination date of your contract, there is no reason to feel too worried about it. I'm on a five year contract at the moment and I'll certainly either be approaching the PI for more funding or applying for alternative posts with around twelve months remaining. In an industry position, should the company fall by the wayside or shut down a department, there can be many people laid off at the same time, all from the same area of work, all looking for work. Tricky.
Nick Dickens19 November 2009 at 10:09 AM
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Ok, that's good. I was hoping that it wasn't just a rose-tinted view of someone without responsibilities (sorry, I am a born skeptic). I take your point about the insecurity in industry and maybe being on the inside for a while I don't appreciate the difference. But I don't think that being a career post-doc is viable any more, especially as funding is getting more difficult to secure. Funding bodies seem to be changing their approach and it seems that they will fund people and not projects any more (see http://vitae.ac.uk/researchers/156431-175831/A-Wellcome-Change.html), which might mean that this makes it more difficult even with a boss who is well funded. I hope that this move turns out to be an excellent one and that everything works out for you. p.s. I also think it might depend on your location (see Sarah's post http://vitae.ac.uk/researchers/156431-176231/View-from-the-North.html) if there are lots of other institutions nearby then it might be less of a move, I don't relish the idea of having to move house every 5 years as I am settling down and getting ready to start a family.