Forum:Being co-first author for two nature series journals, what kinds of job can I find ?

Question

[zengxi.hada]

Dear all,

I am a bioinformatics PhD student of a University, ranking top 150 in the world. As I seldom communicated with others about jobs, so I know very little about price in workplace, especially faculty jobs in University. I don't know where I can find a job and I am at a loss for my future. That's why I post this question. I want to invite you to assess my current works and to see which position I can take in faculty. Thanks a lot. My publication is as following:

• Nature Genetics (letter, 6th co-first author, 6 co-first authors totally)
• Nature Communications (article, 5th co-first author, 6 co-first author totally)
• Genomics (article, 2nd co-first author, 3 co-first author totally)
• PLOS ONE (article, 2nd co-first author, 5 co-first author totally)
• Nature Genetics (correspondence, co-author)
• 3 patents (I only have the right of authorship, and don't have the right use)

I really appreciate it if seniors or anyone can give me some advice that what kind of faculty jobs I can find in universities, for example in 500-560 world ranking universities. Or any opinions in industry area are also welcome.

Edit after six years of first post:

Thank you for all of your advice. After obtaining PhD degree with another new paper (IF<5) where I am first author, I got a faculty position in a university ranking ~500 in the world 4 years ago. Now I am switched to do a Postdoc research in a top2 University. I think all these are good experience for me.

Best regards,
Michael

Answer 1

[GenoMax]

I doubt there is direct correlation between being an author on nature (or any other journal) papers and finding a faculty job (or any other job for that matter).

I don't know where I can find a job and I am at a loss for my future.

That is not a good situation to be in for a PhD student about to complete a PhD.

Edit: If you are really interested in faculty positions then you are going to need to prove that you are capable of original thinking/breakthrough research (post PhD). If you had done that during your PhD the credit is going to gravitate to your mentor/senior authors on your papers for now.

In most US universities a faculty position is going to require some post-doctoral experience (a small number of areas may allow one to become a faculty right after PhD, biostatistics comes to mind). This may be similar in Europe. If you can obtain a grant of your own during that period that is a definite plus. Since you are from Hong Kong perhaps things work differently in that part of the world.

In any case get started with job applications and get networking. Latter seems to be essential to find a job now-a-days.

[zengxi.hada]

There are 1 to 2 years before I can graduate. Thank you for your advice.

Answer 2

[Istvan Albert]

Positions in academia are often (almost always) advertised in Nature, Science, Chronicles for Higher Education and a few other science oriented avenues.

That being said I will agree with other posters here that in life sciences the expected path is to go through a postdoc stage. That is how hiring committees want to judge whether you were just "lucky" to end up in a productive scientist's lab hence your papers, or whether good things happens wherever you go.

This is a view of academia from the perspective of the United State, other regions, countries might do it differently.

Edit: as others pointed out, let me also emphasise: don't just sit around and expect that jobs come to you because you have N+1 publications. Get out there, give seminars, go to conferences, talks, posters etc.

[zengxi.hada]

Thanks. If any, could you give some views of academia in other regions out of US, such as EU or Australia ?

Answer 3

[Matt Shirley]

If you're looking for a faculty position, my best advice would be to model your career on a you professor/mentor you admire and that has a similar background to yourself. Approach them and ask how they achieved their position, and ask what they would do differently in today's funding and research climate. Honestly I don't think you're going to find faculty positions (at least in the US) without doing at least one post-doc, regardless of your credentials. If you can show independent thought, domain expertise in your research area, and can secure your own funding, that will matter more than the number and impact of your publications.

If you're more interested in leading a research group quickly you might look to industry. It seems like many companies will hire a Ph.D to lead a small research group, with room to grow your career and responsibilities a bit faster than you'll be able to at a university.

[zengxi.hada]

Yes, industry is also considered.

Answer 4

[MAPK]

Faculty position is so overrated. I wouldn't be a faculty at any university. PhD degree allows you to be independent and equips you to take yourself a career in a different directions than just one would expect. Don't be a victim of a rat race, get out there and find something that would benefit you in the long run. We scientist are so focused on science and always neglect the cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous realities that life has to offer down the road. All we read during our school life is research journals and papers, and majority of us seldom give importance to harnessing other Machiavellian skills. Why would you work for <<40K as a postdoc? or even as an Assistant professor for <<60K and still sweat your a$$ for next five years with no certainty for tenureship? Why not work for yourself?? and use all the skills that you have learned all these years to earn bread and butter for your family.

[Istvan Albert]

This sentiment lacks the definition of "why not work for yourself"? What does that mean? And why getting a salary from an institution would not be a form of "working for yourself"?

[MAPK]

I mean there are other several avenues one could pursue than just resorting to a postdoc position (not trying to diminish the importance of any position in anyway; in fact majority of developments in science is only possible due to all of us who sacrifice so much for the love of science). However, I am also trying to emphasize on other realities of life-

1. “How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.”
2. "Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.”

[Kevin Blighe]

I'm glad that you wrote that because that's pretty much what i've been doing in my postdoc career so far (4.5 years), i.e., making myself independent. I'm already there.

[zengxi.hada]

thank you.

Answer 5

[mastal511]

If you want to remain in academia, then the next step after a PhD is a postdoctoral position.

These days most jobs, both in academia and industry, are advertised on the internet, so you can get some idea of the types of research projects available in different labs and different countries, depending on what your research interests are and where you want to go for work or further training.

For example, Nature advertises jobs, and there are a few job ads on this website as well. There are also quite a few bioinformatics blogs, which give you an idea of what life is like as a bioinformatician, as well as what type of research these guys are involved with.

[zengxi.hada]

Thank you.