1 year in the US: reaching UCLA

The process

Hey there!
I have almost completed one year in the United States working as a postdoctoral research fellow at UCLA. In this issue and upcoming few issues of The Quantum Vibe, I will share my experience, journey and how I feel about it. In this particular one, I will share about the application process for postdoctoral positions as the start of the cycle is just around the corner. The details will include what I did on my part, how I built my CV and research statement, role of my Ph.D advisor, and things to remember while signing the contract.

• Application cycle

Most of the postdoc hiring in the US takes place in fall (September/October) for which the applications open up in the fall of previous year. This means that if you are aiming a position that commences in 2025, the applications are rolling out right now. While this is generally true, professors with dedicated funding can be hiring outside this window. The main point is that it all depends on how and when money rolls out. If the funding is coming from fellowships, centers or group of professors, the general timeline will apply.

• Where and how to look for open positions

We are in a digital world and there is too much information about everything. So, I will take this opportunity to streamline the useful resources.

1. academicjobsonline.org is the best friend. This is kind of Indeed for academic positions. It is a very transparent and simple to use website.

2. Professors post about open positions on LinkedIn and personal websites.

3. There is always the conventional way of emailing professors and asking for open positions which is still the best choice for in-network tapping.

• Building CV

CV is the most important thing. Unfortunately, there is only enough time to skim through it. So right things have to be highlighted at the right places. Thus, bragging about publication list upfront or not becomes a difficult question. For me, page 1 talks only about my research interests, education, theoretical predictions which were experimentally observed and conferences where I received awards. I postpone the entire list after the second page where I describe my teaching accomplishments, skills, leadership efforts and awards.

• Writing research statement

Often people write research statement as a description of what they know/do and end up describing calculations or experiments. For me, a research statement is focussed on a coherent set of ideas that must address a high-level vision. In my view, one should start with a high-level summary of ideas, extending to second paragraph with high-level applications, thereon breaking ideas into their original description, execution and deliverables. In the final paragraph, do mention about how professors in the university can help you achieve the gaol.

• The references

Letter of recommendation (LoR) for postdoc positions are very different from Ph.D applications. An LoR in this case is not a description of someone who developed research curiosity or took a couple of classes. It is a letter from your co-worker written based on their first hand interactions. Your potential employer will consider these LoRs very seriously, and in advanced stages of the recruitment process, people who wrote them might even get phone calls for further checks. So, a professor who writes it for you will always weigh your chances of getting through because if there are too many reference letters floating in the market, they get diluted. Additionally, here is a right way of requesting LoRs, consolidate a list of places you wish to apply and ask them if they are comfortable recommending you at respective places.

• How and where to apply

How to apply is a simple question. Just go the website follow instructions and voila-“thanks for your interest”. Important question is where to apply because filling in N-number of applications with a probability of 0.1% is not worth your time and effort. Each application would require a tailored CV and research statement. In my case, I tapped my network first, and reached out to professors I met in conferences or meetings. I got a 80% success rate here. Next, I tapped into my supervisor’s network. I had a few detailed conversations and he gave me useful information about who is hiring and who has money. My success rate was again 80%. Lastly, I applied out-of-network where my success rate was 1%.

• Accepting offers and signing contracts

Once the offers start coming in, another pressure moment of making the right decision comes up. The expectations can be very personalized, and this is what I asked myself:

1. What is the duration of the offered position? If the offer is less than 2 years, don’t accept it. This is because visa renewal cannot happen in the US, and every visa renewal will cost money and time.

2. Is the offered salary a mere survival or ensures a quality of life? US is a big country. Different cities have different cost of living. So, it is important to do calculations based on real data. I have noted that people in academia are afraid to be candid about salary expectations. My advice, negotiate well on salary, and if things do not work out it is best to back-off.

3. Where will I be in the next 5-years? Be honest and ask will this postdoc land me another postdoc or something else.

• How did I make a choice

To be honest, I landed up offers in the US and Europe. The latter was ruled out on the grounds of pay scale. In US, I got a few offers, and I was confused between UCLA and another place. The professor at the other place was from same academic lineage as my Ph.D supervisor and I would have kick-started publications from day 1. But the professor at UCLA offered me freedom and a big theory group of 30 people to expand my avenues. In Ph.D, my supervisor trained me hands-on to be a good thinker, writer and scientist, and I was inclined towards UCLA to use my training. Additionally, when I asked my Ph.D supervisor for help he gave me a crucial advice which I can’t share here. But he did say “go to LA and enjoy the place while you are young”. So, here I am.

So that’s that from this issue. Until next time, stay curious.