Should I do a Postdoc if I want an Industry Career? Six things to Consider

Should I do a Postdoc if I want an Industry career? (Six things to consider prior to doing a Postdoc)

By Dr Felix Quayson

I have had the pleasure of speaking with many graduate students (both master’s and Doctoral) about academia and industry career pathways. A question I hear a lot in these conversations is, “should I do a postdoc if I want an industry career?”

In this article, I explain why I advise students to avoid doing a postdoc in that situation. The main reason is that whilst a postdoc experience is usually welcomed in academia, this is not the case outside of it. Thus, do not let your academic advisor pressure you into doing a postdoc if you really want an industry career. Companies like to work with graduates who are focused and want to solve real world problems and know what they really want to do after completing graduate studies. They also like graduates who see themselves as practitioners (being practical) rather than theorists (being theoretical).

Below are 6 pieces of advice and things to consider if you are wondering if you should do a postdoc prior to entering an industry career

“A postdoc experience makes you work and think like an academic, not an industry professional”

Postdoc won’t help you. It will end up hurting you if you do a postdoc but at the same time you prefer to go into industry for career advancement. Getting a master’s or Doctorate is time consuming and it means that you have already spent considerable time (2-8 years) in academia. Now, if you truly want an industry career, it may be time to exit academia and focus your energy on landing your industry job. Getting out of academia will help you see what is out there in the real world and see how that would work for you. Because when you do a postdoc, you are technically still working in academia.
Lessons from doing a Postdoc. Postdoc is meant to give you additional research or teaching training and a focused specialization in your field or discipline. You do gain some technical skills and expertise in your field or discipline, which would be relevant to opportunities in academia. However, you would not learn how industry works. And the chances of you getting an industry job with the same technical skills you learned doing a postdoc are slim to none. Your postdoc training may simply not be relevant or meet the demands of an industry career.

“when you do a postdoc, you are technically still working in academia”

3. Do you want to become a Professor? Having a postdoc experience can be a great way for you to be competitive in the tenure-track job market in academia. You will receive specialize training, faculty advisor support, research opportunities, managed student research teams, and a focus on your research interests. Remember, however, that all the glories of a postdoc experience would not be helpful or relevant if you want an industry career. Thus, it is better to start early (fresh out of your graduate school graduation or the moment you become a candidate or ABD) to seek for careers in industry. You need to learn how companies work across various industries, and doing a postdoc will prevent you from doing so.

“Another important perception is that postdoc teaches to solve academic research problems and not real-world problems”

4. Work patterns. The work that you do in academia and the work that you do in industry are two different things. The academic routines and experience are applicable and relevant almost exclusively in the academic environment! In fact, these routines and habits may prove counterproductive in the industry. A postdoc experience makes you work and think like an academic, not an industry professional.

5. A defined Perception. In the industry, your decision to do a postdoc after completing your graduate degree is seen as you having more interest in academia than industry. Not surprisingly, some may believe that you didn’t really know what you wanted to do after completing your graduate degree. Or maybe you still prefer an academic job but are just applying to their company because you were unsuccessful in the academia? Another important perception (and assumption) is that postdoc teaches to solve academic research problems and not real-world problems.

“The academic routines and experience are applicable and relevant almost exclusively in the academic environment!“

6. Volunteer in the industry. Considering the above, I advise you to do some volunteering outside academia if you decided to pursue a career in the industry. Volunteering may help you learn how the industry works and how decisions are made there. This experience may also help you understand the difference between working in academia and outside of it, and help you decide on the next move.

About the author:

Felix Quayson has earned degrees in Education and Health, and professional certification in teaching English as a second/foreign language, research certifications from The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program), and professional credentials in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education where he is completing Certificate in Media & Technology for Education. Felix research interests is in Education Science focusing on workforce education, EdTech, STEM, & Higher Ed.