In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader writes:
I have a question about deciding between whether to pursue a postdoc or teaching the year after finishing a PhD, with an eye to (hopefully) landing a TT or permanent job within a few years. What would be more competitive on a CV for TT jobs/future jobs in general: A 1-year full-time adjunct position or a 1-year postdoc? I have teaching experience already and fewer publications. My goal would be to get a permanent position at a teaching-focused university, but I know a postdoc will likely help improve my publications. Thanks for any advice!
Setting aside logistical issues (e.g. moving, etc.), this seems to be an easy one: do the postdoc. My experience is that a candidate's perceived trajectory matters. You want, if it at all possible, to have a full-time position--and the fact that the postdoc will enable you to continue publishing is a big deal. Also, if (as the OP notes) you already have plenty of teaching experience but not so many publications, the postdoc is definitely the way to go. Or so it seems to me. What do you all think?
Yes, based on the information here I agree with Marcus that the choice is clear:
Take the postdoc.
(Unless, of course, there are salient factors not described here, e.g., moving, partners, etc.)
Posted by: take the postdoc | 10/25/2021 at 10:12 AM
Do the post doc ... adjuncting will always be there for you ... a post doc won't
Posted by: I never had a post-doc | 10/25/2021 at 12:07 PM
Postdoc! Rightly or wrongly, it looks better.
Posted by: Michel | 10/25/2021 at 02:42 PM
There's no question the postdoc would be the better choice. I struggle to think of a situation where it would be better to adjunct for a year instead of taking a postdoc, unless perhaps it was an overseas job where there were compelling non-academic reasons to stay closer to home. Plus, postdocs are generally pretty good jobs -- relatively light teaching loads, pretty good pay for the amount of work required, and time to pursue one's research. You will also usually get health insurance, a retirement plan, and other benefits associated with your university employment; adjuncts don't typically get these benefits.
Posted by: Trevor Hedberg | 10/25/2021 at 04:02 PM
Take the postdoc unless it’s a really shady or exploitative postdoc. Don’t think twice about it.
Posted by: Nicolas Delon | 10/27/2021 at 10:27 AM