How Do You Apply for a Postdoc?

UPDATE 3/17/2023: See a small opinion update at the end of this post.

Applying for postdocs was an incredibly exciting time for me. The entire scientific world felt at my feet! However, finding a postdoc position is often a vague process with no clear rules or recipe. I’ve seen a lot of advice on what to look for in a postdoc position, but rarely do I find practical resources for initiating the process. Below, you will find three examples of exactly what I did to begin a conversation with a PI. In each of these cases, the PI responded (eventually) and we ended up speaking in more detail in either a formal or informal interview. (Funny enough, my current position is not one of these examples, nor did it ever involve an awkward first email. Sometimes you just bump into the right person at the right time. But this is a story for another time!)

II - The Semi-Cold Email

Here is an example of a PI that I was pretty sure would remember me, however I wouldn’t say we knew each other well. They had posted on twitter about looking for postdocs. My PhD work had very little overlap with their research, but I thought my engineering background could be a useful skill.

Outcome: informal interview at a conference. This could have progressed further but I decided I was terrified of working with non-human primates.

II - The Cold Email

Here is an example email to a PI that I had met very briefly maybe a year beforehand. There was no formal opening, but their website specified to send an email, CV, and publication for anyone interested in a position. I had essentially no experience in the skillsets they were looking for and was not expecting to be considered for a position.

Outcome: formal interview and offer

III - The Formal Opening

This was a PI that I had never interacted with before, however they had an official postdoc job listing. In this case, my PhD research had a lot of very relevant overlap and I thought I was a very strong candidate.

Outcome: formal interview invitation, but I had already decided on a different position by this time.

UPDATE 3/17/2023: As someone now actively recruiting PhD and postdoctoral applicants, I now read through these email with a slightly different perspective. I think they’re still quite good! However, what if someone sent me these emails and cover letters? I think they would grab my attention, but one question would still nag at the back of my mind. Why are they interested in my lab? I wish I had expanded on these thoughts with more detail in one short paragraph. I would have answered questions about my long-term resaerch vision, how working in their lab could get me there, and why their research stood out to me as exciting.