A postdoc is a very different phase from the PhD (even though many seem to think it is a way to extend your PhD time). A postdoc is shorter, has different requirements, and comes with higher expectations on performance and speed of learning, but also with far more flexibility and opportunity. During my onboarding of a postdoc, I focus on these aspects as well as on their career perspectives.
Contrary to the common belief that a postdoc narrows your options and locks you into academia, this career stage can actually do the opposite. A postdoc can open doors to a wide range of paths, both inside and outside academia, provided you approach it strategically. Because time is limited, career development during a postdoc is all about alignment: making deliberate choices that support where you want to go next.
While the research itself remains important, a postdoc is also a period in which you can shape your professional profile much more actively than during your PhD. Here are several tips to help you use your postdoc years as a strong foundation for the next step in your career:
1. Select your postdoc position wisely
Choosing a postdoc should go beyond the research topic alone. A strong postdoc often places you in a new environment, whether that means a different institution, country, discipline, or research culture. This exposure helps you broaden your perspective and prevents you from becoming too narrowly defined by a single niche. Look for positions that offer opportunities to learn new skills, such as advanced methodologies, leadership experience, interdisciplinary collaboration, or industry-facing projects. A postdoc is one of the few moments in your career where learning (although faster than during the PhD) remains a central expectation, so use it intentionally.
2. Organize your postdoc in line with your next steps
As a postdoc, you are typically given more responsibility than you had as a PhD student. You may supervise students, manage parts of a project, write grant proposals, or coordinate collaborations. This increased autonomy is a powerful tool. Think carefully about how you structure your days and weeks: which tasks bring you closer to your long-term goals, and which ones merely keep you busy? While not everything can be optimized, having a clear sense of direction allows you to make smarter choices.
3. Select opportunities based on where you want to go next
Postdocs are often presented with many opportunities: committees, teaching, outreach, collaborations, side projects. While these can all be valuable, they do not all serve the same purpose. Try to evaluate opportunities through the lens of your next career step. If you aim for a faculty position, activities related to funding, teaching, and independent research matter most. If you are considering industry or policy, experience with applied research, teamwork, communication, or stakeholder engagement may be more relevant.
4. Make connections deliberately
Networking during a postdoc is less about collecting contacts and more about building meaningful professional relationships. Collaborators, mentors, former supervisors, and peers can all play different roles in your career development. Take the time to attend conferences, workshops, and departmental events, and follow up with people whose work genuinely interests you. Informal conversations often lead to future collaborations, job leads, or valuable advice at critical moments.
5. Work on your visibility, both online and offline
Visibility is not self-promotion for its own sake; it is about making your work and expertise easier to find. Offline, this may involve giving talks, participating in panels, or being active in professional societies. Online, it may include maintaining an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, sharing publications or insights, or engaging thoughtfully with your community. Over time, this visibility helps position you as a researcher or professional with a clear profile and voice, which is invaluable regardless of your next career move.
A postdoc does not automatically lead to success (if you passively coast through it, you will not gain much), but it can become a linchpin for your next career steps if organized wisely. By making intentional choices about where you work, how you spend your time, and which opportunities you pursue, you can turn a relatively short appointment into a period of significant professional growth. Rather than seeing the postdoc as a holding pattern or a narrowing funnel, view it as a strategic bridge: one that connects your past training to a future career that fits both your skills and your ambitions.