PhD holders, postdocs, research assistants, let's network and help each other!

[sqid.madoma]

Hi guys, this is a topic for graduate students, PhD , reseach asistants and postdocs to help each other.

For example, most of the time it is not clear which NOC we should choose depending on our area of expertise.

This topic can also be used for networking.

As for myself I am a postdoc in Neuroscience at the University of Calgary for 2 years now, I am at NOC 2121 and just received PPR. I am also the vice president of the postdoctoral association of the University of Calgary and a guest member of National postdoc association CAPS.

 

[thourb]

We're from the UK and will shortly be applying under the FSW scheme. My partner is finishing his PhD which is in social psychology. Alongside that he's a teaching assistant so we'll be applying using NOC 4012 Post-secondary teaching and research assistants. No job offers/provincial nomination, unfortunately, however with age, foreign work experience, IELTS and qualifications we should score a CRS of 472 which I hope will be enough in a few months to get ITA.

My partner has an excellent academic record with a first class honours undergraduate psychology degree and soon to be doing viva for his PhD, alongside his teaching and other research experience including past publications and numerous conference presentations etc, but still we're under no illusions about how long and difficult the moving process will be... I know that the jobs market for newly qualified PhD holders is very competitive in Canada, especially for tenure-track academic roles. Anyone have any advice where to look for such jobs or where to start for a newly qualified UK PhD holder? Regular job-hunting websites don't seem to have much on them that suits him it seems.

Perhaps speculatively applying for short-term/freelance lecturing work is the way forward?

 

[ttrajan]

Is it easy to get university jobs for Ph.D. Holders?

 

[sqid.madoma]

We're from the UK and will shortly be applying under the FSW scheme. My partner is finishing his PhD which is in social psychology. Alongside that he's a teaching assistant so we'll be applying using NOC 4012 Post-secondary teaching and research assistants. No job offers/provincial nomination, unfortunately, however with age, foreign work experience, IELTS and qualifications we should score a CRS of 472 which I hope will be enough in a few months to get ITA.

My partner has an excellent academic record with a first class honours undergraduate psychology degree and soon to be doing viva for his PhD, alongside his teaching and other research experience including past publications and numerous conference presentations etc, but still we're under no illusions about how long and difficult the moving process will be... I know that the jobs market for newly qualified PhD holders is very competitive in Canada, especially for tenure-track academic roles. Anyone have any advice where to look for such jobs or where to start for a newly qualified UK PhD holder? Regular job-hunting websites don't seem to have much on them that suits him it seems.

Perhaps speculatively applying for short-term/freelance lecturing work is the way forward?

I would highly recommend you to contact directly professors in your field by email.

There is not a lot of jobs posted and for a lot of them they already have a internal candidate.

You should try to start a network first. Find the professors working in the area that interest you and contact them.

I got my postdoc position here and got an offer for another one in USA by contacting professors by emails even if I never met them before. I just contacted those who were publishing articles I liked with a nice letter and cv and they offered to meet me for interviews.

I think a postdoc postion maybe be a good alternative for a couple years just the time to know people in the field in Canada, build your network and of course pay the bills.

Because the road to a tenure track position is extremely competitive in Canada these days. Don't expect to have one just by showing up.

 

[sqid.madoma]

Is it easy to get university jobs for Ph.D. Holders?

Depends what you mean by university jobs.

Getting a tenure track position is very hard (only 10% of PhD succeed in that).

Getting a research associate or postdoc position is not that hard but there is not a lot of job posting. You will have to hunt the professors directly.

 

[thourb]

I would highly recommend you to contact directly professors in your field by email.

There is not a lot of jobs posted and for a lot of them they already have a internal candidate.

You should try to start a network first. Find the professors working in the area that interest you and contact them.

I got my postdoc position here and got an offer for another one in USA by contacting professors by emails even if I never met them before. I just contacted those who were publishing articles I liked with a nice letter and cv and they offered to meet me for interviews.

I think a postdoc postion maybe be a good alternative for a couple years just the time to know people in the field in Canada, build your network and of course pay the bills.

Because the road to a tenure track position is extremely competitive in Canada these days. Don't expect to have one just by showing up.

That's some really great advice - has confirmed what I was hoping to hear really. Will get my partner to get his CV out there and hopefully everything will fall into place over the next year or so

 

[tosinosho1992]

Nice thread. This is long overdue.

 

[axlh17]

I'm getting my PhD in the US soon and going to apply for Canadian PR. How's the post-doc job market in Canada look like? There's been a lot of budge cuts in research in the US in the past few years and postdocs positions became a bit harder to find. I'm wondering if Canada is in a similar situation?

 

[deadbird]

I'm getting my PhD in the US soon and going to apply for Canadian PR. How's the post-doc job market in Canada look like? There's been a lot of budge cuts in research in the US in the past few years and postdocs positions became a bit harder to find. I'm wondering if Canada is in a similar situation?

Don't become a scientist ! - http://katz.fastmail.us/scientist.html

 

[lieob2]

I'm getting my PhD in the US soon and going to apply for Canadian PR. How's the post-doc job market in Canada look like? There's been a lot of budge cuts in research in the US in the past few years and postdocs positions became a bit harder to find. I'm wondering if Canada is in a similar situation?

Canada job market for posdoc is relatively stable. The professors still could get funding and the liberal government might even give more than conservative.

 

[deadbird]

Canada job market for posdoc is relatively stable. The professors still could get funding and the liberal government might even give more than conservative.

They indeed do - https://www.cifar.ca/assets/cifar-congratulates-government-of-canada-for-landmark-investment-in-canadian-research/

 

[sqid.madoma]

I'm getting my PhD in the US soon and going to apply for Canadian PR. How's the post-doc job market in Canada look like? There's been a lot of budge cuts in research in the US in the past few years and postdocs positions became a bit harder to find. I'm wondering if Canada is in a similar situation?

I agree with lieob2, the job market for a postdoc in Canada is not that bad. There have been some cuts with the previous government but it is getting better now.

 

[tosinosho1992]

Guys do you think having a PhD and postdoctoral experience will have a special influence on the outcome of a PR application?

 

[sqid.madoma]

Guys do you think having a PhD and postdoctoral experience will have a special influence on the outcome of a PR application?

I don't see why. If you chose the good NOC and got a good letter for your job experience. There should not be any problem.

 

[sqid.madoma]

Anyone here put his. phD training as work experience and managed to get the points from it AND the PR eventually?

I've read here that some people did it I would like to know what waas the outcome of their application.

Thanks.