10 years ago I was smack dab in the middle of a two-year postdoc down at Harvard. Right now grad students are working on their applications for a variety of postdoc opportunities, and I thought I'd offer some reflections on my experience: 1/n

This thread will focus on what a postdoc is actually like, not really about how to apply for one (although step one is find a project that builds on your doctoral work but is a clear step beyond it - a truly distinct project). 2/n

Most people end up doing a postdoc at an institution they haven't been a part of previously. One thing applicants definitely think about is 'institutional support' - much of this is pro forma: institutional affiliation, an email address, library access, maybe an office. 3/n

Some specialized postdocs may be set up to facilitate deep institutional ties and you'll be integrated nicely into a departmental/program culture/environment. But otherwise you should be prepared for a pretty isolated experience - even moreso than grad school. 4/n

Your postdoc 'supervisor' - at least in social sciences/humanities - is often more of a 'sponsor' than the sort of mentor you might have as a PhD candidate. If you need more support than an occasional meeting/someone to read your work, seek someone with a rep for collaboration.

There are other ways to give yourself structure and make yourself feel part of the new environment. Attend departmental talks/events. Make coffee meetings with faculty that might share your interests. 6/n

At Harvard the challenge was to limit myself to 3 talks a week - there was so much going on across campus. But most institutions will have plenty of opportunities to attend events. Find out if there are reading groups or other structured things that will add to your time there.

One big question that may arise is whether you should take on a teaching opportunity. Some postdocs come with one or two courses attached. A SSHRC postdoc doesn't (although you're allowed to teach at least one course during your award). 8/n

Whether you should may depend on your previous experience. If you've already taught classes it is probably best to focus on your research. If you haven't, teaching one course may be a good opportunity - teaching experience is increasingly important on the job market. 9/n

The postdoc is an opportunity to establish habits that will make you successful during the rest of your career (academic or, I imagine, non-academic). Give yourself structure, a routine that includes good eating habits and exercise. Try to make friends. 10/n

One of my regrets is not being bold enough to try to meet some of the faculty. I think I assumed they were too busy or I'd be imposing (some random Canadian asking Peter Hall to have coffee seemed sure like an imposition) - but the worst that could happen was they decline! 11/n

And I was terrible at networking generally. Still am in some ways. If not for people like @debthompsonphd, who I was lucky to meet during my time there, and who I think was like 'hey, another Canadian!' I'd probably have had little social experience. 12/n

But the trick to networking is sometimes literally just taking up opportunities to strike up conversations, find out what people are working on, inviting them to lunch or seeing if they're also going to that upcoming talk, etc. 13/n

This is much harder for introverts but *simple* once you get over that mental barrier. And as much as I remember the research I did and the surreal experience of being on *that* campus, the best memories of my postdoc are of meeting certain people. 14/n

As for research, you've likely won the postdoc on the basis of a project proposal. That's obviously gonna be a major focus but what you're really there to do - if your goal is an academic job - is publish. Inevitably that means output from your dissertation. 15/n

For some, that will be converting the thesis into a book. For others, articles. But you want to balance that with the new project. If you can publish PhD work and from the new project, you'll be on the job market proving productivity and a versatile track record. 16/n

Steve raises a good issue for those of us on the other end. My 2 cents: if you're sponsoring/supervising a postdoc, INVITE them to stuff! Make them part of the department/program. It doesn't take a lot of energy to make them feel part of your community. https://twitter.com/smsaideman/status/1277947655398871041

Anyway, some postdocs are very lucky to have an immediate sense of community (already know the institution or have a social network in the place they're living). This thread may be less useful for them. 18/n

For me, I was alone in a different country. That was the biggest challenge. But also an opportunity. If you're postdoc-ing at a strange new place, the takeaway from this thread should be: take advantage of it! Fin. 19/19