Try Before You Buy

Canadian GirlPostdoc in America says that the "average PhD student in this current economic climate is expected to do at least two different stints as a postdoc" is not necessarily a bad thing, as trainees are afforded the opportunity to sample different work environments before beginning their independent careers — much like tenants might rent several apartments before buying a home. "Before you buy, it's important to experience different kinds of spaces … Being a postdoc gives you the opportunity to live in different labs," GirlPostdoc writes. When she changed labs for her second postdoc position she was exposed to a completely different environment; she says she's learned that "taking the opportunity to travel and live in different circumstances can help."