<p>Now I’m at the stage of life where I need to worry about how to get a good postdoctoral position (yes, I’m old). But I can’t seem to find any information on that. If I wanted a postdoc position in, say, top 5 universities in the US,</p>
<li>How do I apply? Do I apply to NSF directly?</li>
<li>What kind of credentials do I need? (What are the important factors in getting a good position?)</li>
</ol>
<p>I realize that now is the worst time for applying for these things, because of the hiring freeze and such, but let’s hope that things look up. I’m finishing up a PhD in math, in a top 10 university in the US (name withheld for privacy, just in case).</p>
<p>Is it that much of a mystery? Wouldn’t your advisors clue you in? Please share when you figure it out. My daughter is just going into a PdD program, but in CS Theory, which seems to me pretty much just math.</p>
<p>You will notice that hiring freezes don’t affect technical positions including postdocs. The funding for postdoc positions is derived, initially, from the faculty member’s grants and not from university funds. Later into the postdoc, it is expected that you will bring in your own grant. </p>
<p>You don’t apply to the NSF for a postdoc position unless the position is with some sort of in house program (the NIH has this). Otherwise, you would contact the faculty member you are interested in working with directly. </p>
<p>I laughed a bit to myself about the privacy line. Anyway, best of luck in finding a solid postdoc position.</p>
<p>Hah, what can I say, math is a small field, and everyone knows everyone. Sometimes I notice that even in anonymous forums, I can pretty much tell which user is which.</p>
<p>Hiring freezes don’t directly affect postdocs. However, it does affect fundings, which in turn affect postdocs. I know people in my school who have applied to over 100 postdoc positions and didn’t get any. And it’s a pretty good school by anyone’s standard. So I am getting nervous.</p>
<p>When you’re contacting a faculty member, do you have any idea what they look at generally?</p>
<p>I suggest that these are issues that need to be explicitly discussed with your PhD mentor and your dissertation committee. Each field has its own culture and its own standards for achievement.</p>