European-Taiwanese Association for Science and Technology e. V.

Full interview transcripts

Usually, postdocs either step into senior positions in academia or settle down in industries within several years. There are several unwritten rules to limit the timeframe of this “postdoc” period, especially in Europe. How did I build my skills and find a job to keep my academic path clear while struggling with this time limit for postdocs in Europe? Nothing new, but just talking to people and taking practices. The mentor programme 2023 hosted by ETAST (European-Taiwanese Association for Science and Technology) gave me a great chance to connect with seniors and practice for application without more try-and-errors.

My experiences in my twenties shaped me into a person who wants to have multidisciplinary skills, so I expected myself to bridge neglected zoonotic parasitology studies and molecular microbiology topics with the atomic accuracy of structural biology. With my naïve but sincere cover letter, I was lucky to get my current position as a postdoc researcher in Switzerland after my PhD graduation in Taiwan. The team and I planned to stay in Switzerland to acquire training on molecular parasitology skills for one to two years before applying for a fellowship to support my joining/long-term-visiting our collaborating structural biological group in the UK. As someone spontaneously reached out seeking an opportunity to be a postdoc for two labs with long-term collaborations, I might be taken for being an extra/brave human power on a tough project, but the team funding wasn’t initially planned for me.

Before I occasionally saw the promotion of the ETAST on a Facebook group of Taiwanese students in French-speaking Switzerland, I had attempted to apply once for the SWISS government excellence scholarship for landing Switzerland, once for the Newton fellowship from the UK Royal Society, the University of Geneva medicine faculty-based “Maitre-assistant” programme (MA), and once an assistant professor position in Taiwan. In these attempts, only the one back home had a full experience till the offering. However, I felt I was still immature to be a team leader at that moment, so I turned down that offer after concerns. Through the experience with the Newton fellowship, I learned how complicated a country-wide application can be. Moreover, I realised there is SWISS funding Ambiozione for independent group leaders during my MA application because I’ve been asked to describe my funding plan due to the principle of MA to financially support the postdocs wishing to be independent later in academia. MA and Ambizone aim to support ambitious postdocs after their PhD graduation no longer than 3 and 4 years, respectively.

I was a normal case who took a year to stay in the lab of PhD supervisor to close projects. But time seems to fly quicker for such a normal case. I felt I was almost facing my postdoc end time in Switzerland when I heard people talking about a rule that every postdoc can only be paid by the SWISS National Science Foundation till their fifth year after graduation. People who stay academic in the country must load into a senior position. I want to polish my expertise more, but I didn’t know if I would have a chance. I was panicking. Especially at that moment, I didn’t succeed in any fellowship application, and I didn’t even understand how academia works outside of Taiwan. So, I am glad to be attached to the ETAST society then joined the mentor programme last year.

The programme was designed to be an interview mock with job call analysis, making an academic CV, drafting a cover letter, packaging the application, and organising the seminar talk for an on-site interview. During those two days, I acquired a mindset about matching the applicant self to the job calls. I even learned many culture-wise tips, such as the German system prefers using a comma to distinguish names and family names, while the French system uses capital letters for family names, and putting a photo on an academic CV is a big no-no. Of course, the programme is not the lake goodness in the story that gives the golden axe. I still went through several attempts after the mentor programme. However, I saw things gradually changed. With a shaped CV, structured cover letters, and a well-organized proposal, I got a chance to present my research project with an MA application. Also, I got a chance to have an interview with one of the host institutes where I was seeking support on the Ambizione application. Though I failed till the end, these two interviews led me to review my profile and recognise that I must construct a solid record of experimental and mentoring skills for my dream multidisciplinary research style. I contacted two experts in the field to confirm my thoughts; one empathised with my struggle, and one advised me to think about my motivation. Deciding to search for a job as my secondary postdoc is heavy because I want to keep my specificity but not go with the flow. My current boss, partner, friends, family members, coworkers, researchers I met in the SWISS TPH postdoc workshop, and my consoler all gave me huge mental support.

During the past summer, soaking with anxiety, I occasionally saw a postdoc recruitment from the German Max Planck Institute Plant Physiology in Potsdam. The group was searching for someone who could work with two structural biology skills, one I’d built in Taiwan and the other I’d experienced half during my short visit to the UK. Their plant-microbe symbiosis research differs from what I experienced since my bachelor’s, but somehow, I can see the coherence when I recall one of my qualification exam committee members saying that there are many symbiosis and parasitism lifestyles besides medical-related species. At that moment, I’ve reviewed my motivation. I remembered that I had dreamed of being a journalist, a writer, a teacher, a scientist, and a vet since childhood because I care about the ecosystem. I applied, putting all I had. With all I learned from ETAST mentors and my failures, I got the offer after a long process with four interviews.

From next year, I will definitely have challenges stepping out of my comfort zone in Potsdam. In the near future, I will need to face a similar process again and again before I get a permanent position on the academic path. But I know that I can, and I am strong after this job-searching experience.

If you are also confused about the academic path, please consider joining the next mentor programme during the early November weekend in Berlin. Let’s connect if you want to hear more detail about my experience.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Gloria