Unfortunately I think you nailed what a postdoc seems to be, at least to me at this stage: to diversify one’s research interest, to network in the community, to push more papers out, a parallel universe to dispense unemployed Ph.D.s, and an awkward phase where the community thinks one should be.

In addition to some of the postdoc roles mentioned, I think another important one for a lot of people is to take on more of a leadership role. In your Ph.D. you probably mentored younger students, but you were also completely absorbed in your thesis work. As a postdoc, you can try to reach out more. The time span generally encourages this–you only have a year or two, so you may have to work more collaboratively with others to get things done. Obviously, this role is highly dependent upon the expectations of the group you are in. In groups that encourage this, I think it should be pursued as an important step toward being an independent principle scientist who will be directing the research efforts of others.

I think broadening one’s research experience is pretty important. Not just in the sense of doing some different science, but being in a different lab with a different way of working, a different style of PI etc. You need time after completing your thesis to just be a scientist, to workout what life after being a full time student is actually like. A PhD is not sufficient to become an independent principle scientist, a postdoc provides some but not nearly enough of the training necessary to bridge the gap.

That being said, multiple short term contracts as a postdoc is cruel. A little respect and job security can go along way.

I agree with all the above comments. But also, post-docs are important for maintaining a continuous employment record. More importantly, they are your last opportunity to become disillusioned with academia.

Post-docs unlucky enough to win that coveted tenure-track position are doomed to a shorter (tenure failed) or longer career of chasing dwindling grant money, trying to locate grad students who aren’t sleeping or taking extended vacations to India or China, watching your back in Departmental politics, attending pointless meetings, clearing administrative snafus, and going home at the end of the day wondering what the hell you’ve accomplished with that day, or with your life.

DB (retired from a long career in government, industry, and academia)

The academic world has routinely relied on post-doc labor for the major advances in science. post-docs typically cost the same, if not less, than a grad student and do not (in theory) need much pragmatic training. The traditional view is that the post-doc experience is simply a good opportunity for a new PhD to stand on their own and do their own research, with a mentor there to help if they need it. The reality though is that the postdoc is often a holding pattern till that coveted academic position shows itself. But, with an aging and non-retiring population of professors, there are fewer and fewer prof jobs, hence the growing occurrence of the multiple post-doc.

I did a three year post-doc, with independent funding for all three years. So, I cost my PI $0. Because of this, I had a good time doing the work i proposed and wanted to do. But 99% of the postdocs I knew were miserable SOBs. they were disrespected, look down upon and over worked. All for that professorship.

Glad I sold out to the industrial man.

I’m going to have to save this post (and mail it to quite a few people). Particularly cogent is Penrose’s comment.

As far as aging faculty holding onto their positions and post docs costing as much as a graduate student, I’ll disagree since it’s not the case in my department which has four faculty positions open and three recent hires. Graduate students are paid based on whatever the faculty member has to spend, but the minimum is something like 23K/year, with benefits and all the assorted overhead. Post docs are paid almost twice as much.

I think a lot depends on where you do a post doc.