After my PhD (Mechanical engineering) in 2013, I have been employed as a "visiting assistant professor-TERM" for 2013-2014 at the same university (in the USA). In this time I have been applying for several post-doc and faculty positions all around the world. The following fortuitous situation has now developed:
- I was interviewed for a post doc position at a famed lab in Europe and received a job offer. This job offer is contingent on me getting security clearance for this lab and getting a long term visa. One of the ground rules laid out was I would not accept other post-doc positions.
- Prior to this post-doc interview, I had interviewed for faculty position at US universities. Fortuitously a few weeks after this post-doc job offer, I have been offered full time faculty position at two other universities in the USA.
- Now the reason I did apply for post-doc jobs is that they would help me build my network, publish more and help with an eventual faculty position!
- I am in some moral quandary now: I know that I have given the post-doc PI my word and I will not renege on it. However, the faculty positions are definitely more lucrative and long term.
- I accepted the post-doc job because I was asked to make a decision soon and since I am a foreigner, timing is everything for me and a "job in hand is worth two in the bush"
Groans at quotation
.
The options (likely and unlikely) that present themselves to me are:
- Unlikely: Postpone the faculty positions to Fall of 2015. I don't think these universities would want to do that.
- Likely: Angle for better pay/better title at the post-doc jobs.
I am hoping that given the experience in this forum, people could throw some light on this situation.
Edit: Advantages and disadvantages of these positions
Advantages and Disadv. of Postdoc:
(+) Great change of work, reputable lab, exposure to different work culture, deadlines, work pressure, expanding professional network on both sides of atlantic
(-)1-2 years only, relatively poor pay
Adv. and Disadv. of faculty position
(+) Faculty position nuf' said. Much Better pay, "long" term
(-) Will miss out on once in a lifetime post doc at great lab