Postdoc: Unsure of the best move here

[Workthing]

Hello! Long time reader and first time poster hoping for some guidance.

I am very newly post PhD (phew!) and have worked as an AL for the length of my PhD (6 years PT, had babies!). Last year, after 5 years in the role, the university made my contract permanent. Although still hourly paid, it means, in theory that they’d need to make me redundant if there weren’t enough teaching hours.

This has worked well during my PhD and alongside my stipend has given me some income. I’m now looking to apply for postdocs. There are several relevant ones that I will apply for and there is one in particular that is a very close match to my PhD subject, but they are all fixed term, generally 2 years.

Can I ask more experienced academics, do I go for fixed term post docs or stick with my permanent AL role in the hope that sooner or later a substantive lecturer post will come up in my current dept?

I’m sorry if this has an obvious answer, but I’m a first gen academic (and the first person in my family to go to university, full stop) and I really don’t have anyone else to ask.

Any thoughts gratefully welcomed. Thank you!

I would go for the post doc. Even if a lectureship does come up then you're not guaranteed to get it. And can do a lot better CV building stuff as post doc than as an AL.

Unless of course you love teaching and would be reluctant to reduce that?

What do you want from your career? Are you in science? If you want to build a lab and publish papers and do great science, go for a postdoc. Also keep an eye out for fellowships in future- Leverhulme and wellcome etc.

if you like teaching and want a low key teaching role, stick to what you have.

do talk to a mentor within your field for advice specific to th e field.

AL = associate lecturer? some kind of lecturing on a temp contract?
We don't have that job title... nor "postDoc" which is a job title I ferociously HATE, but that's an aside.

I imagine most jobs called "postdoc" = research, no teaching.
Jobs called "research fellow" typically are research + teaching, not all have teaching and many RF jobs aren't part of a "fellowship". Some RFs write grant applications, some don't.

Some Unis also have lecturers on "fellowships", I find.

I've only had fixed term contracts during my university work (getting towards 30 yrs now). I hugely prefer FTC because I know the money is there and allocated to ME. People on permanent jobs lose their jobs all the time, ime. Especially in private sector. If you want security, longer FTCs are preferable to any so-called "permanent" post.

But like PP said, what mix of teaching or research do you prefer? What do you fancy?