Postdocs in Japan have had a tough time finding permanent positions, either in academia or in the private sector. In a 2005 survey by the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) to identify postdocs' career intentions, we investigated people's awareness of and desire for non-traditional science jobs (NISTEP Report 161). We asked about 10% of the postdocs in Japan to participate, 66% of whom responded.

Why get a postdoc job? Of the 1,035 people who responded, 73% chose their present positions because they wanted to either continue research or become a researcher. More than one-tenth did so because they could not find other employment. As expected, about three-quarters of the participants “strongly wanted” to become academic researchers. However, more than half had a positive opinion about working in industry as researchers or engineers. In a survey conducted 4 years ago (NISTEP Report 86), only one-quarter of the respondents said they would consider jobs in the private sector, suggesting that postdocs' perceptions of industry jobs have changed substantially.

To assess career needs, we asked the participants about what sort of work they would like to do at the same time as their main postdoc project. More than one-quarter said “teaching work”, and around one-fifth cited “research and development work in a private company” and “research activities different from the current research topic”. Relatively few postdocs (13%) did not “particularly desire” activities other than their current research.

We also investigated how many couples had difficulties in finding positions that fitted in with the circumstances of their partner's job. Of the married women, 44% said that they would apply only for jobs that worked well with their partner's job. Comparatively, 11% of married men said they would limit their applications in this way. More than one-quarter of the women said they had been forced to “live separately from their spouse”. Clearly, family considerations play a big part in job-seeking activities, especially for women postdocs.

Our survey revealed a group of postdocs who are open to new and alternative paths as a way to develop their skill set and career. The government has been some help in this respect. In 2006, its Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology started the Project for Promoting Diversification of the Career Paths of Human Resources in Science and Technology. Twelve institutions and organizations received money to help postdocs and doctoral students to diversify their career options.

Clearly, Japanese postdocs are coming to realize that an open mind and a diverse set of skills are key. We should continue to monitor postdocs' sentiments — and their future plans.