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I joined a lab for a postdoctoral position about six months ago and realized that it may not be the best long-term fit for my research interests and career goals. After discussing the situation with my PI, I decided to transition to a different research environment that may align better with my long-term goals.

From a faculty perspective, I was hoping to get some insight into a few questions:

1. How negatively is a short postdoc experience (around six months) viewed on a CV?
2. When applying elsewhere, is it generally better to use Ph.D. references initially, or should the current PI also be included?
3. Do faculty members tend to view a short postdoc as a significant red flag, or does the context matter more?

I joined a lab for a postdoctoral position about six months ago and realized that it may not be the best long-term fit for my research interests and career goals. After discussing the situation with my PI, I recently decided to apply for another postdoctoral position. My questions are:

1. How negatively is a short postdoc experience (around six months) viewed on a CV?
2. Should I include my current PI as a reference in cold emails, or would it be better to use only my Ph.D. references at this stage?
3. Will potential PIs be biased when they see that I am leaving a postdoc position after a relatively short period of time?

I joined a lab for a postdoctoral position about six months ago and realized that it may not be the best long-term fit for my research interests and career goals. I recently decided to apply for another postdoctoral position. My questions are:

1. How negatively does a short postdoc experience (around 6 months) appear on a CV?
2. Should I include my current PI as a reference in cold emails, or would it be better to use only my Ph.D. references at this stage?
3. Will potential PIs be biased when they see that I am leaving a postdoc position after a short period of time?

I joined a lab about half a year ago and recently decided to look for another lab after discussing a mismatch in research direction and career goals with my current PI. I’m wondering how I should approach emailing another PI about this situation. Should I mention my current PI and list him as a reference? (He mentioned that he would be willing to write a recommendation letter, but said the decision is up to me.)

I’m also unsure how to explain the reason for changing labs if I’m asked during interviews or discussions. In addition, if a PI asks whether they may contact my current PI, what would be the best way to respond if I would prefer that they not do so at this stage?

Plus, if my current PI is relatively influential within the institution, would it still be appropriate to apply to other labs at the same university, or would it generally be better to look elsewhere?