Congratulations, Paul. Wonderful news!

Thank you!!

If you are going on the market or considering applying, feel free to reach out! I’m happy to share experiences and lessons or simply chat about the process.

5️⃣I couldn’t have done this without the incredible support of my mentors, colleagues, friends, and family. You know who you are – thank you for being my cheerleaders!

4️⃣My absolute number one advice: Talk about it! Talk with peers, friends, family, your partner, or even your pet. For instance, I explained this process to my grandpa (almost 90!). He was amazingly understanding with my fears and helped me set everything in perspective.

...as I would constantly be writing applications, in addition to the usual business, and revising all relevant documents. However, for me, the most draining and mentally exhausting part was waiting for basically *any* feedback in late December/January after the interviews.

3️⃣With more than 90 unanswered applications (so far), not all outcomes are immediate or definitive. The process is exhausting but also incredibly rewarding. Before going on the market, I thought November would be the most stressful time,

For instance, besides the market offers, I acquired a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the European Union. I was incredibly grateful to receive this prestigious and highly competitive grant, although in the end, I had to decline it.

2️⃣Have a Plan B, and C, and D….: The number of third-party funding applications, off-market applications, and possibilities outside of academia are not in the statistics presented.

My personal reflections:
1️⃣Over 100 applications led to 14 interviews and 4 offers. Something I completely underestimated was the decision-making process. I received offers that would have been wonderful opportunities, but there was only one offer I could accept.

Of course, as a data enthusiast, I documented everything in numbers. Here is an insight:
📊Outcomes so far:
Applications sent: 128
Interviews: 14
Offers: 4
Accepted offers: 1
No answers (yet): 92

This was a wonderful, stressful, interesting, and worthwhile experience. I want to thank everyone who has supported me with minor and major gestures. Particularly, I want to thank my supervisor @haucap.bsky.social, and my other references Catarina Marvão, Dario Pozzoli, and Giancarlo Spagnolo.