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I think that it's too late for postdoc. Also, I think that my PhD thesis is weak and not many people would be interested. What is the way to start academic or near-academic career, if not teaching? Thesis is on CS and applied mathematics. I live in Ukraine and could move if it's needed. Volunteering or studying for some period is also acceptable.

Julja Muvv
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    You don't say what you have done during these five years. Your situation is very different if you spent them at a somewhat related industry job or if you did something totally unrelated (like being a house wife). You could try working your way into an R&D industry job and when you have relevant experience you could try switching to academia. –  Dec 25 '20 at 19:19
  • For the last five years I've worked as a math tutor for university students. But my attempt to work as a teacher in university was unsuccessful. R&D industry job is good option, maybe it would be even enough for me, if there would be interesting problems. But I don't have any idea about R&D industry, is it hard to join it if you have knowledge in some math and CS, but your programming skills are not on professional level? – Julja Muvv Dec 25 '20 at 21:25
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    Maths+CS should get you into data science and machine learning. Plenty opportunities there. –  Dec 25 '20 at 22:30
  • Doesn't being data scientist always means doing programming? – Julja Muvv Dec 25 '20 at 23:39
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    TBH I don't think it is too late for a post-doc. If you have been working as a math tutor at the college level, it wouldn't be crazy to start reaching out to professors who have taught those courses or whose research you have interest in. Don't ask for funding or a job, just ask to "discuss their research" as well as ask them how to get into academia. They may be willing to give you a post-doc or know someone who is looking for one. You can also try to find an part-time (1 class) adjunct position for your re-entry into academia. – TudPims Dec 26 '20 at 19:45
  • @TudPims I'm out of the loop, my research experience as PhD student was poor, so I don't have the exact subjects which interest me. And don't have enough knowledge to completely understand the most of papers. So I can use just general impression to determine if joining someone's research would be inspiring. By "discuss their research" do you mean actual discussing, or just become acquainted, meet and chat with professor instead of asking for funding? Do you mean meeting professors in my country (Ukraine), or emailing foreign professors too? – Julja Muvv Dec 27 '20 at 07:32
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    @JuljaMuvv Foreign or domestic is up to you, if long term you want to stay in Ukraine then network in Ukraine, if not, then network in the foreign country you want to be in. "Discuss your research" is both read a few papers of the prof, bring questions about things you didn't understand & ask about new things they have coming through the pipeline. Show interest in their work! I think in general it is hard to start a career in academia if you have no idea what you want to do. Especially, having a PhD, I would think profs would expect you to know your interests. – TudPims Dec 27 '20 at 17:17
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    @JuljaMuvv to follow-up with the last comment. I would suggest you start to familiarize yourself with some areas you may have interest. If papers are too much, then start with textbooks and online classes. I have often found textbooks to be GREAT ways to learn new material. You can jump into something you think you MAY like and if you find it doesn't interest you go to the next thing. What you're interested in will drive who you network with and may influence your decision on if you want to stay in Urkraine or not. – TudPims Dec 27 '20 at 17:20

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I don't know what might be available in or near Ukraine, but can offer two possibilities that might be open to you.

The first is a long-term plan that assumes you have sufficient resources (job, money, time) to start some research. To do this efficiently, you might need to be in a place that has one or more local universities where you could make some contacts and start some collaborative activities. But a professor (maybe one you know) might be interested in working with you on some projects of mutual interest. If you can establish yourself as an effective researcher, you might find a way back in to a university. Your old thesis advisor might be able to offer some possibilities for collaboration. But you wouldn't/needn't be either an employee or student to do this. Your status as an "independent researcher" is enough.

The second idea would work in the US and possibly elsewhere, but requires the ability/desire to teach. Here we have a large number of Colleges that are not focused primarily on research but, rather, on undergraduate education. People are expected to do some research, but are expected to excel at teaching. Moving around might raise language issues, of course, for this type of position. If you were teaching at such a college and it were located in a place with other, more research focused, universities, you might be able to establish some collaborations as suggested above. And, the life of a teaching professor can be pretty nice in the right place in any case.

In the internet/covid age, however, things are a bit weird. The internet provides a way to do remote collaboration, but the pandemic makes it harder to make contacts. Attendance at conferences is often a good way to do that.

Buffy
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  • Thank you. I can't do it the second way, because, as I've mentioned, I can't work as a teacher (for some personal reasons). In the first option I didn't really understand, why you mentioned collaborative activities with professor and returning to university as two different steps? You mean collaborative activities as volunteer, not as university worker? – Julja Muvv Dec 25 '20 at 14:37
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    Yes, as an "independent researcher", not as an employee or student. – Buffy Dec 25 '20 at 14:38
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    You don't say why you "can't" teach, and I won't ask, but you may be making an assumption that isn't warranted. – Buffy Dec 25 '20 at 14:42
  • @MorganRodgers, yes, true enough. It might depend on what you can bring to the position that might be desirable even if not traditional. But expect completion everywhere. Everyone has to make their case as best they can. – Buffy Dec 25 '20 at 15:20
  • Maybe I should try and practice teaching in some my city and if I have a success in it, then go to the second option. – Julja Muvv Dec 25 '20 at 15:47
  • But doesn't it still seem very unlikely to get such position, even for person with teaching experience? (But without research). – Julja Muvv Dec 25 '20 at 15:55
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    Depending on the teaching, it might give you some contacts to get started on some research. Harder with the pandemic of course. – Buffy Dec 25 '20 at 15:59
  • So it's not too uncommon and doesn't look weird to offer the professor your help as an independent researcher? In what case the professor would be interested in collaboration? Should my phd thesis be close somehow to professor's research interests? Because I think my thesis has local results in combinatorics and doesn't have any extension that can be called the field of interests. – Julja Muvv Dec 25 '20 at 16:27
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    It is hard to say until you talk to someone. But after five years, I doubt that being close to your thesis work is essential. Finding something interesting is good. Learn something about the people you talk to first, perhaps. – Buffy Dec 25 '20 at 16:33