Thank you for your comment. Can you please elaborate on your last point? "If you mean opportunity for promotion and taking more managerial and executive roles, it might be because working in a leading scientific editor is really something."

After PhD and/or postdoc, one usually have three directions to go to. One leads to a tenure track position, other industry related to the field or third where one changes the field completely. However, recently, I came across other jobs that require PhDs, and specific fields but is not typical industrial position.

Scientific editor seems to be one such position. I have seen openings for this position on the Springer, Elsevier, Wiley career sites. How is it as a career path? Is it a rewarding career? By rewarding, I am referring to both intellectually and financially.

Please let me know.

I defended my PhD recently. I don't have a good CV to start with. In 5 years of my PhD, I managed to publish just 2 (first author) decent papers (I.F ~2.5 & 3.1). I applied for several postdoc positions this year, but did not get any positive response from the PIs.

Now, I am going to join my PhD advisor as a postdoc. She offered me a short-term postdoc position (~6 months) with a possibility of extending it to a year starting February next year.

I have couple of manuscripts ready to submit. I am hoping to submit them by mid-January.

**I was wondering, when should I start applying for postdoc positions again?** 6 months will go by in a flash. I just want to secure a position where I can expand my knowledge and publish more papers.

I will start to apply for tenure track positions after 1.5 years. I am 30 years old now, so, I would be still eligible for positions with 35 years old limit for assistant professor position.

Tl;dr: Defended my Ph.D. two weeks ago. However, right from the time of the defense and up until the present moment, I am experiencing a huge lack of motivation and sense of purpose to do anything related to research or search for future positions. How to address this?

Other details: I had applied for other positions before my defense and was not successful in securing a suitable position. I have an offer from my Ph.D. advisor about a postdoc position which I am expected to start early next year. Ideally, a postdoc at some other place would have helped my CV more. Though I will be doing a new project with a new modeling technique, I have been told that pursuing postdoc under the Ph.D. advisor is frowned upon in academia.

Leaving every other concern aside, I am very appalled by my lack of motivation and the constant feeling of lethargy to start with the pending research work and/or resume with the dedicated job search.

I have no idea how to address this feeling. I have taken two hiking trips during the last two weekends. However, it feels empty and unproductive inside. I have so much to do before I start with a postdoc position. But all am I doing is wasting time. I am feeling so incompetent inside.