Not sure if this is directly under this topic but it is a big decision that I'd love to hear other opinions about.
I'm about to finish my PhD and I love being a learner- but I'm realistic about the world of academia in terms of being able to get a job and survive in the economy. I've been in/out of contract work or school my entire life but I'm also at the stage where I'd like to consider planning for kids. I can't seem to find any realistic #'s about what you should expect if you take a postdoc and go on maternity leave. Most of the websites say a line that they'll give you a certain # of weeks of pay, unpaid leave; but then CIHR scholarships also say that there's a paid maternal leave. The confusing part is- I just don't know how to financially plan a career.
I'd love to hear from people about whether they decided to take a postdoc or go into industry because of family planning, and if you're willing to share a bit more- how does maternity leave work if you're in a postdoc/tri-agency funding scheme?
