I got the one postdoc that I thought would make it worth staying in academia for another ~2 years.

Super cool research, not many places that do this type of work, great people, gives me the opportunity to develop my skills in an area adjacent to my PhD. I'm grateful for the offer, especially when I didn't think I had a chance when I first applied.

But man am I dragging my feet on signing the paperwork. The 'salary' is so depressing, so it's hard to formally accept and officially close the door on the idea I'll find a position that makes good money right out of my PhD.

I'd love to hear stories from people who did postdocs and had a great experience/felt it was truly worthwhile! If a postdoc helped you get your dream job, taught you something you'd always wanted to learn, gave you the chance to lead your own projects, or opened doors you didn't know existed during your PhD, it would be a real confidence boost to hear about that right now.

FYI I'm in an epidemiology program in the US.

Thank you in advance!