In the UK the pecking order is: PhD Student Postdoc Lecturer Reader Professor There are various higher positions like head of department/faculty and prest

In the UK the pecking order is: PhD Student Postdoc Lecturer Reader Professor There are various higher positions like head of department/faculty and prestigious professorships, e.g. the Lucasian Chair in Cambridge. Lecturer is normally the first 'tenure track' job people get after being a postdoc for a few years. It's the first of the permanent placements you can get. That said, postdoc is a catch-all and doesn't necessarily mean fresh grad. There are postdocs in my group who are nearing retirement and have stable jobs.