Things are insane right now. This department may not survive until the end of May, when our Department Head is officially no longer with the U. My boss is actively looking for a position somewhere else. His right-hand-man, my co-worker and (technically) my supervisor, is leaving for his homeland next month, so Dr. Boss is considering giving up research all together.
Recently, I’ve been talking to a young associate professor that has been working with us for a year now. He’s thinking about starting his own lab. We’ve discussed what his plans are for the future. I was hoping that if he gets the funding, he would hire me since we have been working together for a while.
“I really want K. to work with me. Her PI is leaving, but she’s staying here. She has lots of experience. If I don’t get enough money to cover her salary, I’ll hire you.”
What a jerky comment. I hate when people (usually the intellectual types do it) just say what they’re thinking without realising how it comes out. Heck, ok, so I do it all the time, too. Maybe that’s why I hate it when others do it. Reminds me what a jerk I am. FWIW, I feel for ya.
Of course, this isn’t very helpful, Mouse_Maven, but my father found some little mousies in the barn at their summer home. If I had the money, I’d hire you to study them. I don’t have it, but at least you’re the #1 on the list…
I know a lot of people who say things like that without trying to sound mean, they just naturally say things like that. It’s something that sucks a lot. Sorry to hear about it though…
I’m trying not to take it personally. This assistant prof is well known for diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the mind. My ego has taken several blows over the last couple of months, and its hard not to second guess everything I do.
Game plan:
Try to figure out what I want in a career and how to get there. (Easier said than done.)
Become less invested in my work. For years I valued myself by through what I did, now I need to change my focus.
Get the fuck out of academics.
“Small World” Hijack: The person the ass prof ( ) was talking about, K., and I knew each other before we ended up in research. I worked for an animal shelter that she volunteered at. She was some sort of accounting big-wig but gave it up to become a researcher. I left the shelter (emotionally difficult work), worked as an animal care tech for a couple of years and got a lab job. We were shocked when we first met!
Off-topic little hijack: How is the mousling? I figure you have been doctoring and such, but I haven’t been around so much so I don’t know what was already discussed here…
Things are fine, health wise. This is roughly the 14th week. Neausea has become less common. (Yeah!) I am getting bigger, but its not so noticable since I’m wearing baggy clothes. Mood swings have been tough. I’m prone to depression and anxiety. Now that there is an endocrinogical storm, I don’t know what my usual moods and what’s hormones.
Becoming a mother is scaring the hell out of me. It feels like my body has been hijacked!
It has. Quote SiL: “it’s like it’s not my body any more! I’m an incubator! And ohgawdhe’sturningsommersaultsAGAIN!!!”
I have to say, sometimes I’d like to slap that woman against a wall, but at the same time it’s kind of nice that she doesn’t think she needs to be picture-perfect with us, her inlaws, any more… she used to, and that drove us nuts.
BTDT on the self-definitions; it sucks but my experience is that when you’re done figuring a path you feel so good you wonder if it counts as a manic phase. Or at least, I do. I hope you’ll be feeling that good about Having a Plan soon.
Well, I have to keep track, you’re 4 weeks behind us. We find out what we’re having an the 3rd. I’m excited. Mrs. Small has gotten a little bigger, but hasn’t gained much weight, just all belly. That’s how her mom was during pregnancy, too, so it was somewhat expected. Luckily, her nausea has passed as well. Don’t worry, you’ll be a great mom!
Congratulations! Hopefully Small 1.0 and Small 2.0 are excited.
In other news:
GAH!
Since my co-worker is returning to Australia, his position on the U. Internal Animal Care and Use Committe (IACUC - we pronouce it I- ah- kook) is open. I expressed my interest in replacing him, but he asked one of the post-docs. Good Gods people! Is it because I’m pregnant? Am I a total screw up? Or is this some sort of political thing? :mad:
I don’t post much in your threads, Mouse_Maven, but I’ve kind of been following events. I’m glad to hear that the little one is doing fine.
I fear that they do not, in fact, like you any more. Which would be astoundingly stupid. I wonder whether you should confront someone? (I know, I know, stress is bad for the little one and you, etc, etc… but you are already stressed.)
Do you have a plan B to fall back on if the place implodes into a super-dense ball of managerium-administrivium composite and disappears from this universe?
Try to look at it this way; lots of people complain that their bosses try to tell everybody what they want to hear and nobody knows where they really stand at their job. While it may be harsh, you at least received what appears to an honest statement about your work future.
Yeah, but it sucks that a lot of it may be due to the pregnancy… most people suck at dealing with “unusual body states” (hey, I refuse to classify “pregnant” into “sick”, but lots of people do).
Oh boy, lots of mixed messages here at work. (I’m sorry Dopers. We don’t have any money to do research, so things get dull around here.)
Nava’s right. My pregnancy is complicating things. No one is sure how long we’ll be here, and once that get resolved (hopefully for the best), no one knows how long I’ll be around.
News has trickled down that my salary is guarantied as long as my boss stays. This is a male dominated field, and most of the higher-ups are men with grown kids and/or stay-at-home wives. I imagine that an expecting employee is novel to them.
Maybe not such a bad idea. For anyone with any ambition at all, working in Academia in a “support” role can be soul-crushing. Moreso if you don’t have an advanced degree.
I watched my sister work for over a decade running a department (International Students) at a large University and I can’t recall her ever having anything good to say about it. Within a few years of starting, she reached a level above which she could never advance, because she only had a bachelor’s degree. She spent several years raising two kids on her own, and doing schoolwork till past midnight every night just so she could complete a worthless masters degree, just so she could be considered for jobs she was well qualified for.
She ended up taking a job with the Federal Government, and says that the bureaucracy is much less stifling there than at the University. That’s saying something.
I’m well into the “soul-crushing” phase. When I was an animal care tech, I liked the work and decided that research was something I was interested in. I was elated when I got my first job as a lab tech. Looking back, I regret the years I spent with that lab.
During my annual reviews, my PI would ask where I saw myself in a few years and I would tell him,“I’m considering going to vet or maybe grad school when I finish my degree.” Everytime he would respond,“That’s nice, but maybe you should consider something more realistic.” For a lot of reasons, I ended up leaving this guy and took a job with the bunch I’m with now. They’re much nicer folks, we’re just going through a rough time.
My biggest fear: all of my efforts have been in academics. Its been years since I’ve worked in the public sector and I have no clue where to start. Biologists are a dime a dozen on a University campus, but seem quite rare in industry.
Mouse_Maven, surely you know in your heart that the lab rats (the two legged ones) have no social skills. Whatever floats into their brains falls out their mouths.
You should have told him. “If you can’t get enough money to hire her, you can’t afford me!”
I’ve got to find a new line of work.
) was talking about, K., and I knew each other before we ended up in research. I worked for an animal shelter that she volunteered at. She was some sort of accounting big-wig but gave it up to become a researcher. I left the shelter (emotionally difficult work), worked as an animal care tech for a couple of years and got a lab job. We were shocked when we first met!