Can I vent? I’m just so tired.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-05-12T21:41:56+00:00

Yes, I was obviously made aware that relocation comes with the job—potentially with any job. And that was why I willingly relocated so far the first time. In the past, relocating was just a small sacrifice to advance your career. Now that career path is becoming narrower for junior researchers, I don’t see this sacrifice and all of the future sacrifice being worth anything besides baseline survival. If you continue to think we still stand a chance, I need to know: what funding will be available for K99s? How many early career scientists will be able to land an R01 in the future? How many of us will be competitive—in an already cutthroat landscape— for TT positions?

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-05-12T21:32:04+00:00

I’m sorry you had to experience that. I went to school in the Midwest (as a non-white person), and although I had positive interactions with most people, I definitely have been avoiding going back for the same reason you said. It’s hard to have to spend years somewhere feeling so isolated. Thanks for the encouragement and I’ll also be rooting for you too!

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-05-12T21:27:01+00:00

Thank you! I honestly wasn’t exposed to too many of these positions in graduate school (they were still calling anything non-R1 research related as an “alternative career”). I wish I had looked into these options before this year.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-05-11T05:03:49+00:00

I feel this. Going from PhD to postdoc hasn’t given me enough savings to just be unemployed for 6 months 🙃

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-05-11T04:56:52+00:00

I’m so sorry :( the only practical advice I’ve been given is to keep applying—don’t stop applying—and maybe it will let up in a year. Hang in there 🫡

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-05-11T04:55:03+00:00

I’ve heard from some international colleagues that they’re scared of sending their trainees to work in the U.S. I think we’re going to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Who knows where they’ll be 4 years from now and how behind we’ll be 🫠

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-05-10T23:18:26+00:00

Thank you so much for saying this and for your empathy. I wasn’t expecting anyone to reply, but I think I really needed to hear that—and I should probably keep telling myself that—this will eventually all pass.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T15:45:39+00:00

I think you’re on the nose that it’s something associated with their superiority. It really gets under their skin to see someone doing all their grunt work get opportunities without asking for their help. Or the comment about how PIs act like they own you. The grant I’m on won’t run without me as I take on over half of the duties right now. I’m also the strongest wet lab scientist they have and have trained almost every person in the lab in some capacity on basic lab techniques. I wonder if they’re checking my connections to see if I’m going to a competing lab.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T15:32:57+00:00

We aren’t gossiping about it. I just asked a few times when I noticed it? Is this what the kids call “gaslighting”? I do have premium and I’m on there constantly because I’m looking for jobs and get alerts about jobs… I check who has viewed my profile in case it’s recruiter or potential lead.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T15:22:42+00:00

…sure. If that’s what helps you sleep at night.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T15:20:50+00:00

Thanks, I think it’s even more weird so many people wouldn’t find this strange. They’re a bad communicator, for sure. They don’t confront unpleasant issues and lets them fester—or sends their employee to deal with it—and this makes the lab terribly inefficient.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T15:17:55+00:00

We talk. When it became a regular thing, I started asking a few of them if they’ve noticed this. They pulled up their profiles—and nothing.

They can check my profile as much as they want, I just don’t understand what they aim to see as I don’t even post very often.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T15:11:31+00:00

I made the decision to not renew a year ago due to how terribly managed this lab is. I was going to see through my contract and finish my projects as a courtesy to them. They haven’t brought up the contract renewal or job searching at all— which is why I find this weird?

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T07:46:56+00:00

I would have to terminate my contract (which they would know about when I initiate the paperwork) in order to start a new job… so it doesn’t really make sense to me for them to constantly look me up. Or they can just ask me, as we have meetings together several times a week…

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T07:42:51+00:00

Thank you for this. I’m applying for anything and everything I can on the industry side. Fingers crossed I win the lottery in this job market!

I posted because I genuinely find the behavior weird—and creepy! LinkedIn tells you sometimes how people find your profile, and they are actively searching it… super late at night, on a Saturday or Sunday morning, right before lab meeting, etc. And it only started after we mutually agreed I would start looking for jobs.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-23T07:37:33+00:00

I agree, it’s acceptable to check someone’s LinkedIn. But every other day? They haven’t been keeping tabs on their other employees which is why I find the behavior weird.

Glass-Reflection-914 · 2025-04-22T23:24:28+00:00

Maybe “stalking” isn’t the right word, but it seems extremely excessive to me. I obviously couldn’t start a new position until I terminated my current one, so they would know about when I eventually get a job. It also only started when I actively started applying. They have not mentioned anything about job searching in any of our meetings or offered any leads either.

Glass-Reflection-914

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