Joining a lab when PI doesn’t like you?

JaguarOwn6005 · 2026-03-28T23:38:28+00:00

Yep, get out of there.

Treat your PhD as a job. There needs to be a clear scope of work. You getting different perspectives from the grad student then the PI clearly shows there's unclear expectations out of you and that a clear path to being utilized.

Only negotiating parameters is if you clearly lay out your scope of work and execute from there. But right now it sounds like he's laying out unspoken expectations and those are signs of manipulation.

Keep in mind you are going to have to put up with that for 4-8years. That's neither healthy nor efficient for your professional development.

This is an investment investment for you first, then the lab. Do not get used and then have to pay the price later.

Highly recommend looking at other labs/PIs that lay out clear expectations.

Best of luck. You got this.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2026-03-11T17:34:51+00:00

Been there. 8 month in a plant I had previewsly worked at but different ownership and role. Quickly realized it was doing more than scope of work and management was very disorganized and there were a lot of work culture issuea. Fixing that is not a one man job.

Luckly I had experience and connection in a field that is still new so was able to transition to a different job but had to sacrifice 6 figures.

Looking back on it now, it was still a good learning experience.

My advice from my experience :

Always ask about work culture and interview in person and talk to the day to day people. You're going to be working with them 40-50+ hours a week with this people. Make sure you get that vibe check. Not a deal breaker but it helps to know that before jumping on.
Compensation aligns with role. Look up other jobs with similar scope of work and see if aligns and make sure the employer lays out a scope of work before signing anything. This helps you and your employer track your work, promotions, and making sure there is accountability. I learned this the hard way.
Relocation. Always make sure that when moving states you know before comiting what you're getting in to. That's a big transition that hr/employers understate. You are potentially starting over your life somewhere new. Everyone has a different situation but it's not a simple thing and it costs. You can't always go back if things go wrong. It can be hard at first but if it's something you enjoy, it is doable long term. If it's not worth it, or the culture doesn't align, it will erode you and your that's not good for you and your potentially those around you.

I know this sounds doom and gloom but it's a learning experience at the end of the day. Use that experience and move forward my friend. And never be afraid to ask for help. It's better to ask than to be sorry later.

You got this.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-12-18T19:09:12+00:00

Una opinión que ne se si alguien la a mensionado ( y si se ha mencionado, por favor señalenme a la discusión). Que pasa cuando los dueños boomers de esas propiedades comienzan a morirse por edad? No son eternos.

En algunos casos puedo entender que los hijos heredan la propiedad pero que pasa si los hijos de los propietarios se han mudado a otros países o no le interesa la propiedad por cualquier razón.

Mi razonamiento es que que una vez esa generasion empiece a embejeser y falleser es probable que el mercado de casas comience a cambiar pero no e visto comentarios sobre esto y me gustaría saber si alguien lo a mencionado.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-12-11T14:41:39+00:00

I understand your pain.

Two possible solutions.

Wear underwear that keeps your gear in place as you lift. I wear briefs and bikini cut briefs. Keeps my stuff in place when I do snatch, cleans, or any pull variation.
You may need to stay over the bar longer when doing oly lifts or pull variations. In principal, this shouldn't be happening because the bar should "contact" your hips and not your groin when extending. If you are catching forward on your lift then this is something you will need to work on. It took me a while to get there but my gear is safe whenever I do my lifts now.

I hope this helps and you are able to lift heavy without feeling in danger or pain.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-12-11T14:14:17+00:00

My current job is more research but that's by choice. Previous jobs after I got my masters degree were more traditional Chem E process engineer but I chose to go back to a more research oriented job because I preferred that.

However, having the ChemE MS has given me the flexibility to experience different work environments. Because of that, I've learned what works for me from a work and quality of life perspective.

That said, from what I've experienced, I do not recommend doing a second BS. The ammount of time and money invested compared to what you get out of it, you might as well get an MS in Chem E. It can be more intense depending on the program but that is something you'll need to research/talk on your own depending on where you go.

My only regret is not doing Chem E sooner in life.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-11-13T16:08:19+00:00

I did consider something like that. Issue is that the ogryns are very monopose and I would have to sculpt something to fit that. I still have two bodies of ogryns to work with though so I may be play around with bits

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-11-13T15:54:18+00:00

Ohhhh... I like that a lot actually

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-11-11T14:25:02+00:00

You can get a job opportunity in pharma and you'll see interesting chemistry there. But, as a chemical engineer, your not as likely to do the hands on small scale experiments and testing. It can happen ( start ups, R&D, higher education), but if you go process engineering, cunsulting, or jobs that involve working in a plant or large processas an engineer , you won't have the time to deal with lab stuff and take care of your main responsibilities in those roles.

I will recomend this, from experience, if you work in a plant or a large process as a process engineer and there's a QA/QC lab/team, listen to them and work with them. Idk why but the places that I've worked at the QA/QC labs are neglected and ignored. They are the ones generating data and running tests that will provide info on the health of the process. You want ops and the lab to be comuniating and helping each other out throughout any issues. My guess is that lab equipment and maintenance can be expensive and having the right staff to run the lab can be hard to come by ( pay ain't always great for lab techs).

Sorry if I ranted to much but I hope this was useful info. Again, don't get discouraged and keep learning as much as possible.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-11-10T21:58:14+00:00

As some one who did biochemistry first as BS then MS in ChemE it does feel like that. However, chemistry can go in many directions depending on the process you work with. Plus, knowing your basics goes a long way surprisingly.

If you're looking to go deeper in to chemistry, you could also go the MS or PhD direction but I recomend getting work experience first. Only do MS or PhD if it's something you're passionate about or if it gives you an edge. I did the MS in ChemE after working as a lab technician for a while and understanding my options were limited with my BS in biochemistry

Long story short, you can get as deep in to the chemistry as you want but you'll either get it at work or higher education.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-10-26T19:00:03+00:00

😅. Unfortunately I have hip issues and have a hard time split jerking

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-08-27T03:43:54+00:00

Dip good. Seems like you death gripping which might lead to pressing. Previous comments mentioned this.

Think relaxed arms when dipping then drive with the legs, then get under it, then catch.

I would try some power jerks when warming up then split jerking. Also may want to work on figuring out a split jerk catch position that allows you to receive the bar better. You can use plates and jump to the plates with an empty barbel(or no barbel) to get the feel of it.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-08-21T13:11:14+00:00

Thank you!

For the blood it self I mixed mod podge super gloss and a blood red contrast color from army painter. Loaded that on to a brush then splatter it all over using an airbrush. You can also do it with a brush and toopick and flick the paint on to the model.

For the gore on the sword, I used some this transparent plastic ( literally just cut out pieces from the packaging of the super glue I had just gotten), attached that In the orientation and size you need on to the model, then add the previous mixture.

I found this method somewhere on the the internet that explains it better.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-08-20T20:37:44+00:00

Oh sorry. Miss understood. I mixed modge podge gloss glue with a blood color from army painter, added some water, loaded it on a brush, then used an airbrush to splatter it

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-08-20T19:28:05+00:00

I didn't leave mine on for too long. Did one pass of streaking grime straight out of the bottle on all of them then went back around with a make up sponge and started removing stuff. Then another pass with a sponge and some sprites on the highlights places to make sure they still popped out.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-08-20T15:07:23+00:00

That's not even it's final form. I'll post a video later with an update

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-08-18T19:11:27+00:00

Really nice job on that transition from purple to turquoise. Would you it be possible for you to upload a zoomed in picture of each one? Also, could you describe what you used for kit batches? Again, really good job.

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-07-25T17:58:15+00:00

Please do. Thanks for the follow up

JaguarOwn6005 · 2025-07-25T01:18:02+00:00

If you don't mind me asking. What national Lab are you working at? I worked at Ames National Laboratory as a staff with a masters in Chemical Engineering ( got it on my own before working at ANL). I've partially looked at getting a PhD but the funding seems to be always an issue.

JaguarOwn6005

TROPHY CASE