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I don't think you guys are potentially saving your jobs or preventing a lawsuit by saying derkinselmer or whatever. You can just say the company name.
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Feb 5, 2012 20:46
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Appachai posted:I don't think you guys are potentially saving your jobs or preventing a lawsuit by saying derkinselmer or whatever. You can just say the company name. You're right but if someone searches for the proper company names these posts won't come up. Sure it's silly and really low effort but meh.
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Feb 6, 2012 00:52
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seacat posted:I hope I'm not derailing the thread too much but TouchyMcFeely/ascii genitals I would love to know more about your jobs. I've been highly interested in being a field service rep since holding a job at my university as a low-level instrumentation repair guy (basically helping students run the instruments and repairing minor problems like clogs/leaks in HPLCs, replacing capillaries for CEs, changing out gases/lamps/etc, finding workarounds to ever-present software quirks, simple stuff like that). I really loved that job but it paid diddly squat. Since moving on from that into industry I have been working almost exclusively with Waters HPLCs and a few different brands of IRs. I love my job. My boss lives a state away, I work out of my house, I'm paid well and the perks are great. I've been in my position for 9 years and haven't thought about moving on until just recently. I can't speak for other companies but here the opportunities for advancement are very few and far between. Your only option from CSE is to become a specialist (backup in case the CSE can't fix the problem) or get into management but those positions open very rarely and will often involve relocation to another part of the country. All in all it is a better job than I could have wished for coming out of college. If you can handle the stress of never being "done", crazy hours and self motivated as hell it's a great job to have. If you prefer steady, regular work that you can leave at work when you head home, stay far far away.
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Feb 6, 2012 01:03
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Entomology checking in I work in a lab that studies landscape effects on beneficial insects, such as natural enemies (eat bad bugs) and native pollinators at a University. I am just a research assistant basically, and only make in the 10-14 dollar range. I love my job though and am planning on going on to a MS in entomology. (fingers crossed for fall 2012!). If anyone has any questions on what it's like to work with insects and insect nerds, I will be more than happy to answer.
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Feb 6, 2012 03:56
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I've been doing this about 3.5 years and also enjoy it. Your basic university job sounds a lot like the daily type of stuff you run into as an FSE. Most of the time the problem is something simple. Once you work on a certain instrument for awhile and learn it's quirks it becomes pretty easy. Especially when you can call a coworker or the (good) tech support people when you get stuck, that is the really valuable part. All of my coworkers have been doing this for like 20 years. The travel is not that exciting, most of the time when you're done for the day you just want to get home and even when I'm staying overnight somewhere I'm usually tired enough that I don't want to go out. I bought a new car in July 2010 and already have 68,000 miles (reimbursed for expenses and everything but still.. its a lot of time driving.) It IS nice to be outside driving and not stuck in the lab all the time. I listen to lots of audiobooks and podcasts, I'm so acclimated to driving now that 3 hrs in a day feels normal. I enjoy being able to visit so many different types of labs, good and bad. If you're observant you can usually figure out what makes a place successful (or hugely unsuccessful.) When I was just starting out I did some work for an older guy who was really fascinating. He had been doing mass spectrometry for 30 years and had an incredible amount of knowledge. I wasn't as busy back then (during the recession) and after I was done with my work I wound up staying for a few hours off the clock as he showed me all of his crazy customized instrumentation and talked about all the projects he had worked on. I also work out of my house and rarely see my coworkers. The pay is decent and the flexibility is a double edged sword. During the holidays for example all my customers tend to go on vacation, so I'm able to hang out and not do much. The opposite can be true though, I've worked a few weekends and holidays. With all the driving I tend to get lots of overtime, last year I made an additional 25-30% of my salary in overtime. I don't know how much room there is for advancement within this job, even switching to an application engineer position where you help customers actually make their chemistry work is pretty slim. Those positions seem to be going away. That said, being able to fix pretty much any problem on several types of instruments would be really valuable. I could see moving into a training or consulting position, if you like teaching but want to get paid more than academia and not publish there are certainly small niches. I've got to drive 3 hrs to do a dumb thing but can write more later. PM me if you want free tech support Haha. ascii genitals fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Feb 6, 2012 |
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Feb 6, 2012 14:24
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I wonder how long Illumina is going to hold out for, and if Roche has learned enough from Genentech. Sucks for Illumina's employees.
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Feb 8, 2012 17:58
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Roche is waaaay up there on my list of despised companies. I'm not sure why (nor is my view fair), but all the sleaziest shitbags I worked with ended up at Roche when they jumped ship from PFE. It's like the company is a magnet, at least in my very anecdotal experience, for terrible people who have no care for science and are just there to sleaze their way into promotions. Again though - anecdotes. I also worked with a lot of really sleazy people (and a lot of really great people too... just none of them ended up at Roche  ).In fairness, I've at least heard that Roche has been fairly good to Genentech post-merger. Feel free to call me a fool if I'm totally off mark though.
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Feb 8, 2012 22:24
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I don't have any specific examples for lack of asking, but I get the general impression from some of my recently ex-Genentech coworkers that the situation has been in decline since. Some of the more recent reviews on glassdoor agree too. I'd love to learn more about it though.
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Feb 9, 2012 02:55
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canvasbagfight posted:I wonder how long Illumina is going to hold out for, and if Roche has learned enough from Genentech. Sucks for Illumina's employees. I have some friends at Illumina. It's a really tough biotech job market here in San Diego, I hope they keep their jobs.
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Feb 9, 2012 08:39
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canvasbagfight posted:I don't have any specific examples for lack of asking, but I get the general impression from some of my recently ex-Genentech coworkers that the situation has been in decline since. Some of the more recent reviews on glassdoor agree too. I'd love to learn more about it though. I'm not sure it's necessarily all due to Roche. I think they always had bureaucratic tendencies, and it's been a long time coming (just the natural cycle from small to large company). My mom recently retired from there after 10 years, and she was always complaining about management and the paperwork towards the end (she did love the perks though) - I always wondered why their performance reviews were 15 pages long.
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Feb 11, 2012 13:21
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I am so motherfucking glad I didn't take that job at Illumina. I keep seeing FSE postings to be the king poo poo for a couple instruments I have 6+ years of experience on (let me just call them Shmanus, Smiocel, and Schmiomek FXps), but I keep feeling like I'm getting bored applications and service development. On the other hand it starts to become a hard sell to ask for a Sr. Staff Scientist position without a Ph.D. Does anyone want to tell me how much project leadership and resource management sucks? Edit: Also gently caress service contracts, anything I can't fix we just call service to handle and I think we've been running at about 15-25% of what the service contracts would cost yearly. Bastard Tetris fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Feb 22, 2012 |
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Feb 22, 2012 09:09
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Bastard Tetris posted:Does anyone want to tell me how much project leadership and resource management sucks?
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Feb 22, 2012 15:00
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Bastard Tetris posted:Does anyone want to tell me how much project leadership and resource management sucks? Really, really company-dependent. My buddies over at Vertex say the difference between there and Pfizer is night and day. If you have a good organization and a company willing to let some sorts of risks be taken, it can be perfectly fine as long as you're diligent. Where it can be a lovely, soul-sucking sort of field is if you have no real resources, no real leadership, and a constant blame game. There is nothing inherently terrible about having to do either of those, though. (Example of bad: Led a project to create a combination drug product. Had zero budget. Had literally one half of a FTE total for employee resources. Did not have the required equipment on site to do it. Did not have a travel budget or permission to charge vendors. Constantly got badgered about why our progress was so slow.  This is where you will HATE it. If your company supports you, though, it's pretty enjoyable.)
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Feb 22, 2012 15:39
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Sounds like a decent gig then, as for risks- our entire business unit (4000+ employees) is a risk and it looks like we're going for it. I've got the budget and the support, and it doesn't seem like there's too much of a political mess. Also my new workstation arrived today from Switzerland in a 2600 pound crate and now I feel like a kid that can't open his Christmas present until the installation engineers show up.
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Feb 29, 2012 10:33
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I'm finishing up an undergrad degree in biochemistry but I think I'm totally burnt out on research. I worked 16 months straight on co-op plus a thesis on my last year and I'm tired of working 60-70 hours a week. Are there any alternatives for a BSc?
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Mar 1, 2012 00:30
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TheOtherContraGuy posted:I'm finishing up an undergrad degree in biochemistry but I think I'm totally burnt out on research. I worked 16 months straight on co-op plus a thesis on my last year and I'm tired of working 60-70 hours a week. Are there any alternatives for a BSc? Quality comes to mind, but only because it's what I do. But they need it everywhere and it's a great jumping off point into completely unrelated industries. I started in a food safety lab and am now in aerospace.
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Mar 1, 2012 00:44
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TheOtherContraGuy posted:I'm finishing up an undergrad degree in biochemistry but I think I'm totally burnt out on research. I worked 16 months straight on co-op plus a thesis on my last year and I'm tired of working 60-70 hours a week. Are there any alternatives for a BSc? You could get into EH&S. Pays pretty well, if you don't mind chemical hazards.
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Mar 1, 2012 03:22
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TheOtherContraGuy posted:I'm finishing up an undergrad degree in biochemistry but I think I'm totally burnt out on research. I worked 16 months straight on co-op plus a thesis on my last year and I'm tired of working 60-70 hours a week. Are there any alternatives for a BSc? You can get into the business side too, I was in your shoes and decided to go into biotech sales and haven't looked back since.
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Mar 3, 2012 18:10
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reddeh posted:You can get into the business side too, I was in your shoes and decided to go into biotech sales and haven't looked back since. Can you elaborate a bit on that please?
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Mar 3, 2012 18:27
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Gimperial posted:Can you elaborate a bit on that please? No problem! Basically I was in the same place as TheOtherContraGuy, graduated with a degree in Biochemistry while spending almost every waking moment either in class, at work, or in my undergrad research lab. I did bio-inorganic research as an undergraduate and thought that it wasn't really my thing but once I graduated I could move on to something different that would be more interesting which led to me joining an Immunology lab for about a year and realizing that while I loved the science and the applications of it, the environment of the lab was draining my will to live. Spending 8 hours passaging cells while only the hum of the incubator was keeping me company was driving me insane. I talked a bit with a different PI about it and he mentioned looking into the biotech industry and working on the business side, so I decided to give it a shot. I found an open position for an entry level field rep position with one of the bigger global companies and applied, ended up getting the job and am now 2.5 years into the field. Being able to make my own schedule, work from home, and meet new people who are incredibly intelligent makes it an ideal position from my point of view. Of course you'll have customers as well as other reps to deal with that can be irritating if not downright mean, however they seem to be the exception rather than the norm. I'd be happy to answer any direct questions you may have, I really do enjoy my line of work!
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Mar 5, 2012 13:21
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One of my former co-workers has run into a strange problem at his new company. He was offered a salary in the $75K range + a relocation package. The typical stipulations around relo applied, basically that if he left before a year was up, he would owe back the full cost of all relo benefits supplied to him. He accepted this, moved out to the San Diego area, and started his job. He received one paycheck at his $75K range, and then received notification that he was subject to a paycut down to the mid $40K range. When he protested the change, HR told him he could take it or leave it, and that if he left, it would violate his severance contract and he'd owe them the (as usual, heavily inflated) cost of his relo back to the company.  Where would I send him to deal with this? Department of Labor? Department of Suck It Up You Lost the Gamble? Meanwhile, I am now working at Lilly in an engineering-related role, so my lab stories are pretty much over now. I will miss this thread. 
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Mar 8, 2012 18:21
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Sundae posted:He received one paycheck at his $75K range, and then received notification that he was subject to a paycut down to the mid $40K range. Holy poo poo. While this totally sucks, there is nothing he can do unless there was a contract (typically only with temp or contract work) or the company is unionized. Unfortunately, even a signed job offer letter means almost nothing. There is nothing stopping companies from doing this except earning a bad reputation. Grats on your new job!
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Mar 8, 2012 18:29
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Sundae posted:One of my former co-workers has run into a strange problem at his new company. Lilly is not disfunctional enough to be entertaining?
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Mar 8, 2012 18:31
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Vladimir Putin posted:Lilly is not disfunctional enough to be entertaining? I figured you guys would be evicting me to the engineer thread.  I have no idea how disfunctional they are yet, truthfully - too soon to say.
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Mar 8, 2012 19:21
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Sundae posted:One of my former co-workers has run into a strange problem at his new company. Tell your buddy to seek out an employment lawyer. Depending on the text of the contract and state laws, there may be ways to make the employer feel really uncomfortable.
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Mar 8, 2012 21:55
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Sundae posted:I figured you guys would be evicting me to the engineer thread. gently caress that poo poo, I'll have to amend the OP to allow for laboratory refugees as well  EDIT: Holy poo poo, this thread just celebrated it's birthday! 
Solkanar512 fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Mar 8, 2012 |
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Mar 8, 2012 21:56
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Cross-posting from the CV/Resume thread, because you all seem like you know what you're talking about : So I graduated back in 2011 and I've been looking for work as a biology research technician/technologist/assistant etc. since then. In a perfect world I would do this for a couple of years before going to grad school. Yeah, academic work is thankless, horrible, has really low pay and no job prospects, and yeah, I really do like science that much. My time working in a professor's lab as an undergraduate was probably one of the most fulfilling and happiest things that I did during college. I've been applying to jobs constantly since then, and I've only gotten two interviews. So I had some questions: How do I get a job in another city? I know with the economy right now, a lot of places really prefer locals for their entry level positions. But I don't live in a city, I live in the Middle of Nowhere Pennsylvania, almost equidistant between Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. There is nothing here, you'd be lucky to find office work here, so finding a lab job locally is out of the question. I've been putting in for whatever jobs I come across as long as I meet their qualifications, but I can't get anyone to bite. I know a lot of the basic assays and techniques, I have a year's experience, DustingDuvet did wonders with my original resume, but still nothing. So what can I do? A friend of mine said that I could use his address for some of my applications, and he suggested renting a P.O. box in order to give yourself a local address, but I've also had people advise against this. What do you all think?Sending Professors an email My friend in graduate school has been telling me that since just applying to job postings hasn't been giving me any luck, that I should instead just look up professors who are doing research in an area that I am interested in, and send them an email directly asking questions about the field, about useful techniques, and asking if they have any positions open for a technician. I'm really very hesitant about this idea. Sending an email asking questions about their research, fair enough, I don't really see any problem with that, but going the extra step and asking them to keep you in mind for a job? That seems really sketchy to me. My friend swears by this, he says professors in his department get emails like this all the time, and it's no problem. Again, what do people here think? Any advice is appreciated. I know I'm hardly in a unique situation, but I really want to get my scientific career started soon, and I feel like the longer I wait, the longer that I'll be locked out of that life forever  .
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Mar 11, 2012 18:59
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parascelsus464 posted:Cross-posting from the CV/Resume thread, because you all seem like you know what you're talking about : The thing is that you need to do is two fold: 1. In you cover letter, discuss how you're not in the city yet, but planning to move there. 2. Apply to the skeezy as all gently caress laboratories. The ones that are constantly posting opening because people are leaving. You'll get your foot in the door, get some skills and either go native and unionize the place or get out before you end up killing your boss for being such a loving rear end in a top hat.
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Mar 11, 2012 19:32
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I would avoid #2 mentioned above as much as possible. I'd also suggest not just looking at university professors. You should expand your search to include biotech and pharma companies. Also, where have you been looking? San Francisco, Boston, and San Diego are the three largest areas for biopharma, so you should be searching there.
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Mar 11, 2012 22:01
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Sundae posted:
They're an excellent company to work for, but much like the Internet's perception of SomethingAwful, the bigger the population, the bigger the inevitable subset of jerks. Personally, I have never had a problem. I feel that the company as a whole takes their partnerships seriously and works with them well (see BRAF-zelboraf), and for such a giant, they're efficient about completing goals, at least on the Development side. And at the end of it all, they are just another giant corporation. Because of this, I wouldn't expect their public perception to be pristine.
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Mar 14, 2012 18:40
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Roche :word:
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Appachai posted:I would avoid #2 mentioned above as much as possible. I'd also suggest not just looking at university professors. You should expand your search to include biotech and pharma companies. Also, where have you been looking? San Francisco, Boston, and San Diego are the three largest areas for biopharma, so you should be searching there. #2 is how a great deal of us were able to even get our foot in the door and get that all important "experience" that hiring managers masturbate over, even though the bench techniques can be taught in a few days.
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Mar 14, 2012 19:12
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tesserae posted:They're an excellent company to work for, but much like the Internet's perception of SomethingAwful, the bigger the population, the bigger the inevitable subset of jerks. Personally, I have never had a problem. Glad to hear. My view was very anecdotal, to be fair, based on the people I knew who ended up there.On another topic: I'm liking the culture at Lilly so far. They're a bit too heavy on the paperwork, I feel, but I like that they give a poo poo about employee safety. It was basically the opposite at PFE; I felt like they outright wanted to hurt you there.
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Mar 14, 2012 23:21
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Sundae posted:I feel, but I like that they give a poo poo about employee safety. It was basically the opposite at PFE; I felt like they outright wanted to hurt you there. Isn't that the strangest feeling? "Wait, you mean that any employee can stop production if they feel there is an unsafe situation going on? And can make safety complaints that have to be answered outside the department?" Of course, this happened several weeks ago so...
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Mar 14, 2012 23:54
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It's a really odd feeling knowing that 17 people at your company died on the job last year. As much as it can be lovely to have really rigorous safety regulations, I also like not being killed on the job. Bastard Tetris fucked around with this message at 08:28 on Mar 15, 2012 |
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Mar 15, 2012 05:13
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Bastard Tetris posted:It's a really odd feeling knowing that 17 people at your company died on the job last year. What in the everliving gently caress happened!?
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Mar 15, 2012 06:16
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Solkanar512 posted:#2 is how a great deal of us were able to even get our foot in the door and get that all important "experience" that hiring managers masturbate over, even though the bench techniques can be taught in a few days. I know. You can get a crappy lab tech job without working for an abusive/dangerous boss however. Solkanar512 posted:What in the everliving gently caress happened!? Sequenced to death Appachai fucked around with this message at 07:14 on Mar 15, 2012 |
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Mar 15, 2012 07:12
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My site does the bioscience R&D for a much larger company (80k employees), four deaths were from a plane crash, thirteen deaths were from a plant explosion. I do get to read some of the safety digest reports though, I think my favorite was when a contractor in Brazil reached in his toolbox and grabbed a snake instead of a tool. Worst thing at our site was a slip and fall.
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Mar 15, 2012 08:27
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Worst thing at my site was a contractor who tried to open an electric panel with a screw driver and fried himself (he was not an electrician, and was not supposed to touch the panel...). What's weirder is knowing someone murdered their husband with chemicals they took from work.
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Mar 15, 2012 22:16
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Solkanar512 posted:#2 is how a great deal of us were able to even get our foot in the door and get that all important "experience" that hiring managers masturbate over, even though the bench techniques can be taught in a few days. Yeah, good luck moving to San Diego. I live here, my girlfriend works for a pharma company, and they are almost universally having layoffs now or had layoffs recently. What this means for a person with no experience is that those entry level jobs are being filled by people with PhDs or MS or a BS and 10+ years of experience just so they can have ANY job and put food on the table and pay for the high high high cost of living here. And even if you get a job, congrats, you'll be a "temp to hire" for likely 2+ years.
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Mar 16, 2012 02:37
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Oh yeah, so that CDC cryo lab I temped for ended up hiring me full-time. Basically all I do now is shuffle frozen vials of pee/blood/mucous/a horrible amalgation of the three from one box to another, scanning them and sometimes relabeling them. Will I be able to get away with calling this lab work? And would this kind of thing be called quality control? On a related note, it's pretty weird to dig up a box from the bottom of a freezer and find H1N1 from the USSR collected in the early 80s.
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