Yeesh. Debbie Downers abound.
People can't let shit like this go. So apparently, I'm being warned by several well wishers that:
1. Once you do a postdoc in Europe, its very difficult to get a job in America again.
2. Funding is a BIG issue. I won't be able to do the kind of science I'm used to.
3. After three years as a postdoc, the chances are very high that I'll have to leave and find another position somewhere else.
4. London is really really expensive. I will be a pauper at the end of this.
5. There are evil racists in Europe. No place for a brownie.
6. Its considered a bad career move to work in Europe. Apparently, if you're really serious about science, you would get a job in America.
7. Its a bad idea not to switch fields completely. It shows that I'm scared of taking on new things, am unable to apply my skills in a practical way and am not a risk taker (all from different people).
And finally, my favorite one by far, (which I heard today)
8. People don't work on weekends!!!!!! (GASP!)
(I almost choked to death from laughter at that one.)
Ah well, I guess their hearts are in the right place. Its just their brains that got lost somewhere. If anyone knows real tragedies or can cite some real examples, pray tell.
Crap load of urban myths.
Oh, and in case you don't know what a debbie downer is, I had a video here in a previous post.
1. Once you do a postdoc in Europe, its very difficult to get a job in America again.
2. Funding is a BIG issue. I won't be able to do the kind of science I'm used to.
3. After three years as a postdoc, the chances are very high that I'll have to leave and find another position somewhere else.
4. London is really really expensive. I will be a pauper at the end of this.
5. There are evil racists in Europe. No place for a brownie.
6. Its considered a bad career move to work in Europe. Apparently, if you're really serious about science, you would get a job in America.
7. Its a bad idea not to switch fields completely. It shows that I'm scared of taking on new things, am unable to apply my skills in a practical way and am not a risk taker (all from different people).
And finally, my favorite one by far, (which I heard today)
8. People don't work on weekends!!!!!! (GASP!)
(I almost choked to death from laughter at that one.)
Ah well, I guess their hearts are in the right place. Its just their brains that got lost somewhere. If anyone knows real tragedies or can cite some real examples, pray tell.
Crap load of urban myths.
Oh, and in case you don't know what a debbie downer is, I had a video here in a previous post.
posted by khal at 6:38 am
5 Comments:
2. depends were you go. At the place I am in we don't make our own solutions, fill tip boxes or any of that crap. We have people doing that for us. It's clean and spacious. Our own little lab has TWO whole mount in situ robots! The whole institute has a shitload of common up-to-date equipment.
Conditions vary between labs, similar to the USA.
3 that is valid everywhere me thinks.
6: people in Europe say you should go to the USA to postdoc there. It is good for your career. But actually the people that stay behind end up in all the good places. I actually know people that got stranded in the USA.
7. I switched topics quite dramatically: from teeth to penis. And to be honest, I didn't like it. I am back on teeth now.
9. Not all are urban myths. I haven't worked weekends for at least a year. Well, didn't even do it when I was postdoc'ing in the USA.
In our lab, people work from 9-4 or sometimes 9-5. Actually the boss makes the longest hours.
In general any move abroad will kill career opportunities in the country you are moving away from, because these are made by networking. If you are not there to network you naturally are losing out to the competition that can network. Unless you are so brilliant you create a niche for yourself. Then it doesn't matter where you go. You could even go to belgium.
my 2 eurocents.
Oh spurious! You didn't like penis? he he he... (this is the start of a bad bad set of jokes.)
On a more serious note.. I figure I've not had the most routine career path so far and things have been fine, why stop now?
The part about the weekends... it was said in SHOCK, like it was a terrible thing. Apparently its a sin to take weekends off.
um people who don't know who debbie downer is shouldn't really be reading your blog. you love your snl characters more than your science.
He he, tru dat.
Heh, did the weekend comment come from who I think it came from? You'd better keep up that CSH intensity, biatch, or you'll end up a euroloser.
Post a Comment
<< Home