#toastycharmander

My past work experiences have had extremely clear structures and tasks already set for me to do everyday as well. The fact that every day can be so different was what appealed to me in the first place though, even if it was a bit overwhelming to imagine! What other general pointers/advice would you have for someone just starting in a position like this?

Ooo hmm so general advice on starting a position where the structure is mostly up to the individual employees (eg. in a research lab):

Get clear responsibilities and timelines from your supervisors, specifically: what you’re supposed to accomplish and by when. It helps to always ask, “When do you need this by?” and to check in often to make sure you’re still on the right track. 

Set up your own structure by planning out your day/week/month by using a planner or electronic calendar (I use google calendar, which my lab shares so we can all see who’s doing what when and where to better plan our day so we’re not all using the same centrifuge at once). Once you get the hang of how long something takes, you can then begin to plan your days by the hour to see how much you can realistically do during your shift. Also, if you’re like me and you feel la bit ost without a sense of routine or schedule, making a physical schedule of tasks to do really helps (heck I even plan out what I’m going to do on the weekends sometimes). 

Takes copious and detailed notes during the initial training, including, but not limited to: how long the tasks take, whether or not something need to be set up ahead of time (like making a reagent), who the contact person is if you have a question regarding a specific method or piece of equipment, where everything is stored, how to put in a new order for something if it’s running low, how to clean up after an experiment, etc. Basically watch whoever’s training you like a hawk and note everything they do. 

Get a feel for everyone else’s routine in the lab to get a sense of what’s expected from you, and also how everyone else organizes their day. This includes what time everyone comes in (is the lab mostly comprised of early birds or night owls?), when they actually start working (do they chat around coffee for the first hour each day?), how many breaks everyone takes (including how long their lunches are), how many tasks they cram into one day, etc. 

Be open to the unexpected. The nature of research involves a million cogs and forks in the road, so be prepared to move things around in your schedule should something unexpected comes up. 

And most importantly, be kind and patient with yourself. Just like learning how to ride a bicycle or read a book, everything new takes time to become the familiar. You’ll get there, one step at a time :)

[2/2] but very little structure in terms of tasks/guidance (ie, ultimately my decision for what will be done for the day). Is that pretty standard for a position like this (it asked only for an AA and 0-1 years of lab experience). This would be my first official RA position since graduating with my BS a couple years ago, so I want to make sure that I’m not getting taken advantage of, especially bc I’d be contracted with the lab for at least a year.

Mornin my toastiest of toasty charmanders (my preferred starter on pokemon red bc yall don’t get any good fire pokemon until like waayy later in the game also charmander cute. brain like)

Eyyy congratulations on the exciting job offer!!

I’ll start by saying that due to the highly fluid, unexpected, and interdisciplinary nature of research, pretty much all positions within a research lab–from the manager to the student volunteer to even the big ol boss PI–have only the structure that they make themselves (with the exception of like.. meetings and stuff of course). As long as the day’s goals are met, everyone can structure their day however they want. (That’s part of the reason why I like working in a lab–every day can be different!)

I’m sure you’ll receive the proper training when you first start, but you will be slowly weaned to become more and more independent–a trait that every researcher will grow to have. 

When I started my lab tech job as a wee little graduate straight out of college, the PI gave me some pointers on the basics of what I should do and also what she wanted, and then just set me loose. I literally had to unpack all her stuff (she had just moved from another university), organize it all, and then figure out what new things we had to order. It was definitely a learning experience–it took some time to figure out how to best structure my days–but eventually I got the hang of it (the secret is to note how long it takes to do every task, and then plan the day accordingly first thing in the morning). 

The thing I’m concerned about this position is that the requirement is an Associate’s Degree (if that’s what you mean by AA), while you have a Bachelor’s. Just that alone says you’re over-qualified, and thus you may be under-paid. I’m not sure what the best way to go about this would be. On one hand, if you really like the position and are in need of the job asap, then you can take it. But on the other hand, if you believe there’s something that’s a better fit for you and your qualifications, then you can either decline the job, or talk to them about increasing the pay to better match your more advanced degree. 

It gets even trickier because you’re a contracted employee--they typically will get less say and less benefits because they’re seen as more “temporary”. I personally think contract jobs are great entry-level positions to get your foot-in-the-door (especially if it’s at an institution you want a full-time position at later), but the benefits and job security can be a bit iffy (depending on the contract). 

Anytime i watch something and joan chen ends up being in it, I always go “:o Joan Chen!! :D” but no one else shares that same excitement and i get v sad

Q - Question you’re always asked?

Where I’m from, or where I’ve lived are pretty big ones. 

O - One wish?

To get a job where the work is more fulfilling after I graduate, basically a lot of what’s been on my mind recently. 

J - Jellybean flavour?

Coconut, or Jelly Belly buttered popcorn. 

my sister and I were both screaming throughout the episode godddd

6) Fall Out Boy or Paramore

9) the aries sign on my wrist 

I... don't know?  I thought they were canon a while ago tho

It might be them; I just assumed there was some connection to MGS since Kojima and there's a character named Paz as well, but the other one is way over my head if it is actually an MGS character