job transition part 1

So, here it is, a few weeks into the new year and my little resolution - the post about my new job and why I moved from my own and what I have learned so far... or maybe more, what I have realized that I am lately. Old. At least compared to the new coworkers in the lab. It's funny, I feel like I've really grabbed some of that life experience and that I can actually be of service and help with my knowledge. Now I do have to work on being viewed as a "know it all" (I'll come back to that later) but all in all, I think I can live with that.

Back story, my old job working in that industry-like job with all the FDA regulations and assay developments was really much fun. I liked adhering to the rules, learning lots about them and getting the opportunity to do both assay development and research as well as more industry audit stuff. Anyway, after a few years in the same position and getting the hang of the job, I was happy when we got some new people into the group. I ended up teaching them a lot of the regulations, the assays, the work flow... you know... "the job". And somewhere here I sort of started thinking about promotion and "furthering my career".

I had a chat with my former boss when I started my old job that I wouldn't think that I would stay longer than 3-5 years without a promotion/change of job. Partly because I've never had a job longer than 5 years, partly because of my personality where I like (crave) to learn new things and get more experience and I think that the job needs to change accordingly. Said and done, after a few years in my position and when I had become the senior person in the group, we had a sit down with big boss and mapped out the career path for me and the group so I would be in a good place. Then time passed and i waited for these plans to come to fruition. Since I've never been much of a money driven person, I didn't really pay too much attention to it, even though my actual job duties changed to a lot more responsibilities and signing off paperwork etc and I wasn't too desperate about the situation that I had ended up in. "It'll all be cleared soon since I'm working so hard and showing them that I am a team player" was my thinking.

However, what I am not in money I make up in the interest of pride... and what your position is called is linked to said pride. I think this was one of the straws that broke the camels back so to speak, when I realized that we hired new people with less experience and in one case even education but they came in "above" me and nothing happened with the "promise" that is was going to change. At the same time I was clearly taking on huge responsibilities and being asked to sign for pretty important things although my job title really didn't say that, nor did my pay check.

And then I saw the job advert that seemed very much fun, not to mention a combination of  a promotion/upwards mobility on the career ladder (or so I thought at least) and a challenge for me (and changing the research field ever so slightly). Said and done, I applied since you can't expect anything to happen if you don't try.

And I kept quiet that I applied. I felt bad about it, but I've noticed that there can be issues with people applying to other places and the discontent from other coworkers so I decided not to tell anyone at this stage. After all, I wasn't sure they would call me for an interview nor that anything would happen.

I got the interview, or a lot of them rather. I passed with flying colours and started thinking that this might end up with an offer. Then my next line of thoughts were "what if I tell my boss that I'm offered this new job, maybe they will counter offer"? And with that the very important question, would I accept the old job with a promotion and stay, or move to the new job anyway?

It took so many days and agonizing thoughts on how to attack this, what did I want in the long run? etc. The promotion in my old place would've meant "Senior Scientist" - something I have wanted for a long time (obviously). The new job meant "Project/Program Manager" and a new line of work, new research area and more "proof that I can work with people and have that skill set". In the end I got offered the new job, the old job with promotion* and I chose to leave on good terms and start my new gig.

I have been in my new place for a few months, so far I have heard that they like me and want to keep me. (If they didn't want to, I could actually ask to come back to my old place since "there is always a place for you here". And I don't really think it's just a saying, they really miss my line of expertise there.. not to mention that I gave more than a month notice, finished several reports and am almost ready with the last one now, answered a phone call this week about a procedure and how to do it, so clearly, they got a lot of free work/support from me - I call it work ethic).

Next post will be more on what I do for a living right now but I thought this part might be interesting as well?

In short: I was a bench scientist. I liked it. I didn't get a promotion. I thought I could earn it. Other people got hired above me. I got a new job with better pay and different responsibilities. I'm not a bench person anymore. I miss bench work but I hope I can get over it when I start with the data analysis very soon and in the meantime I'm the backup bench person for a group of people... so I think I'm doing OK.


*I made the comment at the time "maybe they will realise that some people don't wait for unicorns". I think it rang true, since my leaving made a lot of hings fall into place that had been placed on hold i.e. re-structuring. (Good) people leaving usually lead to that, it's just a question who is taking the fall and leaving.