career advice

[hozomeen 0]

Anyone in biomedical research?

I've worked as a technician for current boss for over 2 years. The people in the lab have an amazing dynamic (young, fun, very close knit team).

Problem 1: For 8 months or so I've tried to convince boss to hire 2nd technician to take care of a rapidly expanding mouse colony, but no luck. We don't have money currently, and he hasn't included extra salary in any of the grants he's submitted recently. It's going to be the equivalent of 2 full time jobs soon (mouse stuff + experiments & administrative), but I'm not sure he grasps how much work it is. And frankly I neither like mouse husbandry nor am good at it.

Problem 2: the work we do in lab is very academic and very scatterbrained. Seems like I've just been making reagents that get filed in the freezer & never used. Partly due to boss being like a little kid on Christmas morning when we get an unexpected result - his "let's chase that down!" attitude has turned into 5 years with no papers published. I'm interested in public health and solving human health problems, not the ins and outs of a receptor. I feel like both I and the lab have been spinning wheels.

Problem 3: two of the 3 job interviews I've had are with researchers who collaborate with my current boss.

Question 1: Is there any graceful way to transition from current boss to collaborator without ruining the rapport with the boss, or is "moving to the dark side" simply a no-no? I babysit his kids, he's talked me through personal problems, etc. I don't want to make him bitter, and he's already stressed about grant funding. I have no idea how much or how little to tell him, how frank or how conservative I should be when negotiating this resignation.

Question 2: As a technician & lab manager I've become kind of "lab mommy" - I take care of a lot of things before anyone else notices they need to be done. I enjoy keeping things running behind the scenes, but should I worry about the lab's stability if I leave and haven't been able to find a replacement? People keep telling me "it's not your problem," but I can't 100% accept that.

Thanks for any input. Totally random, I know.
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(My husband is the jumper; I just love to watch!)

[wingnut 0]

unless it's in your job discription i wouldn't feel giulty about leaving it.. but then again you coan always tell the boss, "hey, i've been doing this for a year now, you might want to get someone to do it or else yourfucked cuz it isn't gona get done otherwise" they might relise how much youo do once you are not there!!!

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"i have no reader's digest version"

[Broke 0]

That is tough. It is hard to leave anything that becomes comfortable especially when you feel like an important part of the team.
However you have to take care of you, and do what's best for yourself. Explaine to your boss that you don't feel like the prodject is going anywhere, and you need a change. You want to see the work that you do bear some fruit. Even if your name isn't under the title it is still nice to know that you did something.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[hozomeen 0]

^^ That's part of the problem I guess. I was hired to do mouse husbandry and experiments on the side, but it has evolved to the other way around. I'm copping out - but I can't get away from the fact that I hate coming home with the smell of mouse excrement on my hair and clothes.