I’m near the end of my PhD. I’ve been at this lab for 5 years, as I joined before beginning my PhD, and I’ve been at the same university for 11ish years since I started my bachelor’s. I deliver my thesis in April if all goes well, and can’t wait to see what life has in store for me elsewhere.
I love most of my coworkers, but a few drive me nuts (and everyone else, too, and I tend to be a good mediator so I always end up in a position where I’m the only one who tries to help the troublesome guys). My main supervisor moved to another country a few years ago, and the one that took me in (the only other person with PhD students in the whole lab) hates my project (she has explicitly said so) and can’t wait to get me to work on what everyone else is working on. Meanwhile my other supervisor (the one that moved) has recommended that I let go of the few responsibilities I had in this lab (apart from my project), which is a good decision, but has made me feel like I no longer belong here. Since I’m also retracting a bit to work on some papers, I feel increasingly isolated even though I love my coworkers.
Can’t wait to finally get this over with and have an actual career in a lab where people don’t hate my project, or even an industry job where I can feel like I actually make a difference. I’m also a bit fed up with the conditions in my country and would like to try moving somewhere where nanotech is actually in demand, like the Netherlands or something. Maybe I’ll even risk a dramatic move to Asia!
Are you also read as female? Because then your boss might just feel that you steal her show. Academia is highly competitive for women and maybe you can try to mitigate that by finding out what you can do to get on her sunny side.
In my experience if people hate (very strong word!) projects at work, it’s usually rather the case that they’re unhappy with their own work and project this jealousy onto others.
Usually happens within the same gender, or between people who identify as binary against enbies.
I’m sorry, I am fully male-presenting (and was assigned male at birth - which is relevant as my boss is super conservative and would not tolerate a trans person in her office. The LGBTQ lay low here).
My supervisor, however, IS read as female, and I fully suspect that she is who my boss has a problem with. Especially after she left, as my boss saw this as a personal betrayal of sorts. And since my own project is inexorably linked to my supervisor, I get these reactions by association.
Moving on with my life.
I’m near the end of my PhD. I’ve been at this lab for 5 years, as I joined before beginning my PhD, and I’ve been at the same university for 11ish years since I started my bachelor’s. I deliver my thesis in April if all goes well, and can’t wait to see what life has in store for me elsewhere.
I love most of my coworkers, but a few drive me nuts (and everyone else, too, and I tend to be a good mediator so I always end up in a position where I’m the only one who tries to help the troublesome guys). My main supervisor moved to another country a few years ago, and the one that took me in (the only other person with PhD students in the whole lab) hates my project (she has explicitly said so) and can’t wait to get me to work on what everyone else is working on. Meanwhile my other supervisor (the one that moved) has recommended that I let go of the few responsibilities I had in this lab (apart from my project), which is a good decision, but has made me feel like I no longer belong here. Since I’m also retracting a bit to work on some papers, I feel increasingly isolated even though I love my coworkers.
Can’t wait to finally get this over with and have an actual career in a lab where people don’t hate my project, or even an industry job where I can feel like I actually make a difference. I’m also a bit fed up with the conditions in my country and would like to try moving somewhere where nanotech is actually in demand, like the Netherlands or something. Maybe I’ll even risk a dramatic move to Asia!
Get a Japanese wife 😏
Not the answer I was expecting, but I did come out of a break up recently so whatever life has in store for me I guess
Are you also read as female? Because then your boss might just feel that you steal her show. Academia is highly competitive for women and maybe you can try to mitigate that by finding out what you can do to get on her sunny side.
In my experience if people hate (very strong word!) projects at work, it’s usually rather the case that they’re unhappy with their own work and project this jealousy onto others.
Usually happens within the same gender, or between people who identify as binary against enbies.
I’m sorry, I am fully male-presenting (and was assigned male at birth - which is relevant as my boss is super conservative and would not tolerate a trans person in her office. The LGBTQ lay low here).
My supervisor, however, IS read as female, and I fully suspect that she is who my boss has a problem with. Especially after she left, as my boss saw this as a personal betrayal of sorts. And since my own project is inexorably linked to my supervisor, I get these reactions by association.
Ah yes, makes sense. F