tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post6473755524648983623..comments2024-02-05T05:15:04.759-08:00Comments on Wandering Scientist: Thoughts after a Peer Mentoring MeetingCloudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-18483244481109897462018-06-30T12:27:05.389-07:002018-06-30T12:27:05.389-07:00I joined the League of Women Voters. When I was a...I joined the League of Women Voters. When I was a neophyte voter, I read their voter information guides about local issues. Now, I'm one of the old hands writing them.badmomgoodmomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-50839764011573581782018-06-11T05:29:16.542-07:002018-06-11T05:29:16.542-07:00I'm in a somewhat similar situation. I have a...I'm in a somewhat similar situation. I have a job I enjoy in a large chemical company. There are opportunities for advancement, but if I follow either path in front of me, it is likely that I will have to give up a number of the things that I currently enjoy in order to focus on other things. These are things that I may also enjoy, or I may not. There's not really any way to go back once I have chosen a path, so just staying where I am is appealing for the moment at least. I'm probably 20 years from retirement, though, and it's tough to imagine doing this same job for that length of time. On the other hand, the research areas around me are constantly changing, so even though the job is the same, the problems are fresh. There are 4 levels of advancement above me still, though that 4th level is nearly unattainable for mere mortals. I never thought I'd be one to settle with less than the top position, but I have a family and a life outside work that are as/more important than what I do here now. It's an OK place to be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-989726260911898552018-06-08T14:37:18.530-07:002018-06-08T14:37:18.530-07:00Your peer mentoring group sounds fantastic. I rea...Your peer mentoring group sounds fantastic. I really appreciate all of your posts about your career, especially about your transition times. I'm a mid-career female scientist, and your writing has given me new ways to think about my own professional challenges and goals.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-5171154992938199862018-06-08T14:23:04.398-07:002018-06-08T14:23:04.398-07:00Sorry to hear about that, but it isn't the end...Sorry to hear about that, but it isn't the end of the world for you. <br /><br />At the age of 40, my academic employer in the UK closed its chemistry degree program. So I came back to the US. <br /><br />After being s*****d on as a post-doc and adjunct, in 2011, I landed a new tenure track job. Unfortunately, in 2014, U Alaska Fairbanks banished organic chemistry from the entire state (there is one organic chemist left in all of the state). At the age of 51, that's when things started to get ugly. A short stint with a Menlo Park startup. Then, my offer of volunteering for an organic photovoltaic company in the same town was turned down explicitly for age discrimination "we don't feel comfortable working with someone with as much experience as you" . After a temporary faculty job in southern Texas (...) I'm now grounding a startup. The hypothesis is to be judged on results and not the Bay Watch Factor.<br /><br />So, you soldier on. And you have a family, which is good. Vacuumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07900489096943751214noreply@blogger.com