Transition

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The Lab Pet is feeling down and very lab-sick just now. And I have no reason, at all, to be feeling sorry for myself....but I am. At the same time, I am working extra hard just now.

Looking for a post-doc position. Since I have been looking these past 5 weeks, I have learned much about the research in this country, and to apply to those who have funding. This might seem strange, but I have received some nice rejection letters. Let me explain: Certain PIs simply do not have the funding for a post-doc, but you cannot know until you ask. Some have written back to me with their encouragement - while they like my CV, they do not have a place. I do understand, thanking them for their reply.

I will find a place, but this is an especially rough time. My auntie says this may be a 'cloud with a silver lining' in that I will find a better place. Yes, but it's hard solace just now. Soon enough I will be relocating, but where?

It's not your fault. If the economy was run in an honest or competent way there would be plenty of jobs and plenty of funding for everything we need. it's crazy that labs want to do work but can't. Science creates wealth (in the long term) so limiting science is saying "no, we don't want wealth".

Sure, the finished product does not appear until later, but the research has value at every stage: from day 1 you have created something of value. In a sensible economic system that value would be measured, so all science would pay for itself and there would be no need for external funding. It's merely a question of economic measurement.

Sorry for the tangent, but my obsession is economics, and I hate seeing how people suffer because the government cannot grasp the most basic economic concepts. Fixing everything is very simple, it takes only a very simple change advocated by Adam Smith, but they choose not to do it because it's always been done the wrong way so they can't imagine doing it right. That's my rant.

Thanks for your kind words - and, yeah, jobs are tight just now. Ironically, I am considered "highly qualified" as I have a PhD, but post-doc positions are hard to come by too......I know the right one will come along and I am trying hard. I guess I should be more patient.

I don't know if it applies to your situation, but I've read that a lot of scientists in the USA are in a bad position right now due to the sequester. The title of the article was something like "20% of American Scientists considering going to another country."