Re: how to transition from lab tech to researcher


CatsRule wrote:
in actuality I am a glorified lab tech. ...
I would appreciate any advice in how to make the transition.

I think it is the hardest transition to make. If you have worked as a
technician, the bosses classify you as such, and this classification
stays molded in theiri brain forever. Even if you get a PhD working as
a technican, the boss will not see you as a PhD-qualified scientist.
They will still see you as a technican, and give you such tasks. It is
advised in such a situation to move to a new place with the new bosses.

Here in Australia, people inconvinence themselves with getting
university education less than anywhere in the world. Our govt lab has
lots of staff with BSc degrees in technical positions. People are in
their 40s and 50s, and they crave to get the promotions to the jobs of
"research scientist", but they are universally rebuffed by the
management. "You are a professional officer with a BSc only, so that
you cannot occupy a research scientist position". This is is apart of
their politicking and everyday struggling, to get into a research
scientist stream. Actually, I am currently in a technical position, and
the position the management "created" for me is also officially
technical. I am not concerned at all by this. Anyway, they managers
treat me as a research scientist, which is reflected in the type of
jobs they give to me and the type of jobs they do not give to me. I do
not have this need to prove to myself something and be see in the
"research scientist" position -- I am already one, and this cannot be
taken away. Few years ago, the technical and the research scientist
streams were merged together, so the money would be the same for me (or
other people) regardless of what is the job title.

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