I am a packrat. I try to be frugal with my paper use, but I seem to accumulate it to a far greater degree than my more tidy and organized officemates.I suppose it is an outcome of my rabid literature collecting. The funny thing is I probably have the most well organized and gigantic digital lit library of anyone I know. But still I've had to get through the massive mountain of paper over the past few days as I dung out my office in preparation for our move to the US. The lab is not so bad, since I did a big clean about a year ago when I finished with my lab work, but there is still quite a bit to clean out. I don't want to leave a trail of rubbish behind me, I know how irksome it is for those who inherit the space. So I think it's my last all nighter in this lab, how did it come to this!
It's a good time for resolutions, these times of office, lab and household purging bring a clarity lacking in the packrat times.
In my next job incarnation I will:
-try to avoid any printing of papers, instead I will read them on my computer and make notes in my endnote library for easy reference later
-get rid of out of date reagents/media sooner to break up the lab cleaning
-rethink my lab book approach - bound is definitely better in the long run, and separate lab books for different types of work/projects would be sensible. Some kind of digital book archive would also be useful, perhaps instead of printing and pasting I will try pdf-ing and archiving in date order, for later printing and binding as a companion volume to the lab book (or a digital companion, less printing!)
-No facebook at work, period. No hobby research at work, period.
-have a tidy and more minimalist office space (!!)
Back to lab cleanup, see you on the other side!
Monday 9 June 2008
Monday 2 June 2008
Employed, married, travelling!
June is here, for the gemini! I've had a very eventful month of May. First, I got a postdoc job in the eastern US. This necessitated some decision making for my partner and I, since the US has more strict visa laws than Canada or the UK. So we got married! It was planned quickly but turned out very well, with fine weather, friends and fun.
We're now packing up our worldly possessions for shipping, and preparing for a cycling honeymoon in Canada in late June.
Here is a 10 question meme I filled out the day before we decided to get married:
In 10 minutes, I will be working on the figure for the paper I need to resubmit.
In 10 hours, I will be reading a book and worrying about my relationship.
In 10 days, I will be engaged.
In 10 weeks, I will be married and on my honeymoon in Canada.
In 10 months, I will be well into my first postdoc and hopefully have found a nice big cat for me and my husband to spoil.
In 10 years, I will be tenured, living in Canada, possibly a parent, and still with my love.
What about you?
So far so true!
We're now packing up our worldly possessions for shipping, and preparing for a cycling honeymoon in Canada in late June.
Here is a 10 question meme I filled out the day before we decided to get married:
In 10 minutes, I will be working on the figure for the paper I need to resubmit.
In 10 hours, I will be reading a book and worrying about my relationship.
In 10 days, I will be engaged.
In 10 weeks, I will be married and on my honeymoon in Canada.
In 10 months, I will be well into my first postdoc and hopefully have found a nice big cat for me and my husband to spoil.
In 10 years, I will be tenured, living in Canada, possibly a parent, and still with my love.
What about you?
So far so true!
Saturday 12 April 2008
Still hunting
Well, April has arrived and I'm still unemployed. I'm still doing some work in the lab where I did my PhD, helping out a student and brushing up on some lab skills I haven't touched in years. So I'm not wasting my time, in the academic career development sense, imho, but I'm not getting further ahead or even treading water convincingly in the monetary sense. I do feel dedicated to the path though, and quite positive still (surprisingly?)
I interviewed last week for a position in the US, the interview was over Skype. This was a bit bizarre - the lack of eye contact that comes with internet chats is a bit worrying in an interview. I wasn't bothered that my interviewer was looking off into space, but I was concerned that he might unconsciously find me lacking in eye contact. So I tried to keep my eyes trained on the camera as much as possible, but that's a bit odd too, staring at a little black circle. I hope I didn't look cross-eyed... not that there is anything wrong with that! I think the interview went well in any case, and he said he'd get back to me in the next week.
I've dropped my fleeting scheme to pursue a career in science journalism for the moment. I will try and post things here if I have anything interesting (?) to say, but otherwise I think I need to focus on the ball, which means getting a postdoc and finishing my papers. So yes, hmm, time to get this job off for cool-job at university x in country x, tonight I will be productive!
I interviewed last week for a position in the US, the interview was over Skype. This was a bit bizarre - the lack of eye contact that comes with internet chats is a bit worrying in an interview. I wasn't bothered that my interviewer was looking off into space, but I was concerned that he might unconsciously find me lacking in eye contact. So I tried to keep my eyes trained on the camera as much as possible, but that's a bit odd too, staring at a little black circle. I hope I didn't look cross-eyed... not that there is anything wrong with that! I think the interview went well in any case, and he said he'd get back to me in the next week.
I've dropped my fleeting scheme to pursue a career in science journalism for the moment. I will try and post things here if I have anything interesting (?) to say, but otherwise I think I need to focus on the ball, which means getting a postdoc and finishing my papers. So yes, hmm, time to get this job off for cool-job at university x in country x, tonight I will be productive!
Saturday 8 March 2008
Picasa
This is a little experiment, I downloaded Picasa and it has an upload to blog function. This is a photo of a drain I took last November when we went on a little holiday to Amsterdam.[hmmm... obviously this didn't work so well!]
Tuesday 4 March 2008
Jobhunting - journey of discovery?
Hmm, it's been a while since I posted! I've finished my viva and graduated so I'm into the job hunt in earnest these days. I've interviewed for a few jobs and so far haven't gotten a position, though I've come very close. Or so they say in the post interview feedback. It's a bit frustrating, but I am keeping the glass half full for now, my CV seems to be getting me interviews. I'm still employed part time here so I don't have to go home to the farm. I'm grateful for the opportunity to stay in the loop, my boss is very supportive and I'm really lucky!
The process of job applications and interviewing has also highlighted a few objectives for me:
1. I want a postdoc, or a job where I can improve my writing a great deal.
2. If I go to industry it needs to be either a temporary job or one where I can gain the same kind of publishable writing experiences as I can in academia.
2. There are a skills I can and should work on getting while I'm unemployed that will help my job prospected.
One of these skills I'm thinking of developing is writing for a non-scientific audience by becoming a science blogger. If I apply for jobs in scientific publishing I'll need examples of my work and a blog would be the best way to achieve this - instant feedback from the masses (if I can engage them!) and samples of my writing. I have been thinking about this for a while. I need to do some market research though, and to find a niche where I can contribute to the web community and not cover old terrain.
My assignment to myself this week is to come up with some blog ideas and to get feedback from friends, and to surf like mad to try and find an original idea for my blog. I'm thinking of polling people on what they find confusing about science, and what they find most boring. Maybe I could start with something people find dull and try to spice it up a bit? Hmmmm!
The process of job applications and interviewing has also highlighted a few objectives for me:
1. I want a postdoc, or a job where I can improve my writing a great deal.
2. If I go to industry it needs to be either a temporary job or one where I can gain the same kind of publishable writing experiences as I can in academia.
2. There are a skills I can and should work on getting while I'm unemployed that will help my job prospected.
One of these skills I'm thinking of developing is writing for a non-scientific audience by becoming a science blogger. If I apply for jobs in scientific publishing I'll need examples of my work and a blog would be the best way to achieve this - instant feedback from the masses (if I can engage them!) and samples of my writing. I have been thinking about this for a while. I need to do some market research though, and to find a niche where I can contribute to the web community and not cover old terrain.
My assignment to myself this week is to come up with some blog ideas and to get feedback from friends, and to surf like mad to try and find an original idea for my blog. I'm thinking of polling people on what they find confusing about science, and what they find most boring. Maybe I could start with something people find dull and try to spice it up a bit? Hmmmm!
Wednesday 21 November 2007
End of (one of my) eras
Friday is my viva.
PhDs are a bit of a strange ride, the end is spread out into a series of achievements and celebrations and the actual finale isn't really clear. I handed in in September, this was really the biggest milestone, personally. It's the beginning of the end, when you know the wheels are in motion, the dragon is mostly slain. But it generally passes without much fanfare, and this was the case for me.
Friday is my viva - in the UK this isn't nearly the ordeal (or so I've been told) that it is in a North American defence. However, it is still the next step to the end - after that I'm pretty much there. After that I need to sort out my corrections (there will definitely be a few!) before next Friday, the deadline to hand in to graduate in December. And that handing in, that is really the end - sort of! Graduation in December, a bit of pomp and circumstance with the parents in attendance, this is the final step in the process.
But the one we usually make a fuss over here, it seems, is the viva, so Friday we'll go for drinks and dinner and I'll mark it in my mind as the first day of the rest of my life. It is a strange feeling to be at this place. I have hoped to be here for so long. It's a time to form new goals, I've been thinking about that a lot today. What do I want to, and what will I accomplish in the next ten years?
Next Friday I have an interview for a fantastic postdoc, I'm living for that day now.
PhDs are a bit of a strange ride, the end is spread out into a series of achievements and celebrations and the actual finale isn't really clear. I handed in in September, this was really the biggest milestone, personally. It's the beginning of the end, when you know the wheels are in motion, the dragon is mostly slain. But it generally passes without much fanfare, and this was the case for me.
Friday is my viva - in the UK this isn't nearly the ordeal (or so I've been told) that it is in a North American defence. However, it is still the next step to the end - after that I'm pretty much there. After that I need to sort out my corrections (there will definitely be a few!) before next Friday, the deadline to hand in to graduate in December. And that handing in, that is really the end - sort of! Graduation in December, a bit of pomp and circumstance with the parents in attendance, this is the final step in the process.
But the one we usually make a fuss over here, it seems, is the viva, so Friday we'll go for drinks and dinner and I'll mark it in my mind as the first day of the rest of my life. It is a strange feeling to be at this place. I have hoped to be here for so long. It's a time to form new goals, I've been thinking about that a lot today. What do I want to, and what will I accomplish in the next ten years?
Next Friday I have an interview for a fantastic postdoc, I'm living for that day now.
Sunday 26 August 2007
google - shockingly fast indexing
Ok, I thought this warranted a post - I only started this blog an hour ago, and there is already a google index listing for it! I guess that shouldn't surprise me since blogger is a google acquision. I am not sure how I feel about being indexed at lightening speed - perhaps there is a way to opt out, I will look into it. :-)
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