My coworkers and mentors were always very willing to answer my questions and explain things in detail. I learned so much, both through hands-on experimentation and asking mentors. My mentors/supervisors wanted me to succeed and challenged me to continually improve. The research assistants really got to experience what it's like to work in research -- oftentimes, experiments would go wrong, and instead of fixing it for us, we got to figure out a solution on our own, with guidance from a mentor if we needed it. The content of the research was very interesting, and the lab was a very positive and enjoyable place to work.
Also, as someone with a busy and inconsistent schedule, working at the lab was great. I made my own hours and could even be there at night if I wanted to. The schedule was very flexible, and that worked very well with my busy schedule.
What I wish was different
I wish I could've spent more time there! It was hard balancing school and the lab job, because I wanted to be at the lab a lot, and we could get more done the more we were there.
Advice
I have two. 1 -- get experience in your field of interest ASAP, whether it's an internship or just shadowing. That has been the best (and only) way for me to know if I'm on the right path.
2 --don't be afraid to ask for what you want. I wanted to research in something biomedical, so I reached out to 12 labs that most interested me. It's easier to just submit applications, but in my case, there wasn't a job posting, so reaching out was very helpful.
Be the first to mark this as helpful
Bioinformaticist
September 2014 • Lincoln, NE
What I liked
I much enjoy my coworkers and the flexibility my job affords me. I am able to come and go as I please as long as my work is completed. This allows me to control my hours and schedule my work around the classes I take at the university. During my time in this position, I have been taught valuable skills in coding in the languages of Python and Perl that I have been able to apply to other endeavors. My boss and coworkers have wholeheartedly included me in the scientific process by allowing me to contribute to projects which have lead to publications and revolutions in the bioinformatics field. Throughout my time with the Van Etten group I consistently felt like a valuable team member and genuinely believe the work I do to be important.
What I wish was different
Unfortunately, due to the wide nature of projects our team works on, everyone tends to operate on their own schedules. To the same degree that flexibility is a distinct benefit of this job, especially for students, it can be a hindrance when occasionally attempting to plan meetings. However, I would rate this as a minor inconvenience if anything.
Advice
With regard to achieving a job in the scientific field like mine, I would advise any interested party to network. Whenever they make a potential connection in the scientific field, hold on to that connection as it was by virtue of my connection to a professor in this field that I was able to both inquire about the possibility of work and be hired. If working in a position like this, I would advise any employee to keep an open mind. While I was quickly brought on to other group projects, I did not originally start with that connection nor was I originally involved in bioinformatics. If you can prove your worth and interest to your coworkers at the outset, you will increase your viability to acquire higher profile work.
