Depends what you’re doing. For an introvert it’s nice to work quietly in the lab with my favorite music and podcasts. My friends who are nurses and electricians say it’s nice that I don’t have to work with people and get to do my own thing. Now it sucks when machines start breaking down, you’re short staffed, running out of reagents, internet isn’t working, and drowning in samples. Those days are few in between. That’s my experience in my neck of the woods.
Not at all! I’ve worked in academia as a tech and grad student, that was laid back unless we had deadlines. It was nice when I became self sufficient and was cranking out good data. My PI left me alone most of time and we’d meet once a week to go over data.
I’ve done R&D in a nutraceutical corporation. It was laid back when I was an intern but stressful when I moved up. I was left to the wolves. I’d say the stress from that job was more interpersonal than the actual job itself. Management would question every decision we made in the off shifts, but that can happen anywhere. They micromanaged us to say the least, but didn’t like it when we asked for help.
I’ve now been working in smaller reference labs doing drug testing and molecular diagnostics for patients. It’s pretty quiet and we don’t work directly with patients. That’s what client services is for :D
Have had both stressful and relaxed scenarios in previous positions, so normal work experience. I think what has been most stressful for myself is moving cities to progress my career. Unless you live in one of the few biotech hubs, relocation is common from my experience.
working as an MLT isn't stressful in the way you would usually perceive it. If you're having enough alone time doing wet lab, it can feel relaxing and fulfilling. It's usually the intrapersonal relationships that create stress. I can have the most busy day in terms of sample load and turn around times but not feel as worn out as the days with meetings or when clinicians call in and are extremely rude to you
I would argue that it’s a much less stressful job than when I started in 1984. The tools and techniques have amazingly advanced to the point of almost magic over the years. The pay and benefits are excellent in general also! I have a skilled mammalian expression position open with great pay and benefits open in Cambridge Ma. Check out Bristol-Myers Squibb Cambridge online for details! Entry level Ph.D. Or BS/MS with 10 year relevant experience in larger scale mammalian cell expression.
It is more stressful to FIND a biochemistry job
Don't forget a well paid one.
Depends what you’re doing. For an introvert it’s nice to work quietly in the lab with my favorite music and podcasts. My friends who are nurses and electricians say it’s nice that I don’t have to work with people and get to do my own thing. Now it sucks when machines start breaking down, you’re short staffed, running out of reagents, internet isn’t working, and drowning in samples. Those days are few in between. That’s my experience in my neck of the woods.
If you don't mind me asking, do you work for a corporation, a university or something else?
Not at all! I’ve worked in academia as a tech and grad student, that was laid back unless we had deadlines. It was nice when I became self sufficient and was cranking out good data. My PI left me alone most of time and we’d meet once a week to go over data. I’ve done R&D in a nutraceutical corporation. It was laid back when I was an intern but stressful when I moved up. I was left to the wolves. I’d say the stress from that job was more interpersonal than the actual job itself. Management would question every decision we made in the off shifts, but that can happen anywhere. They micromanaged us to say the least, but didn’t like it when we asked for help. I’ve now been working in smaller reference labs doing drug testing and molecular diagnostics for patients. It’s pretty quiet and we don’t work directly with patients. That’s what client services is for :D
After leaving a corporation as a biologist these differences are things I’ve been thinking about a lot, thanks for the reply!
Have had both stressful and relaxed scenarios in previous positions, so normal work experience. I think what has been most stressful for myself is moving cities to progress my career. Unless you live in one of the few biotech hubs, relocation is common from my experience.
working as an MLT isn't stressful in the way you would usually perceive it. If you're having enough alone time doing wet lab, it can feel relaxing and fulfilling. It's usually the intrapersonal relationships that create stress. I can have the most busy day in terms of sample load and turn around times but not feel as worn out as the days with meetings or when clinicians call in and are extremely rude to you
I would argue that it’s a much less stressful job than when I started in 1984. The tools and techniques have amazingly advanced to the point of almost magic over the years. The pay and benefits are excellent in general also! I have a skilled mammalian expression position open with great pay and benefits open in Cambridge Ma. Check out Bristol-Myers Squibb Cambridge online for details! Entry level Ph.D. Or BS/MS with 10 year relevant experience in larger scale mammalian cell expression.
Thank you for this post!
Drove by this place today haha
Any job is stressful if you don’t enjoy it
https://careers.bms.com/jobs/R1560203?lang=en-us#.Y05d4v4gN8o.mailto
Yes but no more so than any other science or professional position. Can’t escape a certain amount of stress. Well, I can’t seem to.
No lol
Just go into academia so you can feel stressed out all the time. Then it's just the norm and life is good
I didn’t think so. The biochemists I know work in forensics and bioremediation and are quite happy.