Interactions with my advisor have been relatively positive lately. It is like she is coming around and has a new attitude. Crazy, huh?
A couple of weeks ago, the grad student who is a year ahead of me had a good conversation with her. Today I did. Maybe we are starting to gain respect by being proactive on our projects and careers?
Today I spoke with my advisor for an hour about post-docs. This is essentially the training equivalent of what medical doctors do during their residency. I will have a PhD but not enough training to go out on my own yet. I talked to her about some of the things I want to take out of a post-doc position, the locations I want to look, opportunities I have thought about. She gave me advice. For real.
Like she said she knows I like teaching, and that I will want to continue doing that because it is just a part of me. BUT, that does not have to be a part of my post-doc. Especially if I stay in this area, there are plenty of opportunities to teach at small colleges or to fill in for sabbaticals where I am now when I am gone on the side. Huh. Great to know!
She talked about the pros and cons of big and small labs. She says I have lots of experience in a small lab from my PhD and she would really like to see me somewhere a little bigger with a few post-docs, because they will be my colleagues as I go forward. Huh. Great point!
She even gave me a "homework" assignment to scope labs out, list reasons why I would be interested in working in particular labs, draft letters and meet with her again about contacting the heads of the labs. Wow. I really have to start thinking about what I will be doing a year from now.
Scary.
7 comments:
Well glad to hear she's comming around and actually giving you some valuable advice/insight. Who knows what changed, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth :)
Picking a post-doc is an important time to have good advice, so I'm glad she chose now to come around. Hopefully it continues!
Awesome! I'm glad she is being so helpful. Maybe this is an arena where she feels more comfortable.
The other good thing about picking a lab with multiple post-docs is that the advisor has experience with post-docs before you get there. It helps to have someone who knows a little bit about it and not have you be the guinea pig.
Yay for good advice!! :o)
Maybe she has a new lover. That's a good attitude booster. ;-)
Ron, I'm trying not to get too skeptical about it!
Ern, I hope it keeps up too!
Danielle, good point about not being a guinea pig.
Molly, seriously!
Spark, I don't think her wife would appreciate that...maybe they've just been able to spend more time together recently. ;-)
It's so great that she is dreaming big for you!
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