Sometimes, it is good to sit still on flights or in airports. I practiced all four of my course lectures today, so now that I've "eaten my vegetables," it's time for dessert. I have been looking forward to treating myself to journaling all day.
Housekeeping: I got my email notification of yesterday's post from follow.it, so the subscription service seems to be working. If you want to subscribe and are having trouble, please let me know!
It's now 9 p.m. in DTW on Friday, June 28, and I have 25 minutes left before I board my overseas flight. I intend to pass out cold and not wake up until Europe.
Q: How did I start teaching a short vibrational spectroscopy course?
A: Soon after I started my most recent job, I realized I needed to know how to interpret a particular kind of vibrational spectra called Raman (note the spelling and the capitalization...not ramen, though I could go for a bowl of noodles anytime!) So, I took a week-long course that has been offered every year since the 1950s by a nonprofit established for the purpose. It is currently led by an emeritus professor from the University of Georgia. On the last day of the course, this professor, Jim, asked me if I would like to come back and help teach some of the content the following year. At first, I declined because I thought I wasn't enough of an "expert," but he reiterated his request by email a few weeks later. I decided to have courage, prepare the material, and give it a try. The truth is I like teaching a lot, and so here I am.
Ok, my alarm telling me to go find my gate just went off...
...and here are photos of all my leg room!
I am going to be ruined for flying any other way. This is very comfortable.
FAQ, continued.
Q: What is Raman spectroscopy, and why does Polly need it?
A: Here's the simplest, most non-technical, nutshell answer I can muster. Raman spectroscopy measures light scattering by the vibrations of bonded atoms in molecules. When the molecules exist in different polymorphic forms (see the definition above), the light they scatter changes. The changes can be quantified and measured. When the effectiveness of a pharmaceutical hinges on its polymorphic form, Raman is a rapid way of ensuring that you have the right form.
Q: If you had to choose between working at Merck in Rahway, New Jersey, and Lonza in Bend, Oregon, which would you choose? (I am in the interview process at both companies.)
A: Working in pharma has turned out to be really tough. This was my third non-performance-related job loss in 18 years, and there's a good chance it won't be my last. That said, I need to try something different during this go-round. I want to work for a big, profitable company rather than a small organization that is looking for a big break to survive. Don't get me wrong, that has been lots of fun in the cases of DSP and SNX, but I need to stop worrying about turbulence and get some big pharma credentials under my belt.
Merck seems safer right now for many reasons. It is growing and investing in R&D, and it doesn't seem to be affected by layoffs and site closures (right now). There would be a multitude of opportunities to work on molecules in various stages of development, and I think the colleagues and their scientific toys would be amazing.
On the other hand, it's going to be more difficult to figure out exactly where to live in New Jersey that checks all the necessary boxes. Location challenges include 1) finding a good public high school, 2) finding a school zone to live in that we can afford, and 3) finding a place close enough to Rahway for a commute not to interfere too much with my quality of life. It may also take work to get them to agree to the salary that Lonza is prepared to pay.
Lonza is also large, but not "top ten" like Merck. I think it's in the top 100 global pharma companies by revenue. They have had a recent CEO turnover, and they laid off employees in California earlier this year. Their offer is highly competitive, though, and I have really liked my would-be coworkers so far. They are an experienced team. Both of the scientists who have interviewed me have been there for over two decades, and they have described a full suite of scientific instruments. Plus, they sound like they really want me for exactly what I have to bring.
Bend would be an ideal place to move to. There are several pharmaceutical companies there. Its population is much smaller than Austin's, and there are two little public high schools. Also, Eddie's favorite thing in the world is fishing. He carves handmade lures out of wood and thinks about fishing all the time. We are clear on where he wants to go.
Both jobs involve internal research initiatives, which would mean I would not be beholden to client companies' whims. This would be a relief.
Prominent in my calculus, though, is the fact that I have made the mistake of prioritizing location over career strategy more than once now. Things can go badly. If I end up with a choice to make, we will just have to weigh the options carefully. Careers, schools, logistics, and finances all have to factor in. There's also happiness to consider. We only get one lifetime, so the tradeoffs have to make sense.
I'm going to sleep.
Saturday, June 29, Amsterdam.
I did sleep on my flight! Very exciting! Besides a bit of a struggle to regulate my temperature at first (the working configuration ended up being my body wrapped snugly in a blanket, socks off, feet out), once I got comfortable, it was okay.
There are no outlets for charging in this airport, though. The Delta app doesn't work, either, and the gate agent actually had a gate list printed out on dot matrix paper; she also warned me the gate could change. It feels like I have stepped back into the 1990s.
My laptop battery is almost dead, so I'm going to post without proofreading. I'll talk to you in Glasgow!
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