u/Crafty-Yam-7652

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS/Bioinformatics person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

​

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

​

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

​

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

​

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

I'm a molecular biologist/NGS person, PhD, ~5 years at a mid-size biotech services company in Western Europe. Solid work, decent team, but no promotion in that time, internal transfers kept getting blocked. I stopped seeing a path.

A while back I accepted a research scientist position at a university's genomics core facility in the Middle East. The offer roughly doubles my take-home (tax-free, housing and schooling covered), and the job is essentially setting up transcriptomics platforms from scratch. I move later this year with my wife and two small kids.

Then, shortly before I leave, three roles I'd have killed for opened internally at my current company. Now I'm lying awake.

Three things I'd love honest input on:

1. Career risk: going from industry to a core facility. Does "service scientist" pigeonhole you? Can you still move back to industry in 5 years, or does the CV start reading as technical support?

2. The region: anyone actually worked at a well-funded research institute in the Gulf? What's real about the funding and equipment, and what's the part nobody mentions until you're there?

3. The gut-check: none of those internal roles is a real pay bump, it's title and scope only. So, should I still consider those roles (no guarantee that I get any of these), or just my brain doing what brains do?

Happy to answer questions...Mostly I want to hear from people who've done a version of this, in either direction. Thank you!

Resigning from a German job with a 3-month Kündigungsfrist... tips on:

- the resignation process,

- making the most of the notice period, and

- managing coworker dynamics?

Any Germany-specific things to watch out for (Arbeitszeugnis, Freistellung, vacation days etc.)?

Resigning from a German job with a 3-month Kündigungsfrist...

tips on:

- the resignation process,

- making the most of the notice period, and

- managing coworker dynamics?

Any Germany-specific things to watch out for (Arbeitszeugnis, Freistellung, vacation days etc.)?

Resigning from a German job with a 3-month Kündigungsfrist... tips on:

- the resignation process,

- making the most of the notice period, and

- managing coworker dynamics?

Any Germany-specific things to watch out for (Arbeitszeugnis, Freistellung, vacation days etc.)?

Just wondering if one needs to pay from their side or the iqama/dependent fees are also covered by KAUST.. thanks in advance!