Research assistant/technician, role/tasks?

[ScarlettOHara]

Edited out for anonymity. Sorry guys.

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[Stewabeet]

I'm a research assistant!

Hmmm...So, we don't buy cakes all the time for birthdays. If someone feels so inclined, they'll bring one in. Otherwise, the birthday passes by quietly. I agree it seems weird that you are asked to get birthday cakes!

Also, my PI has an administrative assistant (...secretary...) who would make fliers for him. But I'd be surprised if they were ever non-lab things.

My team has been talking about making a website, but I'm actually pretty excited to do it. I've just been so swamped lately that I have no idea when I'll have time to do it.

Research assistants have jobs! I am probably the hardest worker my age in our lab...the other assistants are really technicians (I distinguish between the two because techs do the same protocols every day, typically preparing samples for experiments by researchers, while I help develop technology, have input in my experiments, do literature searches, have different experiments to run all the time, read over grant requests...all sorts of miscellany). They tend to have a lot of spare time. They take long lunches and hang out with each other randomly during the day. They still aren't asked to do personal things like you are, though.

 

[monkeyMD]

I've never had to do any of the above. Why would they make you do those "personal tasks" anyway? Maybe you can talk to person you work with/for regarding your concerns...and maybe show more interest in the current projects (by asking questions about the project). I would say that you should let them know that although you don't mind doing those other tasks, you would like to get involved in the research process as well.

By the way, what kind of lab do you work in?

 

[ScarlettOHara]

Edited out for anonymity.

 

[JuniperTree]

Sounds like they're taking advantage of you.

 

[BeachBlondie]

I'm a "clinical research technician/bioengineering research technician" and I've NEVER had to grocery shop. However, I have purchased an occasional beer for the fellows/Directors of my lab.

You should probably address your concerns with your higher-ups.

 

[pfaction]

The only thing I ever "bought" was two fuses for our machine that would have waited a week for a purchase order...totaled 5 dollars.

 

[ScarlettOHara]

Edited out for anonymity.

 

[BeachBlondie]

If ANYTHING it's the job of a secretary or personal assistant who has some down time. Your title means you're part of the research endeavors and you should not be forced to run those kinds of menial errands.

Think of it this way, do you want to be the staff member who they remember as the one who gets their cappuccino? Or do you want to be known for sticking to your guns and doing a damn good job with the research projects at-hand? If you're seeking a letter of rec from these people, it may help to be in the latter category.

 

[ScarlettOHara]

@BeachBlondie, research wise I am kicking butt. I think that may be part of what got me into this mess. They saw me as uber competent. They hadn't had a tech this good (not to be cocky, they were the ones who kept commenting how happy they were with my performance), so then they started throwing other random tasks and I did those well. Some of the additional responsibility was fine (assigning me undergrads, giving me several independent projects, etc.) others not so much.

So at least in their eyes I'm not just a coffee runner, I'm their super competent technician that they can give anything to and it will be done well. I just get annoyed with the menial tasks. As far as a letter they already wrote one and although I didn't read it I'm confident it's a strong letter and one that paints me as a generally competent person. I know they're very happy with me.

Meh, I guess this thread can end. I was curious about other people doing these things. Seems like no one else has to. I'm not going to be at this job for much longer--just a month--so it's probably not worth starting an uproar about the non-lab tasks at this point. Thanks for your comments. And just to be safe I'm wiping out my posts. I highly doubt my employers or grad students are on this site but I'd rather not risk it. My original intent was to get a feel for whether other people were given tasks similar to the ones I've been given and I've gotten a pretty definitive answer to that.

 

[Suncrusher]

I've been asked to do a lot of non-research related things in lab and I'm wondering if a lot of other techs are also asked to do stuff like this. They really seems more like personal assistant tasks to me. Examples: regularly grocery shop for department meetings, buy birthday cakes for lab people's birthdays, make flyers for non-lab related events (for PI), create a lab website by learning html codes, etc.

I've had to do all of those things as a lab tech!

I've had to go get food, supplies, and greeting cards for about 10 parties so far. Not only do I have to order lab supplies, I also have to be some sort of expert at collecting receipts and paying the lab's credit card bill. I had to build some things...shop at Home Depot...

You're exactly right: they are more like personal assistant tasks. E.g., "Hey LabTech? C'mere. I need you to find out what video card my computer has and find somewhere to order a replacement...and then install it when it arrives. Thanks, LabTech! *smug, self-satisfied face*"

And we have to do all those random things on top of doing the research projects of a grad student WHILE doing things like ordering supplies, washing glassware, and filling pipette racks. It's ridiculous and I'm always stretched thin.

Aaaaand I got an amazing LOR out of it, got into med school, and will never have to do bench research again in my entire life. F*** wet research; I'm never going back.