So I (24) work as a contracted lab tech for a prestigious institute in the U.S. They're preparing to make me a full-time offer and while I can't deny that it would be great for me to take advantage of this place, there are some doubts. I'm having.
The biggest issue I have with the potential to be onboarded is that I'm afraid that my work-life balance will go out the window. My commute is an hour already and I am not compensated. I've already been asked to work on weekends with the knowledge that I'm not getting paid for it. I was reprimanded in the spring for having some days out sick (i was literally on my bathroom floor vomiting up everything in my system). What really solidified this concern is when my coworker reminded everyone in a meeting that she was taking personal time for 2 weeks, one of our bosses immediately asked her if she was still going to be in contact.
Apparently the benefits here are really good and even come with a pension, which is so unheard of, but I don't think I want to stay somewhere where I'm going to have to give up even more of my personal life than I already do. I leave my house at 7AM and return at 6PM. If something goes wrong in the dead of night, someone has to get up and go in and fix it, and not get paid for it. I'm already making more than the postdocs/phd students. I think I'm too young to really tie myself down somewhere. I've already had some great networking opportunities, attended workshops and conferences, and by the end of the year my name is going to be on a publication, but I don't know if it will be worth it for much longer.