Strategy Advice

[Pekka]

I can't believe I made a terrible turn, or what can become terrible turn fast. I did not see this coming, so it makes me angry that I was so stupid. Never again.

As you know, I'm doing this research thing, I get paid (supposed to), I get experience, plus I get to work my thesis. Plus, the research itself is interesting and I'm learning good skills.

Anyway, as you also might remember, I had to give up a lot, because commitment was involved. Now it turns out, that the professor is getting fired/a new job, take it as you wish. The professor KNEW this, and stillr recruited me. Unbelievable!!

I still can stay as a PhD student if I want, but this wasn't how it was supposed to go down. Apparently, the staff is freaking hostile, it's like a soap opera. People have been mistreated. Lots of things not quite professional.

So now, I'm like, woaah, if my professor goes, where does that leave me? I can do my stuff, but damn, the research things are NOT going to continue. I mean my professor says I'll be taken cared of, but that's crap. What does that mean? No professor leading the research, no research, period. Or should I finish it? ****, if I'll finish it, I want to be paid accordingly.

That said, I still haven't been paid. I THOUGHT my first day of pay was supposed to be this month, but seems like it will be starting from the next month. That's fine, it's not like I worked last month a lot, but I still haven't gotten any word from my pay, as in what day it will be. They don't even have my bank account number!

WTF?! I'm feeling like getting up tehre and saying, hey, if I don't get paid, I'm out NOW. Not so simple though, this professor is known to carry grudges, and make people pay. I mean, I'd be getting my dick cut off, should I start any mess.

Strategy advice, what should I do? The LAST thing I want is to get on the bad side of this professor. No way man, that's why the boot is reality, because all of the dicks cut off. I don't want to end up there, I'm finished if I do that, believe me.

I can't believe I got myself into this mess, and it wasn't my fault even. I just can't believe this ****ing mess. I'm looking to make new options, so I should stay on course, but should _anything_ go wrong, as in my pay getting delayed, any new restrictions, just anything, I'm takign those other options right then and giving my middle finger to the whole project.

[Flubber]

Is there a new professor that can take you on ?

Are any of your arrangements in writing?

[Zopperoni]

Shouldn't there be some sort of supervising council at the university?

[Pekka]

That's the problem man.. my professor has enemies. Like everyone else. No arrangements on writing, because I trusted my professor. You know, it's stupid to trust people, but come on, it was my professor?!

Anyway, this is the deal so you can help me with strategy:

I had two options in academia. IT Security or the medical thingie.

After long time of thinking, I chose medical field, becuase I could later on turn into the security thing again, because medical field offered me possibility to go PhD student. SO I figured, what the hell, let's do this thing and get the PhD doing security.

Now, I gave up my thesis spots on other places. The one with my old company wasn't secured, but it was still on. So I gave that up. I gave my job in that company up as well, I let them know I'm not coming in few months to work the 4 months because I'm now working for University and they pay me around the year plus I'll do my thesis there now so.. give my spot to someone else. Did I mention that spot was nice? But that was what was required should I follow the medical field (as in ISs in hospitals etc).

I also took away my offer from two great international consulting companies, one of them had shown interest in my thesis. I turned that one down as well. That was what my professor wanted me to do, to have commitment.

I did it. I ****ing did it, even though I wasn't feeling very good about it. I worked hard for those goals, I worked hard. But I showed commitment. Because I was now going to do this other thing.

My professor went behind my back, by the way, to get me a new 'mentor' for my thesis. That other professor is really really good though, that's not the thing, but I was 'let known'. I wish I was asked if I wanted that, becuase I had already gotten myself a mentor for my thesis, someone who has been working with me for a long time and we have developed some connection. So now I have to tell him that sorry, you're not in, I got this other person to help me after all. And he was supposed to be that person for the last 6 months, it's not just something I can easily go and say. It wasn't my decision.

So I gave up all that stuff, good stuff, carefully planned stuff, because of this one shot that seemed great, and it still is great. However, I'm sensing there's more to this, people are just keepign appearances. I am not supposed to know what I know now, but this info is confirmed. There's a chance that I'm left here, standing with my dick on my hand, and not much to do. With all the chances I myself created, given up by myself earlier. And everyone on the staff remaining the ex-enemies of my professor.

I'm really uncomfortable with the situation and I need to stay active to make moves. I won't be blinded by some stuff again. I'm just not trusting anyone anymore.

[Wycoff]

A similar thing happened to my roomate last year. He was a Comp. Sci. Ph. D. candidate who had been working for his professor for three years. His professor then decided to transfer to a different university. My roomate decided to go with him to the new university.

[Pekka]

Zopperoni, yeah man, but like I said.. and I can just go there right now and say I'm out of this research and all these things. But that will the last thing I'd do, as I'd be killed if I did that, killed professionally. Assassinated.

So what I need to do, I need to create some options ready, be secretive about it, and should things turn ugly, I'll jump ships the same day. Should things stay on course, I can still do this thing. But.. secret options, I think I need secret options. I won't be left without options, that's just not smart. I don't want to betray anyone, not my professor, no one. But should I be betrayed, I'll need outs.

And I don't mean some sucky outs, I can stay there, it's not like I'm hated or that I'm seen as the bad guy here. I'm just a pawn. But like I said, I gave up my reserves and my stock here, for commitment. So I need to build some new storage here, and keep it hidden. Never again ask me to be commited to something when you know you are going to betray me later on. I even said, that I don't like commitment because when I commit, I mean it. ANd then some weeks later *BAM*, FU in your face. I blame myself for not keeping alternatives alive though. I shouldn't have trusted my professor. But then again, where is the world coming to.

WyCoff, yeah, the professor asked me if I want to transfer also. Sounded desperate. I turned it down. Not going to make two bad decisions in a row. I need to keep the strings in my own hand and not let these unknown variables take control. Never again.

[Flubber]

So not even an email that says your pay or any other terms?

If your old prof has found a new prof to work with you, what is the big problem as long as whomever has power there acknowledges the job and the pay and whatnot.

It sounds like a situation where you sit tight for the moment and just gather more information

[Pekka]

No e-mail. However, I have seen a paper, where the budget is, and in that paper is my name and monthly salary.

The problem is, the new professor won't be taking over the research cluster we have. So that whole field dies.

But definitely, I'm sitting tight. I haven't yet lost things. I'm just getting a bad vibe. I think I should prepare for the worst outcome for me. That is, I'm waiting to be betrayed. I won't be the one making the first real move. I'll be waiting, so I can react, so I will be the good guy.

[rah]

Originally posted by Pekka

But definitely, I'm sitting tight. I haven't yet lost things. I'm just getting a bad vibe. I think I should prepare for the worst outcome for me. That is, I'm waiting to be betrayed. I won't be the one making the first real move. I'll be waiting, so I can react, so I will be the good guy.

Sounds like what I would recommend.
You don't know enough yet to make a good decision so any decision you make could be bad. You're already expecting the worst so anything better would be an improvement. But remember, people that provide value are either taken care of or can easily find others that will want to care for them.

Patience. Good comes to those that wait. (as long as they're competent and not asshats.)

[Pekka]

I have to .. wait for the outcome. Basically, I'll be burning bridges if I make a move. I guess I'm just pissed off, that I was left out of this fact, it was hidden from me and it directly affects me. I gave up a lot, and I weighed in the benefits, so if I lose these benefits, it suddenly became a very bad decision.

However.. I'll wait, and basically wait to be betrayed openly. Then it will be justified to make what ever move it is, that I see is best for myself, and it will not be a betrayal from my part.

But this makes me feel on the edge, I've been told I will be taken cared of. But I need some real terms, what does that mean? Not just a saying, show me. And the options I'm thinking about is how to position myself, that I will be taken cared by someone else, should my expectations be betrayed. But there's the problem. Should I seek for another base, it means I'm talking behind backs, it means my general level of trust and face should go down.

Aargh.. I'll need a break. I need to do something fun on the weekend. Get this mess out of my mind.

[rah]

Change always makes people edgy, so deal with it.
IF they say you'll be taken care of, you can do nothing else but wait to see if this is true.

Watch the bears kick butt in the superbowl. That should be entertaining.

[Zoid]

Dude, I'm sorry. I know you really wanted to do this. But what are your options? Can you continue your research somewhere else? If you can't it's a moot question really. And it's no use beating yourself up about it, your professor screwed you. Nothing you could've done about it.

So my advice would be to not rock the boat. Sit tight and see how things develop.

[Jaguar]

WTF Pekka?

[DaShi]

Re: Strategy Advice

Originally posted by Pekka
Strategy advice, what should I do? The LAST thing I want is to get on the bad side of this professor. No way man, that's why the boot is reality, because all of the dicks cut off. I don't want to end up there, I'm finished if I do that, believe me.

Sounds to me like you may have gotten on his bad side a long time ago and didn't realize it.

[Pekka]

DaShi, nope, not true. The professor has made many enemies it seems to me.... surrounding oneself with the few people of likings, and rest are enemies. That's what it seems to me, and I'm in the inner circle. Also, I got a confirmation of the pay and the date, so that's settled, it actually worked itself pretty well and I don't have any complaints.

I have also gotten a chance to apply to this trainee thing job with my old company, it's extremely competitive, the poisiton (product manager, a real one), so I'll might try to get that one for the summer, if I get it, I'm out of this one, if I don't get it, I'll continue as planned.