Well, it's been an interesting few weeks. Had my exit interviews at Xenon last week - one from HR, which I thought was quite good...I didn't lose my temper and don't think I came across as being bitter (I was told I was "eloquent"...haha, who would have thought THAT about me???). The other with the director of the group.
With HR, I was asked to rate various issues and give my comments about my time spent at Xenon and what motivated me to leave. We talked about what made a good company...in my mind, at least, it is one that returns the employees' loyalty...one that would treat everyone (from top to bottom) as being in the same boat...in times of success and more importantly, in times of failure. Xenon never really did that, imho...in times of success, the ppl who were the best were not recognized (and I am not really talking about myself here)...and they grow frustrated and leave...in times of failure, the management, in their infinite wisdom, feels that cutting a low position (30K) will somehow extend the company's run towards an IPO...I never could understand this math. So I asked the lady handling the interview how the company would continue to mature and be its best, if all the best ppl simply left after receiving their training? She didn't have a good answer...but it was obvious that I wasn't the first to ask her this...she acknowledged this both directly and indirectly...
With the director of biology...this was interesting...in that we have worked together for 4.5 years...I worked hard...and he gave me a lot of opportunities...and vice versa. We talked for more than an hour. He simply reiterated why this company couldn't promote me to a PhD level position...that it would establish a precedence...and soon, everyone would be in that position...which, to quote the English, is bollocks! In my performance reviews, verbally and in my responsibilities, he has made it clear that I have been on that level for a long time...in fact, Xenon was going to create a new level for me...which I think is comical:P Well, no matter what the rules are, whether on a PhD level or not, there will always be a range in abilities and talent among a pool of ppl...not everyone with a PhD become a senior director. So, he said at the outset that he had seen this day coming for a long time...
In some ways, I would have liked to stay in Vancouver...it is home for me...it is the place that I am most familiar with. But at this point in my career, especially if I want to stay in science, I have to move out of my comfort zone...absolutely. And I can't think of a place that is further out of my comfort zone than LA:)
With HR, I was asked to rate various issues and give my comments about my time spent at Xenon and what motivated me to leave. We talked about what made a good company...in my mind, at least, it is one that returns the employees' loyalty...one that would treat everyone (from top to bottom) as being in the same boat...in times of success and more importantly, in times of failure. Xenon never really did that, imho...in times of success, the ppl who were the best were not recognized (and I am not really talking about myself here)...and they grow frustrated and leave...in times of failure, the management, in their infinite wisdom, feels that cutting a low position (30K) will somehow extend the company's run towards an IPO...I never could understand this math. So I asked the lady handling the interview how the company would continue to mature and be its best, if all the best ppl simply left after receiving their training? She didn't have a good answer...but it was obvious that I wasn't the first to ask her this...she acknowledged this both directly and indirectly...
With the director of biology...this was interesting...in that we have worked together for 4.5 years...I worked hard...and he gave me a lot of opportunities...and vice versa. We talked for more than an hour. He simply reiterated why this company couldn't promote me to a PhD level position...that it would establish a precedence...and soon, everyone would be in that position...which, to quote the English, is bollocks! In my performance reviews, verbally and in my responsibilities, he has made it clear that I have been on that level for a long time...in fact, Xenon was going to create a new level for me...which I think is comical:P Well, no matter what the rules are, whether on a PhD level or not, there will always be a range in abilities and talent among a pool of ppl...not everyone with a PhD become a senior director. So, he said at the outset that he had seen this day coming for a long time...
In some ways, I would have liked to stay in Vancouver...it is home for me...it is the place that I am most familiar with. But at this point in my career, especially if I want to stay in science, I have to move out of my comfort zone...absolutely. And I can't think of a place that is further out of my comfort zone than LA:)
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