Research Assistant, HT (ASCP)
How Continuous Learning and Adaptability Opened New Career Doors When Research Funding Ended
What to Do When the Grant Money Finally Runs Out
When I started as a lab technician in a microbiology lab more than forty years ago, I was excited to begin my career in the research field. I worked on new projects constantly, met new graduate students each year, and was mentored by some of the brightest postdoctoral fellows and faculty members at the medical school.
However, after my second child was born and it was time to return to work, I received the dreaded “pink slip” along with the notice that our grant funding had run out and the lab would eventually close.
In the research world, teaching and collaboration are part of the process, so new faculty members and postdoctoral fellows are constantly moving in and out of the university. Fortunately, the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology had hired a new chair who brought a team of young scientists to Wake Forest University, where I found a new opportunity to continue doing research for another 27 years.
In that role, I was able to learn many techniques and skills that kept me employed until our project experienced major cuts in grant funding.
The skills I acquired in the research lab allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and obtain my HT certification through training in a clinical lab setting. While completing that training, I also remained part-time in my former lab until the current histology core lab was established, where I worked part-time in the afternoons.
The core lab became a huge success because there was such a strong need for histology services for both clinical research teams and basic science projects. Eventually, I became a full-time core lab manager and was able to leave the other two part-time positions behind.
Stepping outside of my comfort zone after such a long career as a research lab assistant was uncomfortable at times. But if that grant money had not run out 11 years ago, I may never have pursued this career change.
For that unexpected turn of events, and for meeting the right people at the right time, I will always be grateful.
Never stop learning new skills or techniques. When the grant money finally runs out, you will have a much better chance of finding a new opportunity if you remain informed, adaptable, and well-trained.
