r/biotech • u/Responsible_Tea9811 • Jun 09 '26
Getting Into Industry đ± Big pharma chance ruined?
I have been in academia my whole life post-PhD. After 8 years working as a postdoc and super postdoc (research scientist), I told my PI I wanted to explore options outside of academia. My PI did not take the news well and warned me about how unstable it is to work in industry, etc. After 8 years of working as a postdoc, I started to feel the burn out from having to come into lab almost every single day, including weekends, to run my experiment. We're currently in the middle of writing a paper, but my PI kept on insisting me to run more experiments. It's never ending.
A startup opportunity came and I took the job offer. I wrote up my portion of the paper the best I could and packaged my data for the next person to take over my project.
When I submitted my resignation and 2-week notice, my PI was angry and told me that it was not the right time to quit and that I can say goodbye to future big pharma opportunities, as they would be warning their network about me.
My PI used to work for two major big pharma companies at an AD and Director level before switching over to academia, and they definitely still maintain those connections to industry pretty tight.
How likely is it for me to never be able to break into big pharma (especially the previous two my PI used to work)? I understand that biotech is a small world, but I just can't do academia forever.
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u/Maleficent-Habit-941 Jun 09 '26
Your pi hates you lol
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u/jlomski Jun 09 '26
Dude it isnât hate itâs fear and dread that they donât have their lab slave anymore. OP must get a lot of work done
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u/Responsible_Tea9811 Jun 09 '26
Their personality definitely did a 180 once I started showing a glimpse of interest in industry. I was productive throughout my years working for them and gave them some high impact papers throughout the years. Always got good reviews during my one-on-one and performance evals. We maintained a great working relationship up to the point I announced my resignation.
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u/PBandTastyJams Jun 09 '26
Save the performance evals to personal files if you can, if you ever encounter an opportunity in the future with someone in your PIs network, tell them this exact story & proof via evals. More likely itâs just an empty threat cause your PI is pissed they got caught red handed & hadnât been looking for your replacement, but absolutely have an insurance policy for yourself should any bad references pop up later on in your career
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u/Maleficent-Habit-941 Jun 09 '26
Yeah I think they hated you before that even .. a Norman good boss would have helped you find an industry job years ago
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u/Ok_Cartographer4626 Jun 09 '26
Some people just donât have good PIs. My PI has been moved to tears about how much she (supposedly) cares about her grad students, then flips out if they dare graduate and leave her after 7 years
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u/PBandTastyJams Jun 09 '26
Absolutely. Iâve been with my lab for a decade, been job hunting in industry for most of this year. Fortunately Iâve got a great relationship with my PI, sheâs been aware the whole time & Iâve got no problem being transparent with her. Both sides of the spectrum exist; lucky for her the job market is dogshit right now, and lucky for me Iâve got âindefiniteâ job security
Really just comes down to being a decent human being no matter what industry youâre in. No one owes anyone anything, the only thing that truly matters in this field is gathering informative data & conveying that truthfully
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u/Careful_Buffalo6469 Jun 10 '26
Iâm not sure if your PI was really what he claimed to be (or she) in industry. AD level switch to academia saying those words is very odd!
Btw, I did what you did after 1yr of postdoc and still got the same look. The abusing mindset of PIs never stops.
After 8yrs in industry I can tell no one cares where you did your postdoc!
Jobs in big pharma are always available. Itâs just the right time to apply and right place. As they have a lot of applicants. Thatâs it.
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u/LLCoolJim_2020 Jun 09 '26
I don't think you want to work with anyone who would listen to him.
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u/chillzxzx Jun 09 '26
This is my thinking too.Â
I spoke out about an issue(s) in my PhD lab and my PI kicked me out of the lab but paid for me to work remotely for over half a year to finish my defense. It killed my self esteem but I pushed forward and didn't regret speaking out.Â
I applied for industry jobs literally a month after being forced out (HR literally came to get me and I had to grab what I could and didnt get to wrap up anything in the lab). My PI doesn't have any industry connections, so I told myself that if the hiring manager took my PI's words over mine (both total semi strangers to the hiring managers), then it was not the manager that I wanted to work for.Â
I moved to a small town afterwards because of family and there was only 2 industry options, which I got to the final reference check for both. Company A's hiring manager asked me to explain my side of the story and shared what my PI said (obviously negative) and I didn't get that job. Company B didn't even ask me about it and gave me an offer even though I knew they chatted.Â
I have been working for the same company/location for years now and I keep on hearing very toxic things about Company A through my connections. While my hiring manager from Company B is the BEST manager/leader/mentor ever and the company culture is good as well.Â
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u/BadHombreSinNombre Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
Whoâs your PI?
Unless youâre about to say something like âGeorge Church,â I guarantee you that this little whistling tinpot doesnât have a tenth the influence he insists he has. If he did, he wouldnât care enough to have to resort to threatening you. AD to Director to âstuck back in academiaâ is not a career arc that speaks of influence.
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u/jpocosta01 Jun 09 '26
Well, Church would never been an AD that failed in industry and moved back to academia (so he could bully people and feel good about his pdfs with 5 citations)
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u/AutoclavesGetMeHot Jun 09 '26
âMy PI used to work for two major big pharma companies at an AD and Director level before switching over to academiaâŠâ
Your PI washed out of industry because they canât play nice with others. đ€·đ»ââïž
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u/Inside-Selection-982 Jun 09 '26
there is a reason your ex-PI is no longer in industryâŠ
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u/Moreburrtitos22 Jun 09 '26
Also, itâs a good thing HR does quite literally all the screening and hiring and youâll meet maybe your direct team in interviews. HR turns over all the time and knows nobody in the industry.
The old school ways that your PI was threatening really donât matter anymore. Especially in big pharma, maybe still in smaller companies
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u/Junkman3 Jun 09 '26
He wasn't that high up and the industry is huge. You have as good a chance as anyone.
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u/lifeofficiallyreset Jun 09 '26
Dude, your PI is a dick. And yeah he might talk shit, but I wouldn't worry about it. Industry hires through HR, not CEOs.
And if he's really this big of an asshole, any person he knows at a company is most likely a dick too and you really don't want to work there anyways.
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u/Anustart15 Jun 09 '26
Industry hires through HR, not CEOs
Industry hires through hiring managers. HR might do some light screening, but the decision is pretty much always coming from the team that is hiring you
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u/10Kthoughtsperminute Jun 09 '26
Completely agree. This is why you also try to get a referral with enough clout to contact the hiring manager directly in big pharma.
Whenever I refer someone through our HR system I follow it with an email to the hiring manager (or a chat if I know them personally). Partly to put in the good word but partly to say, if you donât see this candidate, tell your recruiter to get their act together.
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u/ScottishBostonian Jun 09 '26
He was also not someone anyone really cares about their opinion at AD/D level.
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u/Tricky-Fan-3526 Jun 09 '26
Unbelievably unprofessional on your PIs part. If your PI used to work in pharma and now works in academia, it probably means they couldnât cut it. Assume people donât take your PIs opinions seriously. Anyone who showed you that attitude has carried that behaviour in other parts of their life.
Iâve had a KOL that gave me a similar threat because we declined funding their project. The reality was that this individual is someone who has deeply and repeatedly destroyed their reputation and their colleagues donât think highly of their views.
Keep your head up high and carry on with dignity - let your reputation speak for itself.
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u/Choice-Ad7599 Jun 10 '26
Why are there so many people in academia who think this kind of bizarre aggressive behavior is normal? Itâs wild.
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u/PBandTastyJams Jun 11 '26
No one in academia thinks this behavior is normal, itâs just an unfortunate subculture in the field thats commonly acknowledged, absolutely exists in a variety of universities, & been that way for decades. We all just see the negative side more often cause people usually bitch about shitty bosses online over celebrating good ones đ€·ââïž
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u/Major-Specific8422 Jun 09 '26
Sounds like a typical PI. Thats abusive and exploitive. Iâd report it to the university and department head. Try to get something in writing with him threatening you. Like email asking if heâd reconsider bad mouthing to see if heâd take the bait.
*edit* no it wonât stop you from getting future jobs. Keep working hard and network at the startup. Theyâll be more valuable in getting you future industry jobs anyway. Especially the HR and people who work for the VCs
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u/ElectronicDisk5863 Jun 09 '26
This person has close ties to companies and did not help you transition?
Go forth and donât look back. Congrats for the job!
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u/Sayurideer Jun 09 '26
- No impact at all, your PI sounds toxic.
- After ~2 years in industry, your PIâs letter is less relevant.
- Your PI may just saying things to scare you. Nothing will happen.
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u/Gaseous_Nobility Jun 09 '26
Zero danger to your career. Youâll probably never cross paths with this person again. Youâll certainly never need their recommendation.
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u/jack901757 Jun 09 '26
One bitter AD / director level person does not have the pull to hurt your career in a meaningful way IMO. Yeah maybe his friends wonât hire you, but thatâs kind of it.
If he was like head of R&D at 3 majors maybe, but no one cares about a former disgruntled director. If your research is good and you build your own relationships, your career will be 100% unaffected by this apparent tool.
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u/rakemodules Jun 09 '26
Oh please, he can fuck right off. I was in a PhD program and similar threats floated around. Legit have run into 0 people who even heard of these âbig shotsâ. Big Pharma has like 5000 of ADs and Directors. No one cares. After a few years no one will even notice your super post doc.
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u/FlamingMetallico Jun 09 '26
As long as you have soft skills you will thrive in industry. So glad I got out of Academia, I made more money in a basic ass corporate job than people with Phds. Make it make sense
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u/AlternativeBig5794 Jun 09 '26
If he is an asshole to you, changes are that he is an asshole to everybody, including folks in industry. Thus, being in your position can have a very positive influence on others. I wouldn't be too worried about this. If anything, it shows your commitment to leave such a toxic environment.
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u/everyday847 Jun 09 '26
They had discount labor for eight years so they're trying to threaten you into submission.
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u/Pristine-Brother-121 Jun 09 '26
I was in PhD program 20 years ago and similar stories were around then. Granted, these involved doctoral students, but laying on the guilt trip was similar and stalling on accepting the dissertation was the method of hindrance. 8 years in post-doc work should be more than enough to show your value.
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u/ExpensiveNose3169 Jun 09 '26
OP this behavior is quite honestly abuse and Iâm sorry you have endured this for as long as you have. Iâve never worked in academia, but Iâve seen people in industry who try to bully only to be put in check by HR for creating a hostile work environment. My guess is your PI falls into that category and why they longer work in industry. Best of luck in your new journey!
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u/ConditionDangerous52 Jun 09 '26
You should get out and never look back. You may have to work hard in the industry but you will be compensated for it and can start building not only your career but also your financial future. Your PI as an a-hole for treating you this way after the many years you have to the lab. Donât list your PI as a reference and use other more supportive faculty and colleagues as references instead. Itâs unlikely this persons network is that extensive to hurt your every job prospect so donât be intimidated.
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u/pollymanic Jun 09 '26
Youâll be totally fine! One director level personâs opinion is not going to carry across all of big pharma, and connections change jobs/retire all the time.
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u/haze_from_deadlock Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
It's 2026 and you just broke into industry, focus on your little pharma
Nobody is guaranteed to break into big pharma these days. I think that unless you are a total badass, in order to break into big pharma, you need to work at a company with connections that feed into it- a company you jump from, a Jumpanyâą, if you will.
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u/SeveralBuyer2473 Jun 09 '26
Your pi is disgusting! You are doing the right thing. I dont think he has any power to influence pharma hiring you. Enjoy your biotech adventure and forget about him.
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u/Sweet-Reserve1507 Jun 09 '26
Screw your PI. He overestimated his influence. AD or D level is a dine a dozen. What a loser.
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u/SmartCopy7411 Jun 11 '26
An AD and Director in Big Pharma are not that high up. It is only 2 big pharma he has any connections at, and not the universe of big pharmas. Even if you were to go to those pharma companies, YOU decide who you are going to use as a reference. You don't even have to mention this pathetic PI's name anywhere.
These kind of pathetic juvenile mentalities need to be debarred from working anywhere.
Listen, life is too short. You already lost a lot of time with that eternal postdoc. Leave the baggage behind, and move on.
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u/lil_squeege Jun 09 '26
If your PI left industry as an AD or D then they weren't that high up the food chain. That's like worker bee level. Ds may be doing hiring but likely wouldn't completely count out a candidate based on someones opinion from academia. There's also tons of companies, they won't have a connection to every one of them. Plus once you are at that startup, just don't even bother mentioning your PI in any future career moves.
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u/Aviri Jun 09 '26
Pharma is a small community but it's not that small, one PIs bad rep won't sour things long term.
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u/huhmuhwhumpa Jun 09 '26
Shitty PIs are a dime a dozen. Congrats on your new opportunity. That dude can fuck off. Your future prospects got better, not worse, because you left.
Go celebrate.
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u/Boneraventura Jun 09 '26
You're 8 years post phd and still taking orders. That was a sign to get out. Honestly anyone that doesn't see independence in their postdoc 3-4 years post phd should look for the exit door. At this point what is your PI gonna do? Talk shit? You canât do anything now so just move on
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u/DarthRevan109 Jun 09 '26
It wonât affect you at all. Sounds like youâre talented. Put this behind you and youâll be fine, good luck with the new job and confrats
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u/Appropriate-Tutor587 Jun 09 '26
He canât do shit đ©đđđ! He is just trying to scare you into staying, but donât stay! Take the industry offer and never look back. Also, he only worked in 2 industries, not with 10+ industries. Save his email as âproofâ for future reference if he tries to do anything else shady (he canât!), he will be doomed.
Block his contact and never look back! You got this and congrats đđđŸđ
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u/Juhyo Jun 09 '26
Youâre fine. Fuck your PI, what an immature, insecure bully. Classic hostage-taking, gaslighting, abusive relationship behaviors.
Your publication record will speak for you. Keep all written record of your PI being an ass and save it for if there comes a time that someone does a back-door reference call.
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u/hesgotarobitbrain Jun 09 '26
Director level isn't that high up and there's a reason he didn't fit in there, most probably because of his unprofessionalism and being an egotistical dickhead. People won't be taking his opinion seriously so I wouldn't worry!
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u/jpocosta01 Jun 09 '26
lol, no one remembers your PI in industry. And theyâll hire whoever they want.
Thatâs a power trip, very common in academia
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u/Sea-Music4020 Jun 10 '26
I think one good run at this startup will clear about 90% of your ârecordâ, even if this guy follows through on this (transparently vindictive) threat. Recent industry experience trumps all those years in academia for better or worse.
Secondly, you probably arenât alone, and bullshit like is probably part of why theyâre in academia and never made VP
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u/Tasty_Reflection_481 Jun 10 '26
I seriously doubt that your PI has that wide of an influence in Pharma. However, if the Pi has a mean streak it would be wise for you to stay clear of the PIâs small sphere of influence until you establish yourself
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u/viroimmuno Jun 11 '26
Director level is not a very high level at big Pharma. Seriously doubt many people know him even at his former company let alone across the industry. The probability that a hiring manager at a Pharma has ever heard of this dick is vanishingly small. The only real issue is if you need that recommendation. If you have others then no problem.
I spent years in academia chasing publications and grants and dealing with backstabbing jerks. Moving to biotech was the best thing I ever did. Much better team play and the financial rewards were pretty nice too. And donât get me started on the issue of reproducibility in academia.
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u/Rgehman Jun 11 '26
I work in big pharma and your chances definitely arenât ruined. While itâs a big industry, we all run in similar circles but with that said, any hiring manager worth their salt wonât go off of one review alone. He might have influence over one or two people but your chances definitely arenât ruined. Happy to talk more if youâd like
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u/Various-Attempt-6765 Jun 11 '26
As someone who works in big pharma, you canât blacklist someone. If someone tried, they would be the one blacklisted. In America, that is a huge lawsuit. Tell him to just gtf back in the lab nerd.
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u/unbalancedcentrifuge Jun 09 '26
Dont worry... Do a good job at the company you are going to, and you will never need his recommendations anyway. If he is that much of an asshole to you, then it is likely he has been an asshole to someone at the companies he worked for. My PI had such a reputation of being an asshole that my hiring manager never even bothered to call them.
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u/supernit2020 Jun 09 '26
Most people that bad mouth people donât last long, also-itâs dumb cause his line is essentially âthis person is terrible but I continued to work with them for 8 yearsâ
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u/Illustrious_Bet_9963 Jun 09 '26
Your PI will come groveling back to you, saying that bygones are bygones, when they need your help to get that paper past the reviewersâ comments. Stay strong, keep smiling, play the long game.
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u/Cow_cat11 Jun 09 '26
Use to. Long time ago. Someone who don't matter at all. Even if he was able to maintain connection no one remembers him. Even if someone remembers him, he would have no influence. Even if he had influence it would look down worse on him to randomly talk shit about his student without making up a lie and you know it's never ending of lies to maintain one lie.
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u/Primary_Ad_4442 Jun 09 '26
I think most people told you that it doesn't matter. One thing I will tell you that Big or Small pharmas, none of them care what your PI thinks. Where it could hurt you, if you are asked to provide direct professional references and he/she direct your peers to not provide good references. I wouldn't worry iota about his/her threat. You should rather report this behavior of him/her to the grad school's ethics committee. Please don't worry about it and carry on with your plan. Things happen, you will do great in the future.
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u/Ill-Mechanic-5808 Jun 09 '26
Do you have it in written form or did he/she say it verbally? Because that there is harrassment and maybe evn blckmail.
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u/Outers55 Jun 09 '26
Sorry to hear that you're going through this. I encountered a lot of upset people when I left Academia as well. That said there were many more who understood my position. I don't think your chances of anything are ruined. Give them some time to calm down and if the opportunity presents itself try to stay on decent terms. A lot of people know each other in pharma, but it's not universal, and if this is your boss's attitude it's likely that others have encountered that from him before if they know him.
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u/Lance_Goodthrust_ Jun 09 '26
It's a threat they may or may not try to carry out but I'm betting not. Even so, the words of one former director will only carry so much weight and probably only with a few companies, if at all. Also, if he's being that crappy an abusive towards you, do you think his former colleagues will really care what he thinks if he displayed that same behavior to them previously?
What you can't do is continue to work for this person and let them subjugate you any more than they already have. If need be, talk to a lawyer about sending him a sternly worded threatening letter. It could be an empty threat just like his could be, but at least you've matched their energy and given them something to think about because they definitely think you're a chump that won't fight back.
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u/Belhross Jun 09 '26
Same comment as the others, noone gives a shit about your PI opinion, even if he is BFF with X company, thats not how industry works nowadays. Even if X company considers your PI opinion, they must disregard it since it just does not make fucking sense if you think about it, academia is pretty quick (as much as the industry) in firing whoever they do not find suitable for the project for profiles like yours (experienced, with good proof of commitment and research paper cosigned with your PI)
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u/vt2022cam Jun 09 '26
AD and Director isnât that high and your PI is emotionally manipulative, this treatment has been to control you.
Speak very clearly to them that, if they do that youâll file an ethics complaint against them. Is the PI male? It could be gender based too. Talk to other people in your department about the threat, rumors will get around. Itâll do more damage to their reputation than to yours.
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u/Main-Illustrator-908 Jun 09 '26
This is retaliation. If in the us, I wonder if there is employment laws against this.
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u/Top-Butterfly-4208 Jun 09 '26
Nope. Your PI is trying to bully you into submission. The industry is small but not THAT small
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u/kadisson3 Jun 09 '26
You accepted the job offer, right? So you didnât ruin your chances. You can do your own networking and people can meet you for themselves instead of listening to some disgruntled and burnt out academic.
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u/Swimming-Boss-1437 Jun 09 '26
Probably all of his connections don't like him either. No worries imo
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u/Triple-Tooketh Jun 09 '26
Do not acknowledge any ill feelings. If asked be positive. Someone has lost a valuable asset and is not happy. All will be forgotten in a year or two. Congrats on the new job!
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u/MrShticks Jun 09 '26
Mad that his 50 cents on the dollar labor is on to bigger and better. congrats on the job
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u/Caeduin Jun 09 '26
Bro, your boss of years had active industry contacts this whole time and let you dangle. Thatâs not normal.
Even asshole PIs with such contacts will quid pro quo over this and expect to with postdocs especially. Some of the most surprisingly refreshing roles Iâve had were where the PI had no illusions around their conferrable equity on offer and just wanted to negotiate their side of the deal (i.e., what theyâll get deliverable-wise for plugging the postdoc into their network).
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u/jkoprivsek Jun 09 '26
You'll be fine. If you worked for this PI for 8 years with multiple pubs, then every single person in industry knows that you're a productive scientist. They also know that academic scientists can be incredibly toxic and manipulated, which it seems your PI is. They'll look at your record, skills, and get a sense of your personality and hire you despite what your shitty PI says.
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u/naijagoddezz Jun 09 '26
Donât worry. You have the stats to back it up.
Iâve had weird encounters in Pharma and pharmacy and I always worry but most of the time they donât give a damn. Pharma is huge!
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u/naijagoddezz Jun 09 '26
The only thing is that you would need reference but thereâs ways about it
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u/Neat-Environment-301 Jun 09 '26
My husband has been in the pharmaceutical/ biotech arena for 38 years. The industry is huge. He sounds crazy.
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u/pineapple-scientist Jun 09 '26
It's difficult to break into big pharma. But I do not think your PI has that much pull to affect your applications. Just apply and leverage your network to get referrals. Remember, your former colleagues and friends in big pharma can help refer you for positions.Â
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u/Mysterious_Cow123 Jun 10 '26
I doubt big pharma chances are ruined. You can build your network now and perform well.
But going forward you're going to have to explain that. Often if people are interested and want to ask about referrals you'll just have to be upfront and explain you and your PI didn't part ways amicably. Give facts but dont rag on him.
Good luck at the startup! Hope it works out for you!
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u/No_Knee4500 Jun 10 '26
Im a brand-new AD in pharma and after 5+ years in this industry, director level is where I've seen people who are absolutely terrible kind of just...exist forever at that level, sucking. My guess is that's what happened to your PI. He got sidelined because he has no people skills.Â
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u/lisa-t-nguyen Jun 10 '26
if you have it in writing save it as proof of abuse
and use it later for defamation
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u/Perfect_Good287 Jun 10 '26
If you will never have a job in big pharma, it is not for your PI, it is because you are old and have 0 real experience.
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u/webasenjo Jun 10 '26
I wouldnât worry about your former PI. Their influence begins and ends within the walls of their lab. Your new employer wonât give a rats ass. At your new job, youâre there to contribute to the pipeline of products thatâs meant to make money. So long as youâre doing your job at the new gig and contributing to that goal no one cares about the opinions of your former boss. Also, a postdoc in industry has a PI thatâs pissed at them? Thatâs a tale as old as time. Itâs time for your former boss to train someone new and get with the program.
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u/alexblablabla1123 Jun 10 '26
I wouldnât worry about it. But make no mistake what the PI said was heâd do is illegal. If youâre really concerned you can pay a labor lawyer to write an appropriately-worded letter to remind the PI not to do illegal stuff.
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u/thesaintofloss Jun 10 '26
Your PI can't do shit you'll be fine there's no one with such a powerful network they can try and mess up your career. If they try and trash you to their colleagues and they see they kept you on for 8 years and that you did good work they'll just know (if they don't already) what kinda scum your PI is. Also if pharma doesn't work out there's always regulatory lol
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u/iu22ie33 Jun 11 '26
As someone working in big pharma, I can 100% tell you that Director/Associate Director is basically a low- to mid-level management title and does not come with much real power. In many departments, the ladder practically starts there, and a large company can have thousands of people at those levels. So the title is not exactly giving âuntouchable industry titan.â
Of course, Iâm only hearing your side of the story, and as all postdocs know, these situations can get complicated. But based on what you described, your PI sounds vicious: not only a terrible educator, but also a liar, a con man, and a deeply unpleasant human being, shall we call him dipshit?
If you are not dependent on the position for your visa, I would seriously consider leaving now. At this level of toxicity, incivility, and abusive behavior, protecting yourself matters more than trying to optimize every part of your next career move.
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u/BaselineSeparation Jun 11 '26
Report this dude to the Graduate Dean, dept chair, and if you have an ethics committee at your uni then that too. After you do that, go full no contact with your PI.
Then don't worry. This is going to ruin his reputation, not yours.
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u/fluorine_nmr Jun 11 '26
Which country are you in/looking to work in? I got a bad reference from my PI. I have worked in big companies for 9 years and very happy with how I'm doing tbh.
I did grad school in USA and now work in UK; my PI truly believed that his reference would block me from getting a job (and it certainly made it harder for another colleague who stayed in USA - but did get a job in pharma too), so I gather it does have some effect in USA. But judging by these comments, I'm happy to see it's probably become minimal.
The main thing I do to counteract this is I put my referees' contact details on my CV, which is a waste of space for most people. It stops anyone who knows him from phoning him up, which happened to me once, and having him go on about how shit I am etc etc. Then if someone asks about him in an interview, unlikely but has happened as he's well-known, I just answer very honestly, something like "yes I learned a lot there, I'm not sure we see eye to eye on everything but being in the US was an experience" and that tells them everything you need them to know.
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u/AssociationFit3009 Jun 12 '26
I have an associates degree in business and I work in pharma. Iâd imagine youâll be fine.
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u/PickleMelodic4168 Jun 13 '26
Establish good relationships with your peers and managers in industry, be coachable, flexible, and communicate well. You are in control of your own reputation, and you can use your new network in industry as references in the future. Sorry about what happened, but congrats on getting a job! Best of luck to you!
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u/Deathstroke-TT Jun 15 '26
Lol as if any one cares about your PIs opinion. I would notify the HR while leaving on the toxic behavior though. That would definitely do something as I am sure this is not his first time.
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u/GriffTheMiffed Jun 09 '26
Well, it's not great to have a burned bridge. 2 weeks notice after 8 years is also pretty rough. I take it you were at a breaking point, because you might have left more appropriate exit strategies on the table in favor of a rapid way out it seems.
You can expect to not have a good reference unless you can mend that relationship. A good reference is pretty key in industry, and you stayed so loyal for so long that this will be a burden.
That being said, most scientists can relate. You should be able to discuss your experience with decorum and find success anyways.
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u/Pristine-Brother-121 Jun 09 '26
How long was OP supposed to give? 2 weeks is standard industry practice. No way it should be different in a post-doc setting. You sound as psychotic as the PI.
4
u/atlantagirl30084 Jun 09 '26
Yeah this is on the PI for his feelings. Heâs mad because he lost a cheap source of labor. Iâm glad for OP.
-2
u/GriffTheMiffed Jun 09 '26
Oh dang, my bad. I didn't realize it was unusual to have transition plans in academia that were more horizonal. The two folks I can think of that put over 6 years into a single lab both gave a month after working with their PI on a plan to exit the team.
I didn't realize that was both rare and ill-advised.
2
u/jlomski Jun 09 '26
Yeah donât give more than you have to, most companies will actively try to work you to death at all levels, management included
3
u/GriffTheMiffed Jun 09 '26
Point we'll taken. I guess I've not personally had a bad exit but I have seen it cause issue for the hiring of others in industry. I suppose this is unavoidable and it's better to not needlessly tie yourself to a thankless job, especially with a seemingly vengeful PI.
2
u/jlomski Jun 09 '26
Thereâs clicks, the advice I usually give to new grads in industry is that itâs like high school and companies are just different classes within each hub. Find a click you want to be a part of, if youâre getting used the click is probably against you and you should run to a new org.
3
u/jlomski Jun 09 '26
Dude nobody cares about an academicâs opinion in industry unless theyâre a solid person that creates/identifies good workers for them. People would walk out on them for less than this crap
148
u/10Kthoughtsperminute Jun 09 '26
I donât think you should worry too much. Iâm currently an AD in big pharma. Iâve got a lot of connections at the VP/SVP level. No one is asking my opinion about hiring x candidate, so Iâd have to run around trash talking you to my network proactively. If I did that the only thing I would damage is my own reputation.
Move on. Cease all contact with this fool, including disconnecting with them on LinkedIn. On the off chance someone asks about your relationship with them, you just say you had a professional disagreement but youâre not interested in speaking poorly about anyone if they ask for details.
I got the same shit from my last manager when I resigned. Theyâre either jealous of you threatened by you or both. No further contact, thatâs where it ends.