Career Help and Advice
Showing Original Post only (View all)looking for a new job....again. What would you do? [View all]
Last year I finished a grueling, 2-year med lab tech program and started work in the lab of a local hospital. I hate it. I hated every minute of the clinical courses and training, but hoped once I was in the hospital I wouldn't hate it. My one clinical rotation at this hospital went quite well, my job interview with them went well, so things were looking up. But working there has been awful. Every time I think it's going to be ok, I get slammed. First, the former lead hematology tech, who had left for better grounds and then returned per diem, refused to train me. I understand her anger, but it was not productive and made my days with her very uncomfortable. Then the lead chemistry tech, who was friends with the hema tech and trying to get her re-hired, viciously berated me day in and day out during her training period. Then a mentally disabled man from the cleaning crew fixated on me, and several techs and lab assistants encouraged him and tried to get me to date him. It got so bad that, 4 months into my new job, I was forced to file a sexual harassment complaint against one assistant who would not accept no for an answer, just to get her to eff off. I suffered weeks more of being followed around the hallways by the poor, misled guy who is "not quite right" trying to get him to leave me alone.
Then the lab manager forced me to work overnight 12-hour shifts -- something that we had discussed in the job interview and was *not* something I was able to do. I am per diem, and choose to stay that way. I get absolutely zero benefits, but in theory as per diem I can turn away work. The manager, whose husband is a lawyer, threatened, bullied and terrorized me into it. I have since learned she has a history of bullying and threatening.
My elderly horse and I ended up sick at the same time, and I had to put him down 2 weeks ago after a several week struggle to save him. So yes, I have bitterness. Had they not forced me into nights, I could have seen and responded to his symptoms possibly in time.
Now, finally back on my feet, I saw the schedule for March and they are again scheduling me for 12-hour overnights. I'm sorry they are understaffed. I'm sorry they can't keep employees. But their maltreatment of employees until they escape is their emergency, not mine.
The same lab corporation owns all the local labs, so unless and until I sell my house, I won't be able to leave this lab for another one. Besides which, I hate, and I mean hate, the lab work and people.
The jobs around here are mostly very low pay and the people low-education.
I won't be able to use any of my current co-workers as references, not because I've done anything wrong but because either they'll sabotage me or they'll tell management that I'm looking. I'm trying to contact someone I worked with while in school to be a reference. The job before school folded and those people are long scattered. Before that I was unemployed for an extended period. And before that I was in a very lucrative, high tech marcom job. So I'm not sure what to do about "professional references" on the application.
I'm also think I should leave the BS degree from 30 years ago off my application.
I'll put the MLT degree on -- it's a local university so may help. But that will lead to questions as to why I'm leaving a "good job" for a "lesser one." I' guess I'll just explain that I really am uncomfortable with the work itself.
At this point, I'm just 3 years away from being able to retire at 62 and just want a simpler job without the stress and without being forced to work 12 hour shifts and without being forced to work overnight and have my health destroyed. Going back to school was a huge mistake, but once I got into that evil student loan trap, I couldn't find a way out so had to tough it out. I graduated summa cum laude. What an effing waste!
