Actually, the real problem is that America refuses to provide a "living wage" for most entry-level positions and that you guys have no remedial social system. Over here (Germany), long-term unemployed people get a housing benefit where they have a small flat including a full kitchen and a communal washer dryer. On Hartz IV (long-term unemployment) in Germany, people can live on roughly €400/mo with this housing benefit. Maybe it's not pleasant, but it sure is better than sending people to McDs for €1 hamburgers. In addition, it's cheaper in the long run. You guys need to gain some long-term perspective.
Not me! I left the US behind almost 6 years ago. In the meantime, I've had a full year of paid holiday (6 years x 35 days/year holiday + 10 days/year of federal days off.)
My gross salary is even higher, but the net salary lower with the 50% deductions.
No desire to go back. The lack of unlocked phones and reasonable prepaid plans it just one recent example of you guys taking it in pooper.
That will change over time as the friends with Masters/PhDs start pursuing intellectual pursuits full-time for their career. Perhaps it still works now, but give it 10-15 years, and you'll see a huge difference in behavior, especially in regard to child rearing. Sadly, that's just the way it is:(
So, it took you roughly 9 years to double your salary (to 75k/year)? I wouldn't really call the progress, especially if there is a university education involved. What I am missing here?
But, when your working life is over, what have you really accomplished besides earning a wage? Why attend university at all?
I see this with my father. He just retired after 31 years of hard manual labor where he could earn 90k/year with overtime. It's great that he had that option and he took advantage of it as much as possible. Now at 63, he doesn't have any hobbies and shuns intellectual stimulation because his brain has been dulled beyond repair.
Thanks, but, no thanks! Hold out for the desired position and it's a life-changing decision if you don't.
1. The number one factor determining what you'll make over a lifetime is your first starting salary. This is because all successive employers will demand to know what you made at your previous position. In my experience, it's worth losing a half year of wages to get the initial higher salary. If I thought I was worth 80k on the market, I wouldn't take a lesser position for 40-50k because I'd never see 80k at the position that should be paid at 80k. At a maximum they'd offer a 50% increase which would work out to 60k-75k. If one calculates cost of living increases from an 80k starting wage versus a 60k-75k wage, it doesn't take so long for that half-year to be made up.
2. In countries with reasonable unemployment terms (Europe for example), I can receive 60-90% of my previous wage for between 12 and 48 months. I understand that this doesn't apply in the United States, nor China. But, why on earth, would I work at a lower position than the one I wanted when I could spend my full-time networking, applying and schmoozing. In fact, I know some countries that have PhD students do 2 years at salary and then years 3 and 4 on unemployment.
3. I applaud the Chinese graduate. Stand your ground and head to the US... they'll soon offer 300k H1-B visas per year.
1. Once you start learning German (you get a fair bit of Swedish/Norwegian/Danish/Dutch/Afrikaans for free.) The same could be said for Latin, but it doesn't have any practical use.
2. Most of Eastern/Central Europe learned German. Outside of the major cities such as Budapest/Sofia/Bucharest/Lviv, I've found my broken German extremely useful. This is NOT a moot point as these countries are investing huge amounts in infrastructure.
3. Russian/Arabic would be extremely useful but much more difficult.
4. I wouldn't worry about Spanish. I had 7 years in public school (US Northeast) and I assume that you did as well. You'd pick it up pretty easily if you had to.
I don't think about it as much because A) it's not allowed under European law (to force German-only components) and B) the Germans/Swiss tend to have the highest quality components so local is usually best anyway (e.g. Dectris Pilatus 6M detector). This wouldn't be an issue at Diamond or ESRF because of the EU laws and local access to the highest quality components. I COULD see how this would be an issue in the US/Japan with no such regulation.
Good luck getting funding. Most biomedical scientists are finding the EU funding rates much more enticing than those of the NIH. FWIW, it's roughly a 40% success rate DFG (German Research Council) compared to 8-15% with the NIH.
It's a moot point as science (funding) is dead in the US anyway. Most young scientists are leaving to work elsewhere, especially those with international experience.
Japan has the best earth conditions. You guys are overestimating the effects of earthquakes. Personally, based on my location, I'd like to see it built at DESY, but it's unlikely with the local soil conditions:(
That's because the SSC was a US-only project, compared to the LHC or the SLS. The "I" in ILC stands for International, indicating that more than one country will pay for it. The SSC was cancelled because Congress didn't want to cover the rapidly expanding costs, this won't happen with the ILC. Also, Japan has "agreed" to cover roughly half of the total cost because it would be the "host" nation.
As someone who spends a lot of time in multinational scientific facilities (e.g. the Swiss Light Source)... I don't understand the "Should it go to Japan?" question. It's infrastructure for the greater scientific community, so it doesn't matter where it's built.
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Actually, the real problem is that America refuses to provide a "living wage" for most entry-level positions and that you guys have no remedial social system. Over here (Germany), long-term unemployed people get a housing benefit where they have a small flat including a full kitchen and a communal washer dryer. On Hartz IV (long-term unemployment) in Germany, people can live on roughly €400/mo with this housing benefit. Maybe it's not pleasant, but it sure is better than sending people to McDs for €1 hamburgers. In addition, it's cheaper in the long run. You guys need to gain some long-term perspective.
nor is it legally mandated (US = 0 days, here's it's usually 29+/year)
innovation ... lol.
Spend a day homeless in Europe and get back to us. In addition, in the US, employment = insurance (recent changes, not withstanding.)
Sweden first, Germany now, Denmark soon.
Not me! I left the US behind almost 6 years ago. In the meantime, I've had a full year of paid holiday (6 years x 35 days/year holiday + 10 days/year of federal days off.)
My gross salary is even higher, but the net salary lower with the 50% deductions.
No desire to go back. The lack of unlocked phones and reasonable prepaid plans it just one recent example of you guys taking it in pooper.
Relocate. In Germany you'd easily be making a solid wage and on your way to a "Blue Card."
Why underestimate yourself in the first place?
Especially, when one gets locked into a financial lifestyle that necessitates mandatory overtime. There are only so many hours/day.
That will change over time as the friends with Masters/PhDs start pursuing intellectual pursuits full-time for their career. Perhaps it still works now, but give it 10-15 years, and you'll see a huge difference in behavior, especially in regard to child rearing. Sadly, that's just the way it is :(
So, it took you roughly 9 years to double your salary (to 75k/year)? I wouldn't really call the progress, especially if there is a university education involved. What I am missing here?
+1 ... the apprenticeship system is great.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apprenticeship#Germany
But, when your working life is over, what have you really accomplished besides earning a wage? Why attend university at all?
I see this with my father. He just retired after 31 years of hard manual labor where he could earn 90k/year with overtime. It's great that he had that option and he took advantage of it as much as possible. Now at 63, he doesn't have any hobbies and shuns intellectual stimulation because his brain has been dulled beyond repair.
Thanks, but, no thanks! Hold out for the desired position and it's a life-changing decision if you don't.
1. The number one factor determining what you'll make over a lifetime is your first starting salary. This is because all successive employers will demand to know what you made at your previous position. In my experience, it's worth losing a half year of wages to get the initial higher salary. If I thought I was worth 80k on the market, I wouldn't take a lesser position for 40-50k because I'd never see 80k at the position that should be paid at 80k. At a maximum they'd offer a 50% increase which would work out to 60k-75k. If one calculates cost of living increases from an 80k starting wage versus a 60k-75k wage, it doesn't take so long for that half-year to be made up.
2. In countries with reasonable unemployment terms (Europe for example), I can receive 60-90% of my previous wage for between 12 and 48 months. I understand that this doesn't apply in the United States, nor China. But, why on earth, would I work at a lower position than the one I wanted when I could spend my full-time networking, applying and schmoozing. In fact, I know some countries that have PhD students do 2 years at salary and then years 3 and 4 on unemployment.
3. I applaud the Chinese graduate. Stand your ground and head to the US ... they'll soon offer 300k H1-B visas per year.
with "freedom" comes responsibility.
1. Once you start learning German (you get a fair bit of Swedish/Norwegian/Danish/Dutch/Afrikaans for free.) The same could be said for Latin, but it doesn't have any practical use.
2. Most of Eastern/Central Europe learned German. Outside of the major cities such as Budapest/Sofia/Bucharest/Lviv, I've found my broken German extremely useful. This is NOT a moot point as these countries are investing huge amounts in infrastructure.
3. Russian/Arabic would be extremely useful but much more difficult.
4. I wouldn't worry about Spanish. I had 7 years in public school (US Northeast) and I assume that you did as well. You'd pick it up pretty easily if you had to.
I don't think about it as much because A) it's not allowed under European law (to force German-only components) and B) the Germans/Swiss tend to have the highest quality components so local is usually best anyway (e.g. Dectris Pilatus 6M detector). This wouldn't be an issue at Diamond or ESRF because of the EU laws and local access to the highest quality components. I COULD see how this would be an issue in the US/Japan with no such regulation.
you won't even get the tunnels built for a BIG project (like the ILC). lawls.
blah, blah, blah.
Good luck getting funding. Most biomedical scientists are finding the EU funding rates much more enticing than those of the NIH. FWIW, it's roughly a 40% success rate DFG (German Research Council) compared to 8-15% with the NIH.
No, I'm stating that it would be ridiculous to build it within the US. Just about anywhere else (first-world) would be similar in risk.
It's a moot point as science (funding) is dead in the US anyway. Most young scientists are leaving to work elsewhere, especially those with international experience.
Japan has the best earth conditions. You guys are overestimating the effects of earthquakes. Personally, based on my location, I'd like to see it built at DESY, but it's unlikely with the local soil conditions :(
That's because the SSC was a US-only project, compared to the LHC or the SLS. The "I" in ILC stands for International, indicating that more than one country will pay for it. The SSC was cancelled because Congress didn't want to cover the rapidly expanding costs, this won't happen with the ILC. Also, Japan has "agreed" to cover roughly half of the total cost because it would be the "host" nation.
As someone who spends a lot of time in multinational scientific facilities (e.g. the Swiss Light Source) ... I don't understand the "Should it go to Japan?" question. It's infrastructure for the greater scientific community, so it doesn't matter where it's built.