Living in Edmonton (how expensive)

[Curiosity]

Hermann

Ha - you have a few things you concede are necessary to improve your lot - but I'll bet not much as it concerns your ability to do the job.

Are these salaries based on a full-year, 40 hour work week or 2080 hours/year? Paid vacation? Or are they based on a school schedule year....

It would seem to me some of these PostDocs are being paid for a short school year and expected to work full time....

 

[hermanntrude]

full -year probably-about-40hours-but-nobody-checks week. No paid vacation during the first year and it's mostly one-year contracts, although it's not unusual to have them extended to 2 or 3 years

 

[hermanntrude]

me and driekus have it good. I have heard of postdocs on 25000. The thing is a lot of us are from other countries, and some people come from places which make them expect rather less for their work, so often people are paid on what they expect to be paid, which means some get badly taken advantage of

 

[Curiosity]

Hermann

I'm going to have to look around down here and see what kind of salaries are being offered in the U.S.

Off-shore recruitment can be a scam for some - even so their educational standards are usually higher in many countries than the U.S. and you get these stratosphere guys doing gut work in jobs where they are more learned than their supervisors.... (this is my labor leader dad coming out in me haha)...

 

[driekus]

After doing a lot of digging definately think im not that bad off. My contract even though it is less, includes 3 weeks vacation, so compensates a little. Im only doing this to get work experience so I can get a job in a pharmaceutical company and also to see the world. I realise the salary is not brilliant but I have seen salaries a lot lower. Once I have the experience I will go for a job in a pharmaceutical company and earn a decent salary.

The only thing im nervous about thus far is the weather, I have never seen snow or temperatures below zero. Although Im sick of Perth summers, 43C for two days straight in autumn is too much for me.

 

[hermanntrude]

After doing a lot of digging definately think im not that bad off. My contract even though it is less, includes 3 weeks vacation, so compensates a little. Im only doing this to get work experience so I can get a job in a pharmaceutical company and also to see the world. I realise the salary is not brilliant but I have seen salaries a lot lower. Once I have the experience I will go for a job in a pharmaceutical company and earn a decent salary.

The only thing im nervous about thus far is the weather, I have never seen snow or temperatures below zero. Although Im sick of Perth summers, 43C for two days straight in autumn is too much for me.

don't worry about the weather. It's very dry here so you don't feel the cold as bad as you might imagine. the trick is to wear a lot of layers and have more than one coat, one for normal cold and one for when it hits -15 to -30. Oh and a hat is a definate must-have. try to see the snow and ice as an interesting new experience rather than miserable cold and wet. before I came to edmonton I was much further north, and coming here was a step towards the warm... up there it's still -20 nearly every day. Today here it's 0 and only just getting light.

 

[Curiosity]

Driekus

Well good luck to you mate..... enjoy your journey....your new adventure.....and no doubt you'll find many new and interesting friendships along your way.....