Would you take this job? - (Nov/25/2013 )

My boss offered me a job in Nairobi for $45,000 per year. Would you take it? She says it's a nice place with good weather. The salary is not much, is it? But I have a feeling it has good future.

$45K is probably pretty good for Kenya, living should be pretty cheap in the area.  I was recently at a seminar from someone who works in Kilifi in a Welcome Trust centre there, which has a large BSL3 lab.  Don't know about Nairobi though.  Kenya is one of the more stable and prosperous nations in sub-saharan Africa.

Curtis on Mon Nov 25 06:48:41 2013 said:

My boss offered me a job in Nairobi for $45,000 per year. Would you take it? She says it's a nice place with good weather. The salary is not much, is it? But I have a feeling it has good future.

 

Your boss, she works there than? I am a bit confused...

 

 

here, this will help: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Kenya&displayCurrency=USD

(aveage is only 500 dollar each month.. so you and your 3750.....)

One thing you need to keep in mind: insurances for health problems! Ask your boss if you will be insured etc.. because this can be very very expensive if you have a medical problem.

And perhaps you can even get a place from work to.. expats often can negotiate things like that.

 

 

But in short: you will be one rich dude over there.. haha

 

 

The problem is: while you are there, you can live very very well (ok, you wont be a bill gates rich one, but rich enough), but you will not have a lot of extra money when you come back to a more "rich" country.

If you for example stay there and you move back to (lets say the USA) you will not have been able to save a lot compared to (I guess) when you worked in the USA.

 

You can be a normal person in the USA (if you work there with your degree) or a "god" in Kenya .... its up for you to decide..

I wonder why you not get some extra benefits such as x travels home per year and extra-pays that you are willing to go there (many people get this, and not only diplomats and MDs but also scientists, as it's sometimes difficult to find people willing to go there). Anyway as mentioned earlier you'll live good there and surely in a gated community with domestic worker(s) (a must to support local people). So this is no problem. And you'll have lots of people from all over the world, because there are several international institutions and organisations located. This also icludes that shopping possibilites are similar to ours. And the local people are really nice and hospitable.

Health insurance is a must (though as far as I remember at least no malaria directly there).

Nairobi is compared to some other places in Africa surely quite safe, but compared to European or US cities unsafe (perhaps typical for huge cities with slums), and you have to stay better in groups and drive by car, not leaving you community when it's dark and all these typical precautions for such countries (something which I don't like as you don't feel free and independent anymore). And also the thread of terrorism exists (think of the attack on a mall recently, or the election days which can end in riots or almost civil war, a time to better have holidays somewhere else then).

And traffic, it's a disaster, I knew one researcher who was killed (a local one) and a guest researcher who was heavily injured during a car accident. Both had a driver familiar with the traffic.

I had once an opportunity to have a postdoc position there but was too cowardly and declined it though there where several benefits. Still a bit regretting since it's surely a unique experience, but a sometimes dangerous one. So you have many pros and cons and it's finally a decision if you like this challenge... .

And finally: You also have to think about if this step helps you later in your career, and how you can manage the coming back (if it's not permanent and you decide to live there for your rest of the life). Anyway a return can be difficult when nobody knows you anymore at home and you don't find an "entry point".

Thanks guys,

This is the place: http://www.ilri.org/directorate

 

Most of the board members are Europeans (or Caucasian of any kind). My boss is one of the only Asians in the board. You know she already found a new job for me and my application is still in the process, and 99% I'm going there. But she also mentioned about this place because she just came back from there. She said in her institute 50% of the staff are African 50% are non-African. She said this organisation is something like WHO, but not at that level of course.

 

She likes me and knows I'm struggling to find a place abroad. I'm a mixed Caucasion and it's really difficult to work in Asia for a long time and she knows it. We've been working with each other for the past 7-8 years, and have a good relation. I recently produced a virus for her that 2-3 of her former students had failed to rescue it, and she is extremely happy with that.

 

@ Bob1, $45k is not bad for Kenya at all. But I don't want to live there for the rest of my life, I just want to work for 1-2 years and save money until I get my permanent job in my home country. But it's not only about the money. I have a wife and need to know her opinion too. You know, I didn't even plan to stay in Malaysia, it just happened. They gave me good scholarship with a 3-bedroom apartment and I've stayed for many years now. Kuala Lumpur is a nice place, there are many foreigners here too, specially in our apartment complex there are many people from New Zealand, and you really don't feel it's Asia. We also have few Australian students here. Most of their parents work here, so they get to study here too. I'm one of the unlucky ones who still works for the government. I have few friends who found jobs at Pfizer, Sime Derby or Roche here, with pretty high salaries.

 

@Pito I can't stop laughing :)). Thanks for the link. That chicken breast (bonesless, skinless) was really funny and priceless. I didn't know there are such websites.

 

@hobglobin, I've applied for a permanent position in a vaccine company too, but it will take up to a year to be finalized. For the moment, I would take anything that has higher salary. When I was a teenager, I always wanted to be a doctor, somebody like Isaac Asimov, but now I only think about the money. I know I am good at my work, but I really don't find the room to grow. And I hate it when when people tell me if I were good I would find a good place...because I know I'm good, :D . Many people come to my room and ask me to troubleshoot them, at least 2 people every day. I don't even get my name in their papers, but I help, just like how I help people in here.

 

You know, I started my first PhD in Giessen, Germany. But I left after 3 months since my supervisor (maybe I'll tell you his name later) didn't give me scholarship. He asked me to support myself for a year, and next year he'd see if he could give me scholarship or not. I always asked myself, how come a person who has articles in Nature and Science cannot support his students? I left the moment I heard he offered scholarship to his local students...but now I regret not doing PhD in his lab. I should have stayed and proved myself to him. I think he had a feeling I'm not dedicating myself to science. Right after I got my PhD degree I emailed him and told him how I felt 5 years ago when he treated me like that...long story, but I do regret many moments in my life too, including not staying in UK for PhD after my MSc.

 

I'm 35 and have only 9 articles. Many people my age are associate professors, and I'm still searching for postdoc or research fellow jobs, until my permanent job is settled. It's bad, really bad. I think my age and the country of my degree are the reason my applications in foreign countries (New Zealand and the US) got rejected and people don't take me seriously...I have a few friends who got their PhD from Malaysia and then applied for 2nd PhD in Australia. They are still studying...it's crazy....I finished my degree with 4 papers when I was 32, but my postdoc project didn't produce many articles for me because it was really difficult and we failed for almost a year. It wasn't my fault, it was just very difficult. We started everything from scratch since we didn't want to have collaboration with foreign countries...in the end, a Dutch scientist gave us a plasmid, and boom, it was done.

 

and now Nairobi... I will take the job if my boss supports me in there.

Any others who have an opinion about his?

35 and already associoate professors?

Only 9 papers? (thats not that bad...)

 

 

Curtis on Tue Nov 26 11:07:44 2013 said:

 

I'm 35 and have only 9 articles. Many people my age are associate professors, and I'm still searching for postdoc or research fellow jobs, until my permanent job is settled. It's bad, really bad. I think my age and the country of my degree are the reason my applications in foreign countries (New Zealand and the US) got rejected and people don't take me seriously...I have a few friends who got their PhD from Malaysia and then applied for 2nd PhD in Australia. They are still studying...it's crazy....I finished my degree with 4 papers when I was 32, but my postdoc project didn't produce many articles for me because it was really difficult and we failed for almost a year. It wasn't my fault, it was just very difficult. We started everything from scratch since we didn't want to have collaboration with foreign countries...in the end, a Dutch scientist gave us a plasmid, and boom, it was done.

 

and now Nairobi... I will take the job if my boss supports me in there.

We have this guy downstairs who is 2 years younger than me with 40+ papers. How's that?

Luck?

 

I know the number of papers is often seen as important, but its not Always the case.

Often if depends on luck... and the subject you study.

 

I know someone who has +- 35 papers while he is an idiot...

He was Lucky to be at the right place at the right time every time. + the subjects he worked/works on are things that can be published fast.

 

Curtis on Wed Nov 27 02:43:38 2013 said:

We have this guy downstairs who is 2 years younger than me with 40+ papers. How's that?

pito on Wed Nov 27 12:27:51 2013 said:

 

I know someone who has +- 35 papers while he is an idiot...

 

lol, but he has a higher chance of being shortlisted. Supervisors care about numbers, or h-index and stuff.

Thats true...

I know, its the downside of the system.

 

Curtis on Wed Nov 27 14:15:31 2013 said:

 

pito on Wed Nov 27 12:27:51 2013 said:

 

I know someone who has +- 35 papers while he is an idiot...

 

lol, but he has a higher chance of being shortlisted. Supervisors care about numbers, or h-index and stuff.