#through PhD and postdoc and now into actual scientist job but compared to his career I am still a total newbie

[madanimalscientist]

I am in my 30s, and this week I got a gift card at work because a senior scientist saw me present at a conference where I was the most junior member on a discussion panel with 3 very well-respected scientists and he thought I did a great job especially given the inherent 'aaaaaa' of the situation (I did okay but I was pretty intimidated, and I am one of those weirdos who likes public speaking even). So not only did he tell my boss I did a good job, he filed the internal paperwork so I could get a formal commendation and a gift card and told me to use it for something awesome.

A) the fact that he thought I did good meant a lot, but the fact that he filed paperwork so I'd get official recognition of it? Instant +10 mental shield against imposter syndrome, I was literally speechless and beet red during the meeting when they announced it.

B) The fact that my new ish job (been here 6 months) has procedures in place to recognize stuff like this, including gift cards? HELL YES. Like you can nominate people for these and they send out reminders every so often being like 'hey we want to recognize when people do good stuff! nominate your colleagues!' and I love this re workplace culture

This job is helping me build so much more confidence and smash imposter syndrome but also like it is because they work really hard to make us feel valued and listened to and like our work matters. And this is not an environment I have had anywhere else really, not like this, not at a systemic level - I've had mentors do this, but that was like a one person at the job thing, this is the entire departmental culture. HOLY FUCK I LOVE MY JOB. They outright say they want people to grow and bring their whole selves to work and feel accepted and valued and they put their money where their mouth is and I LOVE THIS JOB SO MUCH.

(But also now the whole lab knows the easiest way to get me to go completely speechless/deer in headlights is to sincerely compliment me and thus the mortifying ordeal of being known rears its head ;p )

consider: teenagers aren’t apathetic about everything they’re just used to you shitting all over whatever they show excitement about