How to Manage Junior Labmates Who are Older than You

Dear Dora,

I am currently half way through my Ph.D.  Recently a new Ph.D. candidate joined our group. She is 35 this year while I’m in 25. She used to be a lecturer in another private university. She always bragged and boasted about her knowledge and achievements prior to joining our team. But then again, things turned out rather differently. She doesn’t seem to have basic lab skills like using the pH meter and unable to use some common sense in doing everyday work. In our culture, the older ones want respect from the younger ones but they don’t understand respect is something to be earned. The new Ph.D. student is also very egoistic despite her lack of experience in labwork but she constantly needs us to teach her. Some of the instruments were spoilt due to her negligence and her reluctance to ask–how should we deal with her? How do we deal with “juniors” who are very much older than us, in terms of age. I have been working in the lab for 3 years so I have a few publications which clearly demonstrated my ability while she has none. In certain ways I feel she is jealous of my achievement. What can I do? How can I improve the situations without hurting her feelings?

-Anonymous

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Dear Anonymous,

It is not unusual for older students to feel insecure, precisely because of their age. She might feel embarrassed that she is older than the graduate students and maybe even the postdocs. That is most likely the reason that she keeps trying to prove herself.   As a former lecturer, she probably has a basic understanding of science, while being rusty on the lab skills. My recommendation is tell her clearly what she needs to know, without being condescending. For example, if she ruined an instrument because she neglected to do maintenance, let her know how important it is to do the maintenance to make sure others can do their work. Everyone likes to get along with their coworkers, and she probably needs only a few warnings to make sure she will do her work correctly. She is also more likely to respect your opinion if you build rapport with her by including her in lunches and other group activities.

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Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of Grad School Net, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to [email protected] and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks!  In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

• Using Your PhD Outside of Research
• The Conferencation: Adding Personal Time to a Scientific Meeting
• Keeping Preliminary Results Private with an Overexcited PI
• How Long is Acceptable for Holiday Vacation?
• Graduate School: How Long is Too Long?
• Is a Parasitic Postdoc Trying to Steal Your Project?
• Is the NIH Minimum Binding for All?
• Backing Out of a Postdoc Offer for a Better One
• Managing Publication Jealousy in the Lab
• Debriefing the Lab After a Scientific Conference
• Music in the Lab: MyTunes, iTunes, or No Tunes?

Submit your questions to Dora at [email protected], or use the comment box below!

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