Harvard University reviews

I spent less than a year in Alumni Affairs & Development aka AA&D (because here, even names of people are reduced to acronyms in an effort to save time, which is as precious and fugitive as the Golden Snitch). I barely escaped with my mental health. Everyone here is stressed out of their ever-loving minds. Worse yet is the culture of sorority-esque chipperness, phony facades smiling and excessively thanking (This is an honor for me/ No, it’s a greater honor for me / No, a greater honor for ME / And you must be Don Francisco’s sister / No, YOU must be Don Francisco’s sister) rather than bear the great shame of confessing to feeling overwhelmed. The sorority description is apt, if I do say, because the office of 300-400 or whatever is just about as diverse as one. In fact, you may look around and wonder if you ever left college at all! This is what Harvard loves to do: hire bright-eyed, unsuspecting, VERY recent college grads to fill promising-sounding Staff Assistant positions, while actually tricking them into performing the function of an EXECUTIVE Assistant (nay, two Executive Assistants) because it’s cheaper than hiring appropriately. The turnover rate is staggering, and this is why. HR knows this is why, but they are only there to serve the managers, not the lowly assistants. Granted, some Staff Assistant roles are doable, maybe even enjoyable, which is great for those people, but a gigantic injustice to the ones who have the same title and salary and yet are treated like Dobby the house elf. If you want to move up the ladder, have fun as a Coordinator! There are so many convoluted procedures in this office, so many “training” sessions to attend while you are also expected to jump into your role and keep on top of things, so much pressure to never make a mistake, to not take a real lunch, to utilize every single second of the day in proactive productivity so help you God. Corporate culture has thoroughly infiltrated. I got a look inside the belly of the beast, and it left me rather disgusted and disappointed.

This review is just from the perspective of someone who started as a postdoc and was promoted to the level of Research Scientist. It probably does not apply to other positions. By the name alone it seems like an institution that will open a million doors and will give you many opportunities. Well it is not. That is the elaborate trap that sucks in hundreds of postdocs every year. As a results we join in and we are called to live in a city that the average rend is 1500 for a studio with a scary of $45,000. And somehow we manage. Our savings (if we have any are exhausted) by the 25th of the month we have no money for food and on top of that we are called to work late nights weekends, holidays, snowstorms and even when the city is in lockdown. And this is doing a conservative life. Imagine this now, but also being naive that you can start a family. Who you think you are? Start a family? Oh no... Absolutely no. I have one. I work as a line-cook to a restaurant to get by. Guess what/ My work there is recognized a lot more. I get paid a more compared to the hours I put. And things get worse. Harvard has a series of elaborate schemes to feed the illusion they promote that you are "advancing your career". They tell you that we don't keep postdocs here for more than 3 years because "it is not good for you". Instead the promote you to "Research Associate" to advance your career. What they don't tell you is that you are still a postdoc that will still be overworked and underpaid and you will only get paid 5000 more. Yes this is it folks! PhD 3+ year of postdoctoral experience and you get $50,000. What a job! Who wouldn't want that. Here spend the rest of your life like this. I call it modern day educated "slavery". We are there because we love what we do. We are willing to pay our dues, but at the end of the day it is coming to doing what we love or living decently. The PIs are keeping you to help them and there is no interest to advance your career. It is all about them. You get nothing out of it. Well you get 50000. You are mid thirties living with a roommate, no prospect of family and no prospect of promotion. Harvard Administration does nothing to protect us from this. They willing look the other way and allow this perpetuate. Postdocs are highly trained, results producing machines that are used, literally used, to promote faculty. Went he money runs out you are just out. No interest in what you will do, no care and remorse. It's on you. It is the worst place to work in academia. Even if one prospective postdoc reads this and is protected then my mission is done. Please don't come to this hell on earth. Protect your rights, your life, your family, your mental health and your career. Please do not come.