Question regarding possible terrible LoC

[SeekHeart]

I currently work for a lab, and my boss who is not a PI (doesn't even work with me daily or even interact often) seems to hate me. In terms of my work, I accomplish what is being asked of me (only limitations include how reality works and how science works) and I have learned a lot. The project I am on currently has been ongoing before I came in and when I came in I was not even given a proper briefing or guidance and so I had to learn a lot on my own. When my boss first asked about the project as a quiz sort of thing to me, I blanked because I was completely new.

 

More interestingly, the project seems to be a dead end as three or so months ago the post doc working on this project quit the project, while my boss is still telling me to continue the project. Moving to the present, my appointment needed to be renewed and when I approached my boss about it he said okay everything stays the same just extended a year contract. When I talked to HR about it they mentioned that instead of giving a simple yes, he had a longer answer. So am I in the worst case scenario for a Rec? If so what can I do to alleviate this problem.

[fuzzylogician]

Are you an undergrad? If so, you don't need to worry very much about the project being a dead end, as you put it. That's not really your concern, as it seems that your boss is interested in extending it, and has the funding to do so. It's great to get publications as an undergrad but what really matters is getting the experience and the reference letters at the end. 

 

I don't understand exactly what you mean by 'he had a longer answer' about your employment. That's so vague I don't know how to make sense of it. What is your boss's role in the lab? Do they have a PhD? Will they be there a year from now, when you're applying for grad school (assuming that's the goal)? Would you be able to get a letter from the PI--does s/he know you and your work at all? You describe one not great interaction with your boss but aside from that, why are you concerned about your letter? There has to be more to this than you're telling us, or you're reading more into this than there really is. Is your attitude towards the project perhaps coming across as overstepping your bounds or as insolence? I have to say that from the way you write, I could see that happening (but of course I could be totally wrong on that!). I find it hard to believe that an undergrad assistant in a lab would get a bad rec just because they didn't remember the details of their project once, or that that would cause their boss to hate them. (Bosses don't usually have such strong feelings about employees to begin with.)

[SeekHeart]

Are you an undergrad? If so, you don't need to worry very much about the project being a dead end, as you put it. That's not really your concern, as it seems that your boss is interested in extending it, and has the funding to do so. It's great to get publications as an undergrad but what really matters is getting the experience and the reference letters at the end. 

 

I don't understand exactly what you mean by 'he had a longer answer' about your employment. That's so vague I don't know how to make sense of it. What is your boss's role in the lab? Do they have a PhD? Will they be there a year from now, when you're applying for grad school (assuming that's the goal)? Would you be able to get a letter from the PI--does s/he know you and your work at all? You describe one not great interaction with your boss but aside from that, why are you concerned about your letter? There has to be more to this than you're telling us, or you're reading more into this than there really is. Is your attitude towards the project perhaps coming across as overstepping your bounds or as insolence? I have to say that from the way you write, I could see that happening (but of course I could be totally wrong on that!). I find it hard to believe that an undergrad assistant in a lab would get a bad rec just because they didn't remember the details of their project once, or that that would cause their boss to hate them. (Bosses don't usually have such strong feelings about employees to begin with.)

 

According to HR typically they get a simple Yes extend his/her appointment and done, but the fact that my boss may intend to speak to HR and possibly lower my salary or something along those lines bugs me. My boss is more or less a staff scientist according to his title, but he doesn't have a PhD, he has a masters in Bio Engineering.He is a permanent. As for the PI, I work in a lab where there are literally hundreds of people and the PI doesn't really interact with people who aren't post docs. I graduated from College a year back and am a research fellow(name of my position for people with a BA/BS). I'm concerned with my letter because I am assuming he will be the person my interviewers might ask questions about concerning my work. As for the project I have been docile and haven't caused much trouble, though I had a small fight with the new post doc about it (because he was proposing experiments that deviates from what my boss wants). Hope this sheds more light?