I recently graduated from college with my degree in biochemistry, and have been on the job hunt. I had been told that this industry is a hard one to get a foot in the door because companies always want someone with experience. Which is typically what I’m finding (most places want at least 1 year of job experience even for lower positons) from a job market with a wide variety of companies (St. Louis has a nice science sector).
Fast forward to today when I had an interview with a company’s hiring manager . I guess he liked what I had to say, and his assistant calls me a couple hours later wanting to schedule a meeting where they will offer a formal position sometime next week . My problem is that the company is an enviromental risk management firm that doesn’t really work in the R&D field that I always pictured myself in. I’m afraid that if I take the position (which from what I can tell is a really great position with a good company) I will pigeon-hole myself, and won’t be able to later take a position with a company in a laboratory setting. I guess I’m afraid that by taking this position I will be limiting myself later. I have always seen myself as a lab rat, and would hate if I didn’t maximize options.
Would I hurt my future R&D dreams by taking a job in another field?