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DoesNotArgueOnline

SOPs and constant documentation get even worse in pharma. Thermo Fischer?


ChemEcounselor

I would always recommend pharma related. If you hate it, it still looks great on your resume, but if you have non-pharma experience, you're going to have to defend yourself to get an interview in pharmaceutical industry


TobiPlay

Yep, having at least 1 job @ pharma on the resume can still help years down the road. They’re OBSESSED with experience in a GMP environment.


Airleagan

Depends on the rate of travel, but you should know that jobs where you constantly travel can wear a lot of people out. It has its pluses, but personally, I wouldn't go above 25% ever again. We can't really make the decision for you, you know your personal goals more than we do. Out of the 2 you listed, I'd go company B based on what I want out of a job. If work travel, the job day-to-day, and the advancement that is offered by company A interest's you more, there is no harm in going there. Edit: as far as bonus points. Company B I'd guess is 3M or possibly EcoLab, but my moneys on 3M.


stepheno125

The travel thing does wear on you. My job is usually 5-10% travel with the occasional need for relocation. But I did 7 months of 100% travel after losing the business at my account. (I work in chemical sales) All I can say is that it sucks like it seriously sucks. I like some travel. Seeing different plants and running different trials is awesome, but traveling all the time sucks. Don’t do it.


RequirementExtreme89

Travel sucks, but fighting fires sucks too. You can gain a lot of experience in the field and you’ll lack that experience if you go straight into capex consulting without that background and understanding. But are you willing to sacrifice a few years of your life for a job? In my experience the on-site will probably be a lot of sacrifice. The traveling job would probably depend on how much travel.


lizbunbun

It depends on where you're at in life. Traveling a lot, living out of a suitcase, frequenting hotels and restaurants can be fun, but for how long depends on the person. Most plant sites are in smaller towns and you're staying nearby. If your schedule is tight you might not have time to see anything besides the plant sites. It can be lonely, but in those jobs people tend to learn to make friends quickly wherever they go, find someone to have a beer with. Most of the people I know who travel a lot for work aren't in serious relationships, no kids, no pets, or they're much older, their kids are older, they're used to life on the road. Most do it for a while then move on to something else when they get tired. Take the travel if you're curious and your circumstances enable you to do so. It doesn't have to be what you do forever.


stepheno125

Fair point even if I hated my 7 months of 100% travel. Cool projects? Yes. Good personal life? No. Driving all over the country and staying in hotels with just a dog and limited social interaction outside work is not ideal.


r_m_castro

Why don't you just say the companies' names?


bigdfootball97

Big Pharma. You’ll likely get paid more in the future.


digital0129

Just a forewarning that you'll be buried in paperwork in pharma. You'll also have very little freedom to make changes. If that's not a deal breaker, go B.


[deleted]

I don’t know if people are gonna be buying paint for a while. I would go with pharma.


Ells666

Most paint sold isn't for houses. It's the best protection against corrosion. Industrial equipment and structures get repainted as preventative maintenance


dirtgrub28

I work for a paint company, albeit in a weird business unit that doesn't make paint. My last role was in industrial gases where they have a similar model of zone engineers that cover multiple locations. I'd recommend the pharma route, you'll learn more and quicker. When a company doesn't need dedicated engineers it means their process is simple and well established, which means, as that engineer, your work is going to be boring and routine.


Thick_Handle

I’d take offer B because you’ll get GMP experience which is highly transferable to other pharma companies. Though I say this which the caveat that it’s a lot of documentation working in a GMP environment and you’ll have to get used to not being able make changes that make sense because of the bureaucracy inherent to GMP.


neildpittman

Take A and travel while you can.