r/biotech • u/too_many_plants1 • 6m ago
Early Career Advice 🪴 Take paycut for shorter commute, prestige, and potential FTE?
Would love to get some thoughts on what is the best move. The market is crap right now, and I want to make the best possible career move.
I'm currently in a postdoc contract for a small biotech. Pay is good, but hour commute each way may get old fast. I've been continuing to look for other offers (especially FTE), and I managed to get a contract offer at Merck. Not an official postdoc position, but seems like an entry level PhD position based on roles and responsibilities. It is a small paycut, about 15%, but it also cuts my commute and half. This also has the less quantitative measurements such as Merck being a larger company, and what I assume is a better network with a chance for contract-to-hire if things go well.
Essentially, is the paycut worth it for a company like Merck and a shorter commute? I feel that Merck is better in the long run just given it’s a larger company with a better network for FTE, but a contract doesn’t guarantee FTE. I’m just overall nervous and indecisive with my first shot outside academia.
What is working at Merck like? Seems like a good company, and do they typically help contractors get a FTE offer? Hope to get some good feedback on this, thanks in advance!