Pros
***I am only speaking for my department*** I don't consider these pros but some might. -No pressure to keep up to date with literature or research. I once asked an employee what their favorite journal was and they couldn't come up with a response. -Relaxed environment where you can coast through the work week relatively stress free. It's obvious that many people do!
Cons
***I am only speaking for my department*** -If I had to grade the level of research in my department at EMD it would've be an F. Upper management is too far removed from the lab and unwilling to adapt to a constantly evolving therapeutic field. I was met with resistance when I approached upper management with new techniques that would've benefited multiple projects rather than the singular project I was working on. Lower level workers are hired solely based on hands on experience and not scientific background. I've had many conversations with employees where they know how to complete a task but they don't understand how the assay they're performing works or why they're doing that particular assay. There isn't enough room to elaborate on just how poor the level of research is at EMD. -The quality of data was often at times very weak due to lack of oversight or due to managers who don't have a clue. - Extremely poor communication within and across departments. ZERO techniques are shared, efforts are often duplicated or performed unnecessarily. Goals either aren't clearly stated or are stated without a clear path to an endpoint. -Lack of innovative projects in the pipeline. -Lack of career development. -The company feels they don't have to change a whole lot because after all, it's a successful business, right? -You pay for a car + insurance + gas and drive 20 minutes - an hour to be paid below industry average. Get a train pass and work in Cambridge. My advice to younger scientists looking for opportunities at EMD - DO NOT WORK HERE. You will not develop in your career. You will not develop scientifically.
