Research or Industry? Career Choice Advice

[aspiring_one]

Hello all,

I am currently a sophomore in university and I was thinking about my future. I'm currently a biochemistry/biophysics major and a mathematics minor. I figure that combination would help me broaden my horizons rather than concentrate on a specific field.

I'm torn between going into research or industry. I like the idea of applying concepts to solve real world problems, but being at the forefront of science is also really appealing.

If I go the industry route I'm thinking about switching to chemE with a minor in mathematics.
If research, I plan on keeping my current major/minor.

What I would LOVE to research is some sort of combination of genetics/plants/agriculture. I don't know how feasible this idea is though. I was thinking of doing some sort of "independent" research while in industry.

Maybe I could land a job after graduation and make enough to support myself (humbly). Then I was thinking of going back to school while holding a job to pay for my education (masters in chemistry or biochemistry?). I want to be able to support myself when I graduate as well as to have the technical "know how" in running and designing an experiment, but I would also like to know the theory and details behind each. I want to be able to answer the "how" and the "why". I want to be a science/engineer hybrid (for lack of a better term).

Any tips would be appreciated, as would any insight to personal career choices.
Thank you for reading :)

 

[twofish-quant]

I'm torn between going into research or industry. I like the idea of applying concepts to solve real world problems, but being at the forefront of science is also really appealing.

I don't think it's research or industry. It's a mix of both. Something that you should know is that about practically every academic professor I know in biophysics has some "industry connection." If you talk to some professors you'll find that a lot of them have some start up that they are working in the garage or that they get some extremely lucrative consulting contracts.

Academia and industry in the US is part of one big system designed to maintain US control over the planet (not that there is necessarily anything wrong with that).

What I would LOVE to research is some sort of combination of genetics/plants/agriculture. I don't know how feasible this idea is though. I was thinking of doing some sort of "independent" research while in industry.

Not likely. If you work in something related to your area, then company will own everything you produce. If you work in something unrelated, you probably won't have time. Also, the "lone inventor" isn't how things work. Research is an intensely social activity.

Also having the company own everything you make isn't a bad deal. They give you money, and you work for a lot of other cool people.

Maybe I could land a job after graduation and make enough to support myself (humbly).

That system is already in place. It's called being a graduate student. :-) :-) You get a small amount of money, and you get to do research.

I want to be a science/engineer hybrid (for lack of a better term).

The modern scientist is part engineer and part businessman. Especially in biotech.

 

[aspiring_one]

Ahh I see, thank you for your reply twofish. I guess I should decide between either going the research route first and then industry or vice versa. I guess I should go hunt for internships.

 

[twofish-quant]

Ahh I see, thank you for your reply twofish. I guess I should decide between either going the research route first and then industry or vice versa. I guess I should go hunt for internships.

Things may be very different in your field, but if it is anything like physics there is no reason that you have to make a decision now. It's likely that you will need some sort of post-graduate work, and your undergraduate program should be set up so that it will be useful regardless of the direction life takes you.

The other thing is that for the most part, the really big decisions are made for you. Whether you end up in academia or industry depends on a large part on how the economy goes and how funding gets moved around, and those things tend to be a bit unpredictable.

Finally, academia doesn't have a monopoly on research, there are lots of jobs in industry where you end up going applied research.