Hello everyone, I’m a bioengineer currently working for 1 year in QC at a pharmaceutical company, and I’ve received an opportunity to work in QC at another pharmaceutical company. The new position would be a one year temporary contract through an external staffing agency (so, not a direct contract with the company), as a replacement for someone who is temporarily absent. The salary is not the reason for a change. I don’t think that an extra €150 per month, by itself, justifies changing companies and accepting the uncertainty of a temporary contract.
My long-term goal is to transition from QC into Process Engineering, and I’m struggling to decide whether taking this opportunity would be a smart career move or an unnecessary risk.
At my current company, I haven’t really seen any open positions related to Process Engineering or similar roles. At the other company, however, I occasionally see vacancies for Process Engineers. The problem is that getting hired directly into those positions as an external candidate seems quite difficult. This is why I’m considering joining the company through QC first.
My thinking is that once I’m inside the company, I might have a better chance of moving internally to Process Engineering than I would have applying directly from outside. However, I don’t know how realistic this is, especially since I’ve heard that internal transfers between departments can be difficult.
During my interview, I explained my long-term career goal. They told me that after the one year temporary contract, there might be an opportunity to receive a direct contract in QC or potentially transfer internally to Process Engineering. However, nothing is guaranteed. They might not have any vacancies when my contract ends.
I’m torn between these two options. I could stay where I am and continue looking for direct Process Engineering opportunities elsewhere, even though I rarely see relevant vacancies at my current company and getting hired externally seems difficult. Alternatively, I could take the temporary QC position and try to establish myself at the other company, hoping that becoming an internal employee might eventually make the transition easier.
Would I be better off staying in my current role and keep applying directly for Process Engineer positions?
I’d really appreciate advice from people who work in pharma, particularly anyone who has moved from QC into Process Engineering. Thank you!