Briana
Is it better to go for "the dream" or be realistic with a career?
I ask because I dream of starting my own make-up company (my major is biochemistry and minor is business), but I realize that it would probably be safer to study for medical/pharmacy school or even go into research. In today's economy, I don't know if it's worth the risk. #biochemistry #myfuture #dreamjob
2 answers
Taylor Hanzlik
Taylor’s Answer
Hi Briana, thanks for submitting a question! This is definitely a question that you have to decide for yourself. I have seen it both ways! Once you get to college, I would apply for internships or co-ops. Get experience in what you want to do. I had a friend in college that thought he knew what he wanted to do so he got an internship with a great company and didn't like the way they ran things. So when he graduated, he started his own company and it took awhile to get it off the ground, but he's happy with his decision!
On the other had, I have another friend who went into college wanting to be an entrepreneur, but before starting his own company. He's working for a company that does similar work to what he wants his business to provide. Down the road he plans to take the experiences and knowledge he gained from his current company and apply it to make his own business.
I'm sure there's other options too, but I would attend college, apply for internships, and decide once you've seen more! In the end, I would say you should always follow your dream, it just might not be a direct path.
Hope this helps and best of luck!
Bethany Kaufman
Bethany’s Answer
The great thing about a biochemistry degree is that it offers so many opportunities. No matter what path you take, you will have plenty of jobs available to you. So I would not suggest pursuing a specialty that you are not genuinely interested in (such as medical, pharmacy, etc.). There will always be time to pursue one of those specialties in the future if you want...I wouldn't abandon your dream so soon!
Piggybacking on what Taylor said, it might be easier for you to start your own makeup company after working for an established cosmetics company since cosmetics development is a pretty complex process. You could aim for a research and development (R&D) job...for example, Estee Lauder has an entire page on their website dedicated to R&D here: https://www.elcompanies.com/en/careers/research-and-development-jobs
To get an R&D job, you'll want to get some research and/or internship experience in a particular type of biochemistry/chemistry that relates to cosmetics development. For example, analytical chemistry is common in cosmetics development, so you could look for an internship or research position that allows you to learn analytical chemistry skills. To get more ideas of the types of biochemistry/chemistry skills that would be most useful in makeup development, I would suggest talking with someone who is already working in a cosmetics research job. LinkedIn is a great way to start conversations with people in different careers. People are usually nice and happy to chat with you! Just search for "cosmetics researcher" or a particular cosmetics company you like and see if you can find a few people who are doing work that sounds interesting to you and reach out!
Your school may be able to help you find a research internship/student job. Once you have some ideas of research areas you are interested in (such as analytical chemistry), talk with your college advisor to see if they know of any labs on campus that are doing related work. They may also know of off-campus research opportunities as well.
You could also consider starting a simple beauty company now just to get a taste of entrepreneurship. For example, I know several people who have started their own soap companies without any special experience, and they sell their products at local farmers' markets and on Etsy. Although that's not what you want to do long-term, it could be a good way to get started and it might look impressive to makeup companies you are trying to get a job with.
Hope this helps! Best wishes to you!
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