| Senior Research Associate |
BASF is becoming increasingly a more casual culture -- with all but the
home office in MT Olive, NJ (seems to be a mixed culture there), being
business casual or blue jeans. Flex time is okay, on my site there is 30
minutes for lunch but no cafeteria, 8-4:30 is typical but you can do 7-
330 if you want, or 7 - 3 if you take no lunch. Rules say you have to
be there between 9 and 3 other time optional. I wear a tie on patent
day. MOre and more of the real research is being done in Germany--which
is an annoyance. Lately there has been tremendous pressure on business
groups to show immediate profit -- which leads to cuts in research on
anything but the most direct payback. Development of professionals is
not easy to discern. If you are in the top 10% by rating, you will be
required to move relatively quickly to advance. Otherwise there is no
plan. Jobs for all but senior positions must be posted--for
professionals company wide. THere is a requirement that you train to
develop your career, and probably some help if you request it. But
often you get little help if you want to transfer, unless your boss
takes an interest. I knew people who threatened to quit (with outside
job offer in hand) before anybody would listen to their request
seriously. They have strange rules that allow a boss to block your
transfer that are not communicated. The PDP program for beginning
engineers is excellent--you get to try three different types of jobs
which are temporary -- the weakness is that you never know where you'll
live or what job you'll have -- until you leave the program.
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