Define your role in your job… don’t let your role define you. That’s one of the messages the students participating in the Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day heard as they began their tour of the company’s facilities, plus visiting Pfizer and Monsanto in St. Louis.

Sheena Arink, an analytical chemist with Novus, showed the students, along with some of their professors and mentors, the workings of her area at the agri-business. Making their way through the chemical research area, she pointed out the various labs where important work is done every day. Later, she handed off the group to another researcher at Novus… this time on the biological side of the house so the students could get an overview of the wide variety of research being done.

I caught up with Sheena after the tour, and she told me that people need to explore all the possibilities for their careers.

“Do as many interships as possible, [so you know what’s out there].” She also emphasized that role-taking is important. “Does your role define you? I tried to get out there that you define your role. If you want to move up or move around or try different things, you need to voice your opinion and let them know you don’t want to be stuck in one area.”

She adds that she did not come from an agricultural background… a city girl who now realizes that there’s more to agriculture than farming or feeding animals.

“I think that being in the lab and seeing people talk that they’ll see there’s different aspects to the whole agricultural world.”

Listen to my entire conversation with Sheena here: sheenaarink1.mp3

2009 Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day Photo Set