Once one has been in an organization for ten years or more, however, it becomes increasingly difficult, especially for those who have not been too effective. The young knowledge worker should, therefore, ask himself early: “Am I in the right work and in the right place for my strengths to tell?” But he cannot ask this question, let alone answer it, if the beginning job is too small, too easy, and designed to offset his lack of experience rather than to bring out what he can do.
I would argue that nowadays (March 2020, Boston pharma/biotech) three years is plenty.
