The science career is my favorite! Well I sure am enjoying acting but science is so much fun. I have 4 scientist households Each if them specializes in a field, astroscience, botany, geo science, marine biology. Promotions lean heavily on work performance and completing tasks as wells as skill levels. With that being said your lab experience leans heavily on what you choose to do. My astro physist choose to do all of the alien type tasks: zapping people, meeting aliens etc. my earthbound scientists kept following the single available tasks which were not alien related and eventually the other worldly ones quit showing up. Consequently they lead very normal lives at home and work.
You don’t have to be proficient in say making potions and/or any specific task to be promoted. You will have to do a little of each to complete daily requirements. But my sims tend to focus on what I want them to do. After reaching the top of the field I don’t pay attention to the tasks at all.
I don’t know about the career hopper trait but thought you might enjoy some insight into the daily task requirements as they do play into job performance as well as promotions.
