Tips for a chemist?
Discussion
Evening PH,
Currently have a vodka induced hangover, have been lurking long enough and thought I'd ask the question.
I'm a chemistry graduate and am looking for advice on where to go/who to approach/what to look for.
Since uni (2:2 from York) I've spent 18 months in France and have worked for 2 years for an on-line business. So as well as my chemistry I've learned some French, met some amazing people and have had a good insight into e-commerce.
What I want to do now though is take the 'next step' and get into a rewarding career, I can't keep hiding my head in the French sand! (25 now and a 911 C2 by 30 is my aim, GT2 if it goes really well!). I've met some great contacts for jobs etc in France who I've contacted now I'm back but there doesn't seem to be anything currently - do I keep politely updating these people about what I'm doing to keep jogging their minds? Finance does keep me entertained from what I've experienced so far (currently working in an accounts dept and covering for one of the accountants - which I seem to have picked up quickly) and I enjoy solving problems/finding issues. I'd say my time abroad has also given me good people skills and allows me to get on with and get to know almost anyone.
I love science, maths, technical detail, cycling and cashew nuts...any tips on who/what/where? Does anyone have the need for a chemist?! Any help will be very much appreciated!
Currently have a vodka induced hangover, have been lurking long enough and thought I'd ask the question.
I'm a chemistry graduate and am looking for advice on where to go/who to approach/what to look for.
Since uni (2:2 from York) I've spent 18 months in France and have worked for 2 years for an on-line business. So as well as my chemistry I've learned some French, met some amazing people and have had a good insight into e-commerce.
What I want to do now though is take the 'next step' and get into a rewarding career, I can't keep hiding my head in the French sand! (25 now and a 911 C2 by 30 is my aim, GT2 if it goes really well!). I've met some great contacts for jobs etc in France who I've contacted now I'm back but there doesn't seem to be anything currently - do I keep politely updating these people about what I'm doing to keep jogging their minds? Finance does keep me entertained from what I've experienced so far (currently working in an accounts dept and covering for one of the accountants - which I seem to have picked up quickly) and I enjoy solving problems/finding issues. I'd say my time abroad has also given me good people skills and allows me to get on with and get to know almost anyone.
I love science, maths, technical detail, cycling and cashew nuts...any tips on who/what/where? Does anyone have the need for a chemist?! Any help will be very much appreciated!
Medical/pharmaceutical sales is where you will have a good chance of that car within 5 years.
I did chemistry and was very disillusioned at the job market upon graduating (loads of minimum wage type lab roles). I initially started the degree as I was keen to work in the pharmaceutical industry (R&D, not sales) and didn't care for earning potential and all that stuff- I just wanted an interesting job with a modest salary. By the time I graduated I wasn't all that interested in that industry anymore, so did an MSc (fully funded) in a much more commercial field, but preferred the research aspect of it so then went on to do a PhD. I now work as an academic, and whilst the pay isn't phenomenal (£40k as an achievable range within 3-4 years of PhD completion) it is very varied in what I do- I research what I want, teach in areas that I research and get to travel all over the world to conferences and meetings with collaborators.
My advice would be to focus on finding a job that you would enjoy doing, if you're good at it you will earn a good salary anyway. After all, if you wanted to earn truck loads of cash you wouldn't have studied for a science degree!
I did chemistry and was very disillusioned at the job market upon graduating (loads of minimum wage type lab roles). I initially started the degree as I was keen to work in the pharmaceutical industry (R&D, not sales) and didn't care for earning potential and all that stuff- I just wanted an interesting job with a modest salary. By the time I graduated I wasn't all that interested in that industry anymore, so did an MSc (fully funded) in a much more commercial field, but preferred the research aspect of it so then went on to do a PhD. I now work as an academic, and whilst the pay isn't phenomenal (£40k as an achievable range within 3-4 years of PhD completion) it is very varied in what I do- I research what I want, teach in areas that I research and get to travel all over the world to conferences and meetings with collaborators.
My advice would be to focus on finding a job that you would enjoy doing, if you're good at it you will earn a good salary anyway. After all, if you wanted to earn truck loads of cash you wouldn't have studied for a science degree!
Cheers guys,
Oilydan I guess this is the industry you're in? Organic was my favourite as it happens and the one I got my best results in, anything else I'd have to read up on and learn as I go. I'll give those sites a good look through.
Sales would be good but I didn't get past the selection stage for Pareto, which I know isn't the be all and end all, but has put me off somewhat.
Oilydan I guess this is the industry you're in? Organic was my favourite as it happens and the one I got my best results in, anything else I'd have to read up on and learn as I go. I'll give those sites a good look through.
Sales would be good but I didn't get past the selection stage for Pareto, which I know isn't the be all and end all, but has put me off somewhat.
If you like the look of the typical oil industry then another area would be biofuels, which would certainly be a good area to move in to. The likes of Shell do a lot of work in this area, but it is a growing sector so there are a number of SMEs around.
Biofuels can come from a variety of waste materials (look at the Fischer-Tropsch process) or from energy crops. The demand for biofuels can really only increase.
Biofuels can come from a variety of waste materials (look at the Fischer-Tropsch process) or from energy crops. The demand for biofuels can really only increase.
STW2010 said:
My advice would be to focus on finding a job that you would enjoy doing, if you're good at it you will earn a good salary anyway. After all, if you wanted to earn truck loads of cash you wouldn't have studied for a science degree!
sad but true - or at least, not if you stay in something vaguely scientific for a job.Having said that; the other point made above makes a huge difference: find something you enjoy doing. I consider myself very lucky to be a line of work that still uses some of my chemistry/science background, that I also enjoy, that has got me to some strange and interesting places on the planet and is reasonably (although not spectacularly) rewarded financially.
Sadly I suspect to get 'spectacular' using your numeracy/scientific background would require you to count beans or get into stock market/trading sort of things
nothing to say other than:
I probably demonstrated to you in undergraduate labs
and
there is no career in pharmaceutical chemistry, if you want a decent job you need to look at people like BASF etc, materials, catalysts (maybe...), batteries, solar power, energy storage materials, and green stuff, is where (i think) the long term options are.
I probably demonstrated to you in undergraduate labs
and
there is no career in pharmaceutical chemistry, if you want a decent job you need to look at people like BASF etc, materials, catalysts (maybe...), batteries, solar power, energy storage materials, and green stuff, is where (i think) the long term options are.
STW2010 said:
Medical/pharmaceutical sales is where you will have a good chance of that car within 5 years.
I did chemistry and was very disillusioned at the job market upon graduating (loads of minimum wage type lab roles). I initially started the degree as I was keen to work in the pharmaceutical industry (R&D, not sales) and didn't care for earning potential and all that stuff- I just wanted an interesting job with a modest salary. By the time I graduated I wasn't all that interested in that industry anymore, so did an MSc (fully funded) in a much more commercial field, but preferred the research aspect of it so then went on to do a PhD. I now work as an academic, and whilst the pay isn't phenomenal (£40k as an achievable range within 3-4 years of PhD completion) it is very varied in what I do- I research what I want, teach in areas that I research and get to travel all over the world to conferences and meetings with collaborators.
My advice would be to focus on finding a job that you would enjoy doing, if you're good at it you will earn a good salary anyway. After all, if you wanted to earn truck loads of cash you wouldn't have studied for a science degree!
oh, hello, (fingers crossed) future academic here. waiting to hear about my latest fellowship application in the next few days...I did chemistry and was very disillusioned at the job market upon graduating (loads of minimum wage type lab roles). I initially started the degree as I was keen to work in the pharmaceutical industry (R&D, not sales) and didn't care for earning potential and all that stuff- I just wanted an interesting job with a modest salary. By the time I graduated I wasn't all that interested in that industry anymore, so did an MSc (fully funded) in a much more commercial field, but preferred the research aspect of it so then went on to do a PhD. I now work as an academic, and whilst the pay isn't phenomenal (£40k as an achievable range within 3-4 years of PhD completion) it is very varied in what I do- I research what I want, teach in areas that I research and get to travel all over the world to conferences and meetings with collaborators.
My advice would be to focus on finding a job that you would enjoy doing, if you're good at it you will earn a good salary anyway. After all, if you wanted to earn truck loads of cash you wouldn't have studied for a science degree!
Use Psychology said:
nothing to say other than:
I probably demonstrated to you in undergraduate labs
and
there is no career in pharmaceutical chemistry, if you want a decent job you need to look at people like BASF etc, materials, catalysts (maybe...), batteries, solar power, energy storage materials, and green stuff, is where (i think) the long term options are.
No money in Catalysts either.I probably demonstrated to you in undergraduate labs
and
there is no career in pharmaceutical chemistry, if you want a decent job you need to look at people like BASF etc, materials, catalysts (maybe...), batteries, solar power, energy storage materials, and green stuff, is where (i think) the long term options are.
Use Psychology said:
there is no career in pharmaceutical chemistry, if you want a decent job you need to look at people like BASF etc, materials, catalysts (maybe...), batteries, solar power, energy storage materials, and green stuff, is where (i think) the long term options are.
Good suggestions there. I did some work at Johnson Matthey during my undergrad, and catalysts were quite a lucrative area.Energy storage- certainly a big one to look for. Solar panels and wind turbines produce energy when it's sunny or windy, not always when energy is needed. These are increasingly on the carbon reduction agenda, so energy storage would be a good area for a chemist. Otherwise, semiconductors are used in photovoltaic cells for solar panels.
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