CHEMICAL CAREER INSIGHTS
A Guide to Careers in Chemistry

Produced by the Younger Chemists Committee of the American Chemical Society

(Reproduced with permission.)

Most chemists are employed in one of four areas: Industry (60%), Academia (24%), Government (9%), or Non-Traditional (7%). The following is a brief introduction to each of these four areas.

INDUSTRY: R&D, PRODUCTION

Industry can be thought of as an entity that produces and sells a product or service for a profit. Tbe product starts as an idea and, with the support of chemists, becomes a viable, saleable product. The chemists involved may bave a hands-on responsibility, a supporting role, or a supervisory role in turning the idea into a product. Typical duties and activities of three industrial chemical careers are summarized here.

The Research Chemist will run chemical reactions, take part in meetings, operate sophisticated instruments, write technical reports, and use computers to solve complex scientific problems.

The Development Chemist will work with and supervise technicians, develop assay procedures, find optimum process conditions , and scale-up reactions.

The Production Chemist will work with plant engineers to maximize the design and use of plant equipment, supervise production, ensure quality control and ensure compliance with environmental protection policies.

The industrial environment offers a multitude of chemical careers in addition to those mentioned briefly here.

INDUSTRY: SALES, MARKETING & TECH SERVICE

Once an idea has become a product, as described above, chemical careers in marketing, sales, and technical service are necessary to provide the customer with the product. Each of these careers involves a product-customer reladonship.

A career in Marketing deals primarily with analyzing groups of customers known as "markets." From such analyses, the marketing individual must predict future trends and sales, determine market needs, and develop advertising strategies.

Individuals working in Sales deal with the customer one-on-one as the company's most visible employees. Interpersonal skills are highly valued in this function, and the work schedule is very self-structured.

A chemical career where laboratory work and customer interaction are intertwined is Technical Service. Responsibilities include: developing new applications for products, writing instruction manuals, and troubleshooting for customers with problems or questions.

A background in business is required to a varying extent for each of these careers. Success depends upon effective communication with the customer.

CAREERS IN ACADEME

An academic career can offer the most independence and flexibility in lifestyle and career achievement; however, positions are competitive and require hard work and long hours to establish an independent research program while fulfilling teaching and other administrative duties. The four types of academic occupations in chemistry are descnbed as follows.

A Secondary School Science Teacber may teach other sciences as well as chemistry and have the potential of sparking a student's interest in the chemical sciences.

A Lab Technologist or Instrumentation Specialist at a research university would be responsible for care, maintenance, and operation of highly sophisticated instrumentation.

As Lecturer or Professor in a departrnent without a Ph.D. granting program, one would be expected to excel at lecturing, oversee laboratory classes, and perhaps maintain an independent research program.

Professors at major research universities are expected to develop vigorous research programs at the cutting edge of science as well as teach and solicit funding.

Academia offers tremendous challenges and rewards for those who choose a career of this type.

CAREERS IN GOVERNMENT

Major government research centers are found not only in Washington, D.C. but throughout the U.S., and include the National Institute of Health, the Agricultural Research Service, the National Bureau of Standards, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy Labs. At tbese facilities career opportunities range from basic research similar to that performed at major universities to applied research similar to that done in industry, but directed to supporting government projects.

Thee Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Food and Drug Administration offer regulatory careers involving research and analytical method development for those products or processes the government regulates.

As a chemist working with enforcement agencies you will perform analyses and review data and make recommendadons to assure compliance with existing regulations and laws.

If you have a desire to do something for your country, then a government career may be for you.

NON-TRADITIONIAL CAREERS

A few of the multitude of non-traditional careers in chemistry are outlined below.

A career as a Chemistry Librarian or Information Specialist involves locating information (public service) or ordering, processing and cataloging materials for a library (technical service).

As a chemist at an Art Museum, one would restore, preserve and authenticate works of art.

As a Financial Analyst, one would be employed by a brokerage or investment firm to estimate the future profitability of a company. This also involves reading chemical literature and attending scientific meetings, as well as a background in business.

Manufacturer's Representatives work as sales representatives for a number of companies, often on a commission pay schedule. Success in this career requires a highly motivated individual.

For a career as an Independent Consultant one must possess some special knowledge and experience that makes his/her perspective on a problem valuable.

A Chemical Safety Engineer monitors day-to-day plant operations, applies local and federal safety regulations, and when necessary, prescribes appropriate action.

Clinical or Medicinal Chemists are employed by hospitals, research facilities or independent testing labs to perform routine diagnostic procedures on biological samples.

A Chemical Patent Attorney possesses an educational background in both law and graduate level science. He/she is responsible for determining whether a new compound or manufacturing process is sufficiently novel to be patentable and preparing the patent.