Scoping the Options
Sarah Hart Winchester
REACTION TIMES- FEBRUARY 1993
(Reproduced with permission.)
(This article was taken from the February 1993 issue of Reaction Times,
which is a copyrighted American Chemical Society publication. You are encouraged
to duplicate, or quote from, this article.)
Okay. You're trying to decide how to use your degree in chemistry; wondering
- perhaps with bachelor's almost in grasp - how in the world you're going
to find a job with it. You're not alone! To help you learn more about the
world of work and where you might fit in, we've interviewed six people with
chemistry degrees who have carved out interesting and successful careers
in widely differing fields, from an FBI forensic chemist to a museum-exhibit
developer who draws on her chemistry background to both teach and entertain
those who view her work. Here's what we found: Despite the horror stories
of a bad economy and a glut of qualified graduates, the news isn't all discouraging.
Someone with an undergraduate degree in chemistry can still find a challenging
and enjoyable job. And while entry-level positions are harder to come by
now than they were in years past, you're probably in better shape than your
fellow students with nontechnical degrees. "There are not many unemployed
chemists," notes Dr. Samuel Markowitz, a chemistry professor at the
University of California at Berkeley.
The jobs described below - government chemist, exhibit developer, chemistry
professor, chemical salesperson, research associate, and chemical demonstrator
- are only a few of the many viable career paths for chemistry majors. We've
included several related career ideas as well, to help you start expanding
your options. The first step you need to take to find the right job is to
decide which career fields appeal to you, based upon your skills, interests,
academic background, and summer positions. Don't be afraid to think broadly
when you first explore your options, experienced chemists recommend.
GOVERNMENT CHEMIST
More than 8000 chemists work for the federal government, with one-third
in Washington, DC and two-thirds scattered across the country at various
government-agency research centers. Almost every state conducts some federal
research, and there are as many different types of chemistry jobs available
with Uncle Sam as there are with private employers.
As a government chemist, you could be performing agricultural research for
the US Department of Agriculture, exploring new energy options for the Department
of Energy, or serving as a program analyst for the Department of Defense.
We talked to Roger Martz, chief of the chemistry toxicology unit at the
Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, DC. Martz and other forensic
scientists in his department spend most of their time analyzing trace residues
of a virtually unlimited list of substances. Their goal is to use chemistry
to link a criminal to a crime--for example, finding a poison in a soft-drink
bottle and then finding that same poison inside the home of someone suspected
of giving that soft drink bottle to the victim. "The most rewarding
part of our job is that we're able to find little clues in evidence that
we can then associate with a criminal," explains Martz. "To be
able to contribute something to an investigation is meaningful."
Other government agencies use chemists in a similar capacity, but while
a chemist at the Drug Enforcement Agency, for example, will look almost
exclusively at drugs, the FBI runs the most diverse and extensive operation.
"The type of work we do is so different, and it includes a wide variety
of areas, such as toxicology, arson, ink comparison, and specialty work
with stains," says Martz. Since the nature of the work is so variable,
the FBI doesn't restrict its hiring to any one type of chemistry background.
Instead, it hires applicants with any type of chemistry degree and
expects to train its chemists to work in a particular forensic specialty.
The FBI is constrained by a hiring freeze until at least March, but Martz
encourages interested graduates to apply, noting that those with applications
already in the pipeline will most likely win any new spots available.
Applying for a job with the federal government is not too different from
interviewing with private industry, with a few exceptions. A 171 form replaces
the usual resume, but- it's still pretty much the same thing. These forms,
which can be obtained from the Office of Personnel Management inWashington,
DC (as well as from many libraries and university career centers), are accompanied
by fairly clear-cut instructions, and filling them out is more time-consuming
than difficult.
You're not likely to encounter this at an entry level position, but some
government jobs require a security clear ance: a government official will
contact your former professors and employers, as well as your friends and
roommates, to find out whether you're honest and responsible, and to ensure
you don't have any hidden problems you haven't disclosed. A security clearance
gives you access to the classified data you will be using to perform your
job. The official word is that clearance takes either 35, 75, or 120 days,
depending on agency and urgency. We've been told (unofficially) as much
as a year. But in the meantime, you'll probably be given or continue in
a non-security position.
Government chemists can expect to earn around $21,000 when they begin their
careers, progressing up to salaries of approximately $60,000 after having
been at it for many years. This is less than their counterparts in industry.
Many chemists, however, opt for an agency position because they are interested
in the work available, they like the enhanced job security, and they can
take advantage of comprehensive benefits. To find out more about becoming
a government chemist, you can either contact one of the many government
agencies hiring chemists or get in touch with the Federal Job Information
Agency in Washington, DC.
EXHIBIT DEVELOPER
Working as an exhibit developer is probably one of the more unusual applications
of a chemistry degree, but it demonstrates the versatility of a scientific
background. According to Sharyn Horowitz, exhibit developer for Gerard Hilferty
and Associates, a planning and design firm located in Athens, Ohio, the
best candidates for exhibit development are people who love to learn and
love to communicate.
"Chemistry experiments make great demonstrations," says Horowitz,
"and a chemistry major could get a job in a museum developing and doing
chemistry shows."
As an exhibit developer, Horowitz works with clients--museums, parks, zoos,
and other interpretive sites--to conceive and develop the exhibit. She writes
brochures promoting the company to prospective clients, thinks of ways to
reach the people who will view the exhibits her company creates, and tries
to use her skills to please a wide range of people.
"It doesn't seem like all this relates to chemistry too much,"
says Horowitz, "but I do use my chemistry background. I'm working with
a health museum now, for instance, and I need to understand how oxygen and
carbon dioxide exchange in the lungs.
" Sound interesting? Horowitz recommends taking a wide range of courses,
including anthropology and physics, as well as accumulating valuable summer
experience through jobs in which you interact with the public.
Related jobs include working directly for a museum, park, or zoo. Organizations
that put on trade shows for chemical companies also may need your skills.
As for salary, most museums will start you at about $18,000. Consulting
firms, a little more.
If you're intrigued more by the idea of communicating about science than
by developing exhibits, you could consider a job as a technical writer or
editor for textbooks, product brochures, or manuals. Newspapers, magazines,
trade journals, radio, and television use science journalists. Other ideas
might include earning a master's degree in library science to serve as a
chemical librarian, or seeking a job in public affairs for a large chemical
company.
CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR
When most people think of chemistry careers, this is what first comes to
mind: earning a PhD to teach and conduct research at a college or university.
According to Berkeley's Markowitz, there are three essential ingredients
that make up a good professor: a substantive knowledge of the subject matter,
a drive toward excellence, and a strong desire to learn new things-- regardless
of whether a particular area of research is likely to yield results that
others consider practical.
Most important, anyone considering an academic career needs to understand
that teaching and research go hand in hand, with both elements an equally
important part of the job.
"There's a stereotype that professors at major research universities
are more interested in their research than in their students, but that's
not true," says Markowitz.
The life of a professor is a challenging and satisfying one, he continues,
and the atmosphere in which it is conducted is usually open and progressive.
"I enjoy the freedom of being able to satisfy my curiosity," says
Markowitz, "and I like meeting with people."
With teaching, office hours, and research, however, a professor's work week
can be long. Not unlike other chemists who have reached the top of their
field, Markowitz logs in 65 to 70 hour work weeks.
"If you want to do outstanding work at an outstanding place,"
says Markowitz, "you can't get by with a 9-to-5 mentality. I think
there's a little bit of a workaholic in everyone at a major research
university."
In addition to teaching and conducting research, most professors devote
a lot of time and effort to obtaining grants, usually from the federal government,
in order to fund their research. While Markowitz estimates he only spends
about 20 percent of his time on developing and writing grant proposals,
it is an important and sometimes difficult part of the job.
"The grant process is painful and competitive," admits Markowitz,
"and it puts pressure on young professors. If you don't get the funds,
you're in deep trouble."
As for the other hurdle to becoming a professor--that of obtaining tenure:
"No one should be deterred from entering the academic world by the
difficulty of the tenure-promotion decision," he stresses. "It
is not a rigid slot you have to fit into, and an outstandirig school will
create a place for you if you have demonstrated excellence in your field."
At Berkeley, as at many universities, tenure is based upon a professor's
record of teaching, research, and public service, and considers the spirit
in which these three elements of the job are carried out. A professor up
for tenure is judged by his or her peers, who then pass their decision on
to the administration for approval.
According to Markowitz, the peer review committee is instructed to ask whether
the candidate is the "best per son in the field in the world."
Anyone who fails to get tenure generally must leave the university and find
a position elsewhere, but Markowitz feels it's no disgrace nor even a poor
reflection on the professor's accomplishments .
While the competition to find a job as a college professor is more intense
than it used to be, Berkeley is still hiring new professors and has not
imposed any type of hiring freeze.
Salary levels for assistant professors (those who have already earned their
PhDs and are still in the first six years of their teaching career) generally
run from $30,000 to $40,000 a year at major universities. Fully tenured
professors at large schools earn from $60,000 to $70,000 a year.
If the idea of teaching appeals to you, but you aren't as interested in
research, you could consider teaching at a smaller college. In some cases,
teaching at a less research-oriented university means a PhD is not required.
And there's a desperate need for elementary and high-school teachers who
have a technical background. These levels often offer more variety, since
you may be teaching more than one science. If you have background and interest
in biology, physics, and other related sciences as well as in chemistry,
this career may be for you.
CHEMICAL SALESPERSON
An undergraduate degree in chemistry will also qualify you to work as a
salesperson for a range of companies offering chemical products. Your technical
background will provide a better understanding of how the customer will
use the product. In this way, you can better explain its strong points and
its unique, new, or innovative features.
According to Richards Stevens, regional sales manager at Union Carbide in
Atlanta, Georgia, the best candidates for a sales job will have a degree
in chemistry or chemical engineering as well as courses in marketing. "Any
kind of course work that will help you understand sales better is an asset."
Sales, like many other jobs, can mean long hours. On the other hand, there's
the freedom to set your own schedule and the luxury of arranging your day
to suit your own time clock. Because of this freedom, however, a good salesperson
must be self-motivated, well organized, and capable of setting deadlines
to meet client and employer requests.
"Someone going into sales needs to be personable and outgoing and,
most of all, have a high degree of integrity," comments Stephens. "He
or she must also be able to go on a call, take rejection, and not get discouraged.
This may mean saying, 'Well, that was only one sales call, and I've got
nine more possibilities.' "
Most people who go into sales already have a sense they enjoy that type
of work, says Stephens, and that's an important part in figuring out whether
sales is the right career path for you. Salaries vary tremendously, but
expect low 20s to start off.
While jobs in sales, like those in other fields, are much harder to land
than they used to be, Stephens doesn't believe the current downtime will
last forever.
To get your job search off to a good start, he recommends using the summer
months to gain practical experience and to develop an understanding
of what a job is all about, whether you're interested in sales or any other
area of the business.
"One of the most valuable things students can do is look for summer
employment," Stephens says, "because that will give them a chance
to see if they'd really be happy in that particular job."
Related positions include those in marketing and technical service. Marketing
involves learning as much as possible about the market for a particular
product: finding out about competitors' offerings, setting long-term sales
goals, talking to customers about what they need, and predicting future
innovations likely to change how a product is used or perceived. Chemists
who go on to earn a master's in business administration are particularly
competitive for jobs in marketing.
Technical service is another career related to sales. A technical service
representative can have a wide range of responsibilities, whether it's attending
scientific meetings, keeping abreast of developments in the field, repairing
products, or customizing a product to meet an individual customer's needs.
In fact, a tech rep often travels with a salesperson on a sales call.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
'Life as a research associate provides you with an opportunity to conduct
research, write reports, learn the ropes at a new company, and enjoyyour
share of responsibility and visibility, according to Dr. Ann Beaulieu, manager
of training and developmental research at Rohm & Haas in Spring House,
Pennsylvania.
Better yet, it provides you with flexibility, serving as a stepping stone
to another area of chemistry or as the first in a series of research jobs
as you climb the career ladder.
"You don't have to be limited to mixing chemicals at the bench,"
says Beaulieu. "You can work in research, and then move into sales
or manufacturing or environmental affairs, or you can stay in the function
in which you started, and as long as you're an outstanding performer, you
can progress in your career."
She outlines what to expect on entering science-industry employment. First
off, you'll learn how to submit reports for analysis, perform bench marks,
execute experiments, and draw tentative conclusions. After about six months
or so, you will start to write technical reports and memos and help present
results, an important step that gives you visibility within the company.
You'll eventually carve out a part of research as your own.
"For a beginning research chemist, a lot of the work is routine,"
admits Beaulieu, "but a critical part of the work is in analyzing
the experiments. The beauty of it is that with a BS in chemistry, you have
an informed view of the experiment and a solid understanding of what is
happening."
Beaulieu offers an encouraging assessment of the job market: well qualified
applicants with chemistry degrees usually find jobs.
"The watchword is flexibility," says Beaulieu. "If you only
want a technical job, but there's an opening in regulatory affairs, you
might want to start there and plan on transferring within
the company."
For undergraduates interested in a career in research, Beaulieu recommends
getting as much experience at the bench as possible. "Try to intern
at a company in the summer," says Beaulieu, "or even better, get
involved in a coop program."
Recent graduates going into research can expect a salary ranging from $28,000
to $35,000 a year, depending upon the size of the company and its geographic
location.
Research labs in academia will probably offer less--but if you want an idea
of graduate-school life without enrolling yourself, these are ideal waters.
You'll be working with a variety of other science technicians, grad students,
and post-docs as well as with professors. .
CHEMICAL DEMONSTRATOR
If your favorite part of being a chemistry major is conducting experiments,
and you enjoy explaining things to other people, you might want to consider
a career as a chemical demonstrator. Like the jobs of exhibit developer
and forensic scientist, this career path is a little out of the ordinary,
but it demonstrates the rewards of thinking creatively when you launch your
job search.
"I really enjoy my job as a chemical demonstrator," says Karen
Morris, chemical demonstrator at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana.
"I planned on teaching high school, but this position came about, and
I took it."
As a demonstrator, Morris comes up with the idea for demonstrations to illustrate
specific points. She meets with professors for each course and makes recommendations
regarding the point in the lecture at which the demonstration should occur.
She says that the best part of being a chemical demonstrator is in
conducting experiments with surprising results.
"I like seeing the expression on people's faces when the results aren't
what they expected," laughs Morris. She also enjoys interacting with
people and teaching them new things.
Morris spends approximately half of her paid time assisting professors in
conducting chemistry demonstra tions in first-year general chemistry
courses. She spends the other half scheduling Notre Dame's chemistry tutoring
program and developing a resource center for chemistry students. Finally,
she also volunteers time to conduct demonstrations for elementary and high-school
students.
If you're interested in becoming a chemical demonstrator, Morris recommends
checking with universities as well as high schools and labs in private industry.
Starting salaries range up from $18-20,000. And if you still have a year
or two on campus, check with all of the professors in your school's chemistry
department to see whether you could get some hands-on experience as a demonstrator,
recommends Morris.
Taking courses outside your major, specifically in education, will strengthen
your resume when you look for a chemical demonstration job. "You want
to be able to explain to the professor the best way to implement the demonstration
into the lecture, and courses in education are helpful. "
PUTTING IT All TOGETHER
So what are the common messages we heard from these chemistry professionals?
First: Finding employment won't be easy pickings, but it's by no means insurmountable.
Academic preparation, however, won't give you job market edge anymore, which
brings us to their second big point: Find a summer job that you can relate
to your career interests. The chemistry division of the National Science
Foundation (1800 G St. NW, Washington DC 20550) can send you a list of funded
programs in undergraduate research. Or get a job in retail, if you're interested
in sales. Use your work as a park ranger to investigate environmental chemistry
or public relations. Turn writing for your school paper into freelancing
science briefs for your local paper in the summer. Just don't nap by the
pool.
Finally: Explore. There's nothing wrong with trying out an option "just
to see what it's like." It'll either confirm your career leanings or
show you new ones, and both experiences are valuable.
"At the urging of one of my professors at Purdue, I got some industrial
experience in a summer job, just to make sure," says Morris, the chemical
demonstrator. "It's nice to see how things are done in industry, and
to be able to compare that with the academic world."
The number of bachelor's degrees, after a decline that began in the
late 1970s, may now be rising slightly (1992 data not yet in). Master's
and doctoral degrees have remained fairly stable. As for women: 40% of bathelor's
degrees in 1990 (vs 14% in 1959), 39% of masters (vs 13%), and 25% of doctorates
(vs 4%). Source: ACS Committee on Professional Training.