Sciencemadness Discussion Board - How can I find a job in chemistry field?

How can I find a job in chemistry field?

yiberkit - 16-7-2014 at 07:28

Ive graduated from a bachelor degree in chemistry from an ordinary university in Turkey in 2012. So i live in a city which has low chemical company portfolio.
But I can go another big cities which are higher chemical company profiles and job opportunities and so on.
And I did some job interviews on chemical companies that they are in polymer, water treatment station, pharmaceutical, mining and also painting. But nowhere called me after that. I did as best as I can in these interviews. Only i couldnt answer to questions about chemical structure and some chemical equipments.I think that doesnt matter. So , whats the wrong about me? Why they wont call me again? and to say "yes, we accept you". There are 2 years already passed from my graduation.
I am good at computer, science reading/writing, web design and intonality.Those are not related to chemical and chemistry , i know but I didnt spend much time on the university chemistry lab because of too many students were there and you couldnt use equipments as it should be like that.
So, what would you prefer to me?
Should i go for master degree in chem. or different field?
Or try to decide to find a job in different area than chemistry? But which area?
Also i am only looking for a job in Turkey. Because i dont have much money and visa to get outside of the country . Also i dont believe the foreign country's company's identify my chemistry degree as a low reputation uni in a low reputation country.
So what is the escape-way of being newbie in chemical area; nobody wants to hire me and nobody wants to give a job for non-experienced chemist, i know . But how can non-experienced chemist find a job?
I am studying chemical lab. instructions about company's chemical area before going to interviews.
I also research and read much more articles about chemistry on internet.
But unfortunately job market is very low for chemistry area.
If i could have been a civil engineer, i would have been find a job easily but with chemistry degree you cant...
I would like to do process chemistry career rather than other routine analysis jobs currently in chemistry field as I mentioned of this info.
But no process chemist nor chemist job that i cant find. I dont know why but I am seeking to educate myself how other chemists find jobs.
Now I do a carrying job(coolie)in a glassware storage , i am carrying chairs, tables, basins and other glassware plastics from storage to truck.
This job is not for my degree, but i do it for money.
So whats the interview success methods that you have already did before and accepted by boss? Tell me...

Texium - 16-7-2014 at 08:35

Well, this may not be the very best place to ask, as this is an amateur site, and the vast majority of the members are not professional chemists.
I would suggest that you refresh yourself on what you learned at university. Reading various threads on this forum, as well as the texts that are available in the library should help with showing that you have knowledge and ready interest in the field. If you can gain experience as an amateur, you might come across in an interview as being more experienced. Also, chemical structures and lab equipment are definitely important for you to read up on, and having the attitude that they don't matter sure won't help your prospects.

yiberkit - 16-7-2014 at 09:27

Quote: Originally posted by zts16

Well, this may not be the very best place to ask, as this is an amateur site, and the vast majority of the members are not professional chemists.
I would suggest that you refresh yourself on what you learned at university. Reading various threads on this forum, as well as the texts that are available in the library should help with showing that you have knowledge and ready interest in the field. If you can gain experience as an amateur, you might come across in an interview as being more experienced. Also, chemical structures and lab equipment are definitely important for you to read up on, and having the attitude that they don't matter sure won't help your prospects.

thanks for the reply.
Do you really think that chemistry and chemicals can learn by reading without working in the lab or without touching equipments?
Most of the employers are tend to find lab. experienced workers i guess... Not for the people who really knows amateur chemistry..

Magpie - 16-7-2014 at 09:29

Some suggestions:

Does your university have a time when industry recruiters come to campus for interviews? If it does, use it. I found 2 jobs that way.

Be interested and knowledgeable about the business that the recruiter represents. Ask what technical problems they are having?

Try to get an interview with a manager or other professional that works in the group that you would like to work in. That is, try to avoid just being interviewed by someone from Human Resources (HR).

Of course, look your best: be clean, neat and professional. Have a concise (1 page) and informative resume. Good luck!

yiberkit - 16-7-2014 at 10:53

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

Some suggestions:

Does your university have a time when industry recruiters come to campus for interviews? If it does, use it. I found 2 jobs that way.

Be interested and knowledgeable about the business that the recruiter represents. Ask what technical problems they are having?

Try to get an interview with a manager or other professional that works in the group that you would like to work in. That is, try to avoid just being interviewed by someone from Human Resources (HR).

Of course, look your best: be clean, neat and professional. Have a concise (1 page) and informative resume. Good luck!

thanks

When i was studying on that uni. only a few chemical company managers came to our campus and as a low reputation university, it didnt pull those recruiters to came visit our university. What a bad university it was!

You are right at what you said in the second.

My major problem is i have applied bazzillion of jobs in the internet job market websites but they dont call me. For example:

I appoint over 400 different job in chemical field but only 5,6 company calls me.
I will send my resume if you want its in english may be you want to look it and help me..

Mildronate - 16-7-2014 at 11:36

First of all write good CV. Companys also look at your job experience, thats chalange to find first job. Also you cant be good at all chemistry fields, chose one. Go for master of course in chemistry you must have master degree. Be creative look more where can you work, maybe in some schul, there is other jobs in chemistry, not only in factories. Actualy i dont like factory jobs, academic life is more beauiful. Try get master

yiberkit - 16-7-2014 at 11:46

Quote: Originally posted by Mildronate

First of all write good CV. Companys also look at your job experience, thats chalange to find first job. Also you cant be good at all chemistry fields, chose one. Go for master of course in chemistry you must have master degree. Be creative look more where can you work, maybe in some schul, there is other jobs in chemistry, not only in factories. Actualy i dont like factory jobs, academic life is more beauiful. Try get master

Do you suggest me metallurgical engineering or energy engineering master degree rather than doing master in chemistry fields?

I like much more engineering than science. But ,does universities look 4 - year bachelor of engineering degree when they acquire someone into academics? Does undergraduate degree really important than master degree?

Chemosynthesis - 17-7-2014 at 13:09

Quote: Originally posted by yiberkit

Only i couldnt answer to questions about chemical structure and some chemical equipments.I think that doesnt matter. So , whats the wrong about me? Why they wont call me again? and to say "yes, we accept you". There are 2 years already passed from my graduation.

I think this is your problem right here. It doesn't help that your school wasn't prestigious, but when my former classmates and I looked for chemistry jobs upon graduation, we were asked mostly about instrumentation. It does matter for an employer because time spent training isn't producing goods and services, and instruments are very expensive. If the workplace has an Agilent, but I worked on a Waters, that is generally good enough to know I'm not going to let their columns dry out with crystalline sample in them and cost time and money.

It's been two years since graduation with no chem job? At least in the US, if you work in a field other than science after graduation, it appears that you are less interested in the field, and graduate programs don't know if you will be a good student. A science program wants you working in some kind of lab, knowing you won't make the money a good retailer, bartender or financial analyst will. This shows you actually like science, and I have been told as much by heads of graduate programs when I interviewed, colleagues, classmates, etc.

None of this really matters to you, since

Quote: Originally posted by yiberkit

I like much more engineering than science.

Then it's obvious to me that you shouldn't do science. Let someone who wants to be a scientist go down that road. Go be an engineer and enjoy yourself.

Quote: Originally posted by yiberkit

Do you suggest me metallurgical engineering or energy engineering master degree rather than doing master in chemistry fields?
[...]
But ,does universities look 4 - year bachelor of engineering degree when they acquire someone into academics? Does undergraduate degree really important than master degree?

I can't speak to those specific subdisciplines, but I know a few people who went from chemistry undergraduate to nuclear engineering masters degrees. At least in the US, chemistry masters keep showing up in the news as tough to employ for some reason. Engineering jobs are in a good employment cycle here, though. The key to a graduate or professional program is to meet their entrance requirements and pre-requisite coursework... not your major.

Magpie - 17-7-2014 at 14:29

If you like engineering best I would definitely go for an engineering degree. At least in the US, you do not need a master's degree in engineering to get a job.

Things will improve in 2 ways: 1) you will be doing what you want and hence do a better job, and 2) you will get higher pay.

yiberkit - 19-7-2014 at 03:54

Quote:

you've mentioned logical reasons about why I turned back from chem. jobs. But everytime I've researched chemical lab. equipments and chemistry before job interview for which company I called. But I'm personally very exciting person. So, in every job interview I am exciting infront of the questioners. I was like questions rain directly to me when I am at job interview. This gets me tension.

Quote:

Then it's obvious to me that you shouldn't do science. Let someone who wants to be a scientist go down that road. Go be an engineer and enjoy yourself.

Another 4-year degree? But I am 24 years old. If I re-study then it will 28. After 1 or 2 year engineering job search it will be 30. Who does wants to hire a person who is at age of 30? It very tough...

Quote:

So you mean like , Someone can hire me as an engineer by not looking to my major (chemistry) ?

Bikemaster - 19-7-2014 at 04:47

It is quite hard to give you the best advice cause it is your decision and I don’t know how job and school degree work in Turkey. But if I can compare with here in Canada, you made 3 big mistakes…
First, you stop with an undergrad diploma in pure science. That mean that all you will do has a chemist is quality control testing, washing glassware and if you are lucky, you will have the chance to synthesis stuff that someone told you to for a low salary.
Secondly, as Chemosynthesis said, it is really important for your employer that you understand the instrument you will work with. Because, compare to someone that can, there is just no competition.
Thirdly, and maybe the most important, you just can’t have hole in your CV… Never… In fact, when the RH department receive your CV and see that even two year after your graduation you never work in chemistry, you will be put in the “bad” category, even if it is not the case…
Well, I don’t want to write this to tell you that it is too late and that you already made too much mistake. In fact, going back to school is certainly the best idea. You will have another chance to reset your CV! I have plenty of friends that graduate in engineering at 28 and higher and they didn’t have any hard time to find a job.
After all this, you can tell in your interview that you tried a lot of thing in your life and that you finally find the thing you were passionate for! You will see, work like a charm.

Good luck!

yiberkit - 20-7-2014 at 10:51

Quote: Originally posted by Bikemaster

It is quite hard to give you the best advice cause it is your decision and I don’t know how job and school degree work in Turkey. But if I can compare with here in Canada, you made 3 big mistakes…
First, you stop with an undergrad diploma in pure science. That mean that all you will do has a chemist is quality control testing, washing glassware and if you are lucky, you will have the chance to synthesis stuff that someone told you to for a low salary.
Secondly, as Chemosynthesis said, it is really important for your employer that you understand the instrument you will work with. Because, compare to someone that can, there is just no competition.
Thirdly, and maybe the most important, you just can’t have hole in your CV… Never… In fact, when the RH department receive your CV and see that even two year after your graduation you never work in chemistry, you will be put in the “bad” category, even if it is not the case…
Well, I don’t want to write this to tell you that it is too late and that you already made too much mistake. In fact, going back to school is certainly the best idea. You will have another chance to reset your CV! I have plenty of friends that graduate in engineering at 28 and higher and they didn’t have any hard time to find a job.
After all this, you can tell in your interview that you tried a lot of thing in your life and that you finally find the thing you were passionate for! You will see, work like a charm.

Good luck!

thanks for your answer.
I think I can add another reason to yours for why I can't find a job in chemistry:
Because competition is very high in here in chemistry field.
There are almost 80 universities have 4 year and 2 year chemistry classes plus chemical engineering . It results thousands have their diploma every year or semester and they look for a job. On the other hand ; chemistry jobs are very few, rarely appears in the market. So, the chance for me is %1-%5. In my city you can only see maximum 3 or 4 chemist jobs in a year on internet.
Thats ridiculous.
I'm curious about over there is the same? Are there too much universities with lots of chemistry departments in USA or Canada? And majority of the chemistry graduates hard to find a job?? Does it similar to here?

Chemosynthesis - 20-7-2014 at 11:30

Quote: Originally posted by yiberkit

You can get a masters. That is usually a 2-year degree if you meet the pre-requisites, and with a chemistry degree, I imagine you meet most math requirements even in poor programs.

At 24, your options are just as limited as 21; you will probably need a graduate education in the sciences with your 2-year gap from graduation in order to regain any competitiveness. This is as much of a hurdle as engineering, in my opinion... moreso if you had to get a doctorate in the sciences (avg 5.5 years last I checked). A masters in engineering should get you better job options, security, and better pay right now than a doctorate in most sciences. You've also indicated a greater interest in engineering, which seems like the obvious choice to me.

Also, I know many people who ended up switching careers in their thirties or forties. I read recently that the average US citizen switches careers about once every 15 years now. I'm actually considering switching into a related field because I'm tired of not having the same boss for more than a year or two in a row, and I have a graduate education. Some professional programs with 4 year curricula have an average entrance of 26, and then in many such occupations you have to deal with things such as residencies, post-grad masters (2 yrs after doctorate), post-docs (3 yrs after) specialty training or certification, etc.

Even if you graduate at 21, then went into a medical science in the US, you would have a lot of schooling. You basically end up doing nearly ten years of school in addition to a bachelors, at minimum. This is PhD+post-doc(s), MD/PhD+post-doc or residency, PharmD/PhD+post-doc/post-grad residency, etc.

So really, a masters degree would get you in the workforce quickest, and engineering would probably give you all previously mentioned perks.

Quote:

So you mean like , Someone can hire me as an engineer by not looking to my major (chemistry) ?

I'm not sure about that. The only people I know hired as engineers got some kind of degree (post-graduate masters applies here). I am also not sure how professional engineer certification works there, but it is not required to work in engineering if you have a degree where I live, though it is highly desirable.

[Edited on 20-7-2014 by Chemosynthesis]

FireLion3 - 22-7-2014 at 15:15

yiberkit,

Getting more of a degree is a practical answer, but it is not a practical solution. I'm assuming you cannot wait several years for a job and you need to find one now?

While I don't have experience specifically with getting a job in this field, getting hired itself is a skillset all on its own. I have found that overall when most places hire they look at your attitude first and foremost. Having a degree is nice and expected, and says a lot about what you have studied, but plenty of people have degrees. What sets you apart from the guy who was in that office an hour ago with the same degree but came from a better school? Companies aren't just looking for people to do what they tell them, they're looking for people who they can be confident they wont regret hiring.

I have always been told that you never wait for a potential employer to call you. You call them every other day at least until they tell you something definitive. Employers very much like persistence and initiative. Then again I don't like in Turkey, cultural norms may be different there. A lot of employers simply love it when you tell then how much of an asset to their company you would be and how willing you are to learn. Give them faith that they will not regret hiring you and that catching you up on what you need to know won't be difficult.

Beyond that, I would reach out to people in your field, and ask for favors. If an employee somewhere or someone reputable/known can vouch for you to some company that also knows them, it can mean the difference between job and no job. Depending on your location or where you hope to travel, you could find some people like that on here. You could probably ask any chemistry professor at your university and just because you graduated their they may be willing to help you out - if you know them, all the better.

If you move to bigger cities, if you have a degree, you may find it likely that chemistry professors at universities in those cities may be willing to help you out. You are after all working in the same field as them and as the very least they may be able to make a call for you, even if they don't 100% vouch for you.

zed - 22-7-2014 at 15:58

There may be hundreds, or possibly thousands of applicants, for each advertised Chemistry position. Jobs in science are not easy to come by. Moreover, the pay isn't usually good.

Take another degree. Teaching, Chemical engineering, Food chemistry..... If you are commited to prepare to go it alone.