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mbtracka
New Contributor

Career choices

How do you enter work force after a career change?

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2 Replies
sullyjohn
New Contributor III

Re: Career choices

Though no expert myself, I think that the process to successfully change careers depends a lot on your personal circumstances.

How much of a career change are we talking about?  Are you changing disciplines or just venues?  What I mean is are you looking to move as a chemist from one setting to another - say from industry to acedemia?  Or are you looking to change more dramtically - research scientist to a police officer. (sorry couldn't think of better example).

Those would be two very different paths.  But there is one thing that I would say is common - whatever the direction is you want to pursue - you need to network with people who already work in the area you are targeting.

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delengineering
New Contributor

Re: Career choices

Jobs are always about someone willing to spend money in exchange for your efforts on their behalf. There is no workforce to join, no paperwork to fill out, and no certificates to acquire.  We are all just people willing to do a job.

Therefore, by the power vested in me, you are now a member of the workforce.

Anticipating your next question – Where do I find someone willing to spend money in exchange for my efforts?

The bulk chemical world these days is China and India, even research is moving overseas. Quality problems are bringing some jobs back home, but not enough to employ all the people who may read this.  It is cheaper to settle a lawsuit and keep producing over seas.

Pharmaceuticals, electronic chemicals, batteries, and biologics still have jobs in the USA.

There are two approaches to finding those jobs. One is to become an expert in an area that interests you and move to where the people in that specialty are working. Two, find out what is going on in you area and become and expert solving the issues related to that subject matter.

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I too am putting out feelers, joining networks like this one, and trying to find the person that will most benefit by my efforts.  To put it another way, I am also looking for a job.

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