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Issues of Importance to Chemists Entering the Workforce

Issues of Importance to Chemists Entering the Workforce

The Good News:


Ph.D. chemists are doing better in the job market than their counterparts in most other fields including the biomedical and social sciences


Recent Ph.D. chemists are doing better in the job market than chemists who recently received M.S. and B.S. degrees

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The ACS reports that recent Ph.D. chemists have a lower unemployment rate than their peers who obtain B.S. and M.S. degrees; however, many recent Ph.D. chemists accept postdoctoral positions because they can't find jobs in industry. This lowers the unemployment rate of recent Ph.D. chemists. Since B.S. and M.S. chemists aren't considered for postdoctoral positions, I'm not sure that I would still say that recent Ph.D. chemists are doing better in the job market than those with B.S. and M.S. degrees.  

This is a timely presentation that applies for many in YCC, in Pittsburgh (the

initial target audience) and many other locales.

Liked slide 6 which has been placed in a blog since it reveals where chemistry

recent grads and post docs move to first in their incipient career path.  It is a snapshot

in time, a "meso-fact", that will change.  It is from sample of ACS members and is

not fully representative of the field as a larger sample size and more recent data

set might present.  In fact, each person should request their individual institution and local section provide this information on a yearly basis.

Liked slide 14 as a prescription of some things people have found helpful.  Each one of the things Dr. Jolson poses has value.  We often feel by working harder in the lab will be the most helpful thing.  Honestly, the benefits from putting more time in the lab are much smaller than

the returns from each of the dashes Dr. Jolson points to.  I expect each to be important and none is an overstatement. 

Look hard at moving outside traditional bounds for communication, volunteering, learning computers, robotics and data management skills.

Each Local Section YCC chapter should consider using this in some form.