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I'm looking at some engineering jobs site now and there are almost 6,000 job postings for chemical engineers. Could you elaborate on what problems you've encoun
by brandonmenc 11y ago
I'm looking at some engineering jobs site now and there are almost 6,000 job postings for chemical engineers. Could you elaborate on what problems you've encountered trying to get a job in the field? I ask in seriousness - just trying to understand what exactly is going on out there. Like, what are potential employers saying to you? Like, is it a specialization thing?
- streptomycin 11y agochemistry != chemical engineering Chemical engineering is a booming field (although maybe a bit less with oil prices down lately, I've been out of the loop for a couple years). Chemistry isn't.
- brandonmenc 11y agoYeah, I get that, but it seems that the economy is looking to fill "chemistry" jobs in general, and it's hard to believe that there could be such a dearth of chemical engineers while at the same time a glut of chemists. So, what's going on here?
- timr 11y agoWhat's going on is that companies don't want to pay an inexperienced chemist to learn on the job; they want to hire an experienced chemical engineer for a discount. This is happening all over the sciences. Drug companies routinely have jobs open (while they're laying off senior research staff elsewhere...), but good luck getting one of those jobs as a new PhD grad. It's almost as hard -- perhaps harder -- to get a "scientist" position at a drug company as it is to get a faculty position in academia. Think about that.