What can I do with a Chemistry Degree in 2023?

What can I do with a Chemistry Degree?

Worldwide, employment opportunities in science and technology are expanding at an unprecedented rate, and individuals who major in chemistry or another natural science in college now have stronger career chances than ever.

Chemistry is the study of all things chemical, including chemical reactions, chemical compositions, and chemical manipulation, with the goal of better understanding the structure, change, and behavior of materials. Chemistry graduates can use their molecular-level understanding of chemical processes in virtually endless ways because it can be applied to the analysis of all matter, including our environment as a whole.

Working Experience

If you didn’t complete an industrial placement as part of your degree, look out nearby chemical businesses to see if they have a structured program. You can still attempt to speculatively apply for any short-term opportunities if they don’t.

The importance of laboratory experience is significant, but obtaining it can be challenging. If you can’t get it, you can try to find work experience with the same business but in a different division. This will still give you the opportunity to learn about the firm, the sector, and how chemistry is used in the workplace.

Another approach to strengthen your resume is by volunteering. Even while you might not come across many job prospects that directly apply to your degree in chemistry, there are many of programs that concentrate on related fields including the environment, sustainability, ethics, and medical. Working at a pathology lab at your neighborhood hospital can also be an option.

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Common Employers of Chemistry Graduates

Graduates of chemistry can get employment with a variety of companies. Some work in the chemical industry and fields that are related to it, like:

• Agrochemicals
• Metallurgical
• Petrochemicals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Polymers and Plastics
• Toiletries

While others work in different industries with chemistry-related roles, such as:

• The food and beverage sector
• Research and Services
• Medical and Health Organizations
• The Administration
• Agencies and organizations for scientific research.

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Skills for your CV

A chemistry degree enables you to develop outstanding laboratory skills, but due to its overlap with other degrees, it also equips you with knowledge and abilities that are beneficial in the fields of biology and medicine, engineering and physics, as well as geology and earth science.

Additionally, chemistry is studied in a social and environmental framework so that you can become aware of its ethical implications and problems with sustainability and the environment.

A chemistry degree gives you not only subject-specific information but also transferrable abilities, such as:

• Numerical and mathematical aptitude
• Analysis and issue resolution
• Organizing and managing time
• Oral and Written Communication
• Monitoring and keeping track of records and data
• Teamwork
• Presentation and Research
• Tech and information.

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What can I do with a Chemistry Degree?

So what can you do with a degree in chemistry?

People who major in chemistry go on to accomplish a variety of intriguing things in many businesses. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, well-known author Kurt Vonnegut (who penned Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat’s Cradle), NASA astronaut Story Musgrave, and Marie Curie, the pioneering scientist who developed the hypothesis of radioactivity are just a few notable chemistry grads. Basically, there are countless opportunities for chemistry graduates.

Research Careers in chemistry

Graduates in chemistry can put their skills to good use in a variety of research fields, such as chemical engineering, the pharmaceutical industry, the chemical and associated industries, and more. Because there are so many distinct motivations to undertake research and so many potential venues, there are more job options in research than would first appear. You might work in a university where research and teaching are combined; in a pharmaceutical firm where you develop and test new medications; or in a public-sector research facility where you ensure that the nation’s healthcare system keeps up with new advancements.

Despite the fact that a research scientist’s employment can vary, the majority of chemical careers in research are situated in laboratories, where research is carried out by teams using accepted scientific practices.

The production of novel chemical goods and materials, the discovery of new drugs and vaccines, forensic analysis for legal cases, and improved awareness of environmental challenges are just a few examples of the varied research carried out by chemistry specialists (e.g. cosmetics, paints, plastics, food and drink).

But there are many career routes available for people who choose to work outside the lab; chemistry professions don’t start and stop there.

Chemical Engineering Career

Chemical engineers are employed in many different industries, such as oil and gas, energy, water treatment, plastics, personal care products, medicines, and food and beverage. Although the methods used in each of these fields vary, chemistry and chemical engineering roles are present in all of them and are closely related to the conception, development, and manufacturing of chemical goods and materials. Chemical engineers usually work as researchers, discovering novel chemical methods and frequently fusing them with other cutting-edge and developing fields of science like nanotechnology or biomedical engineering.

Chemical engineers guarantee that chemical processes are efficient and safe, modify the chemical composition of goods to satisfy economic or environmental objectives, scale up chemical processes for production, and use new technologies to enhance existing processes. Although students who major in chemistry at the undergraduate level are qualified candidates, engineering graduates and postgraduates will be preferred for many more engineering-related and specialized professions.

Careers in Healthcare

Although there is more possibility to work at the point of treatment, assisting with patient investigation, healthcare professions for chemists are still mostly based in laboratories. Your duties will be to support the investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and illness. This work is frequently referred to as clinical biochemistry or healthcare science.

The majority of scientific roles in healthcare only require scientists to communicate with clinicians in order to interpret patients’ test results, acting as support in diagnosis and assessment. However, some roles will require clinical expertise (and a medical qualification). While chemists are unable to provide medical treatment advice, their job is essential for guaranteeing accurate results, the identification of underlying reasons, the accurate recording of data in reports, and the application of research.

If you choose a chemistry-related career in healthcare, you’ll probably collaborate with other chemists, biochemists, biologists, clinicians, and pathologists.

Pharmaceutical Careers

The pharmaceutical sector, which is closely tied to the healthcare sector and has a sizable economy of its own, provides a sizable job market. Pharmaceutical chemists are needed to design, develop, analyze, assess, and regulate new and existing medications as the need for speciality and innovative drugs increases. Along with having strong technical knowledge, these chemists also understand concepts like mathematics and analytical reasoning. They also have strong teamwork, communication, and management skills.

While analytical pharmaceutical chemists concentrate more on testing and chemical analysis of new drugs, making sure each product is safe for the general population and in compliance with governmental regulations, synthetic pharmaceutical chemists (also known as medicinal chemists) focus more on research and development of new, affordable drugs for the market. Another rapidly expanding subject in chemistry is toxicology, where professionals are tasked with finding hazardous chemicals and toxicants in any substance that will be utilized for human consumption.

A master’s or perhaps a PhD in a related topic may also put you in good stead for particularly high-level research employment, even though a bachelor’s degree in chemistry may open many entry-level doors in this profession.

Chemistry Public Sector Jobs

There are an increasing number of government-funded employment in chemistry in fields like law, policy, defense, public health, and the environment, in addition to careers for chemists as researchers in state-led programs.

Forensic occupations in law and policy are expanding, especially since the methods utilized in forensic research continue to experience fast advancement. Not only is gathering evidence important, but forensic and chemical specialists may also be needed to testify in court and analyze current regulations to make sure they reflect the latest scientific thinking. While advanced legal careers are out of reach for those with only a chemistry degree, those with a specific interest in law and/or policy may be able to find various entry-level positions and specialized consultant opportunities.

There is a chance that you will get to conduct research that will influence your nation’s science policy and national health and safety laws if you choose to pursue scientific responsibilities in public policy.

For chemistry graduates who are eager to concentrate on environmental challenges, public sector prospects include environmental consulting, agribusiness, and chemical diagnostics. Each of these positions focuses on the environment’s chemical composition and the evaluation of pertinent information (e.g. meteorological data or chemical analysis of soil, water and by-products). The objectives of such studies can range from finding strategies to increase crop productivity to providing data on how certain chemicals affect the environment. Future environmental policy and laws may be influenced by this information.

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