Chapter 7 - Qualifying and Searching for Jobs in the Drug Industry

Abstract

This chapter presents the common prerequisites and the various qualifications that B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. scientists offer. Employers sometimes make job offers contingent on future acceptance of a finished thesis, allowing a new employee to begin work before his or her dissertation receives approval. If necessary, a candidate should actively seek an arrangement to take an offered and desirable job and to finish the thesis by an agreed and reasonable deadline. Such an arrangement—which an employer may not initiate or mention—calls for approval not only by the recruiter but also by the job hunter's faculty adviser. An offer to work in chemical research within the pharmaceutical industry rewards one or more successful and day-long interviews in a single company. Progress in drug research demands hands-on efforts, and success may require several pairs of hands. Moreover, many interviewers are also accomplished chemists, who do benchwork despite their graduate degrees, corporate ranks, and scientific accomplishments. Among a job hunter's strongest allies, the American Chemical Society provides an array of employment services and publications valuable to chemists seeking their first professional positions. Many of these services and publications are free and some are at nominal costs—giving new graduates and students a strong incentive to join the society. The chapter discusses permanent residency, working visas, and important role played by the American Chemical Society in helping chemists find jobs.