Chemistry Job Research Articles

Reasons for not/choosing chemistry: Why advanced level chemistry students in England do/not pursue chemistry undergraduate degrees

AbstractThere are international concerns about decreasing rates of chemistry degree enrolment. This article seeks to understand students' reasons for not/choosing to pursue a chemistry degree, drawing on (i) open‐ended survey responses from a sample of 506 students in England aged 21–22 who had studied advanced level (“A level”) chemistry at age 18 (as either a full A level or a half “AS” level) and had either chosen (n = 70) or not chosen (n = 436) to pursue undergraduate chemistry and (ii) 185 interviews conducted with a subsample of 18 young people who had been longitudinally tracked from age 10 to 22 (with 17 of their parents) who took advanced level chemistry and then either did (n = 5), or did not (n = 13) go on to study for a chemistry degree. Analysis revealed four key reasons for not/choosing chemistry that were present to varying extents in both the quantitative and qualitative data (relative interest, connection and options; experiences of chemistry A level; feeling “not/clever enough”; and views of chemistry jobs). Four additional factors were predominantly found in the qualitative data (associations of chemistry with masculinity; encouragement from a significant adult; views of higher education; and chemistry work experience/outreach). Applying a sociological lens, we suggest that not/choosing chemistry was a relational process, produced through interactions of habitus, capital, and field. We identify conceptual and methodological implications and extrapolate reasons why chemistry degree enrolments may be declining, offering suggestions for how chemistry education might further support participation.

Reevaluating the concentration of chemistry jobs

Reevaluating the concentration of chemistry jobs

Reevaluating the concentration of chemistry jobs

Reevaluating the concentration of chemistry jobs

Employment outlook 2022

At long last, 2021 is almost over, so it is time to take a look at what employment for chemists might look like in 2022. This has been an unusual year for many reasons, but a surprising amount has stayed the same. The pandemic is still with us, sadly, and new variants are complicating the picture. Happily, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and new oral treatments are allowing some return to normalcy. That return to normalcy extends to the academic chemistry job market. Andrew Spaeth and I continue to curate a list of tenure-track chemistry faculty positions in the United States and Canada . This time last year, the number of open positions for fall 2021 was just 40% of the 4-year average. That was just 210 research-oriented positions and 19 teaching assistant professorships. While many hoped the situation would return to normal as vaccines became widely available, the 2021 academic hiring cycle

A changing chemistry job market and news from the wider science world

A changing chemistry job market and news from the wider science world

What’s in store for the 2021 US chemistry job market? Chemjobber offers his predictions

The leaves have fallen from the maple tree in my front yard, and as I get ready to say goodbye and good riddance to 2020, I’m reminded that it’s time for my year-end predictions for the 2021 US chemistry job market. It’s been quite a year. When the pandemic hit the US this spring, I expected to see an impact on academic hiring, and I was correct. According to the Chemistry Faculty Jobs List compiled by Andrew Spaeth and me, the 2019–20 academic cycle ended with 557 tenure-track professor positions available , down slightly from 592 positions in the 2018–19 cycle. But the 2020–21 academic hiring cycle is looking grim so far , with the current count of available positions (210 to date) down 60% from where we would normally be in the cycle. Teaching assistant professor positions (currently at 19) are down by 50%. While the drop in the

What’s in store for the 2021 US chemistry job market? Chemjobber offers his predictions

The leaves have fallen from the maple tree in my front yard, and as I get ready to say goodbye and good riddance to 2020, I’m reminded that it’s time for my year-end predictions for the 2021 US che...

Reactions

OPINION Reactions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail C&EN, 2020, 98 (42), p 3November 2, 2020Cite this:C&EN 98, 42, 3AbstractLetters to the editor Diversity in ads “Your Next Chemistry Job Awaits You.” That is the caption of the full-page ad that has been running frequently in print C&EN. A recent appearance is on page 4 of the Oct. 5 issue. I have seen this ad in C&EN at least five times since the end of June/beginning of July, and I am sure that I saw it many times before I began keeping count. The ad features a graphic of a white male in a lab coat. A white male was the face of chemistry when I began my studies in the 1960s. As a (white) woman, I didn’t see many of my peers when I was looking for employment. I have not seen many variations of this ad in C&EN. A recent exception was on page 40 of the Aug. 24 issue. There I see a white person ofView: PDF | Full Text HTML

SMART CP (Simulation Methods Analysis Rule Tech Chemistry Profession) Company and Android Application in Three Areas Regular Work for Future Solution to Decrease Unemployment and Develop Human Resources

Unemployment is one of the main employment challenges that challenge developing countries, including Indonesia. (Muslim,2014). There are many competent human resources but many are unemployed, this is because there are some fraudulent parties or their reach is very difficult. SMART CP is a Company and application designed specifically in the field of chemistry, it places one's work in one of the fields they will choose from 3 Chemistry jobs provided by SMART CP (Teachers, Analysts / Labs, and Entrepreneurs) This application has been created to decrease unemployment and develop Human Resources. The research methods used are qualitative and quantitative as well as additions to the research methods. some purpose of this Application first is, to develop students' online learning media, to facilitate teaching staff in the bookkeeping of teacher learning devices, to obtain information directly vertically from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Get ready for a potential chemistry job crisis

It is clear that COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, will bring an economic recession. The effects on chemical employment are much less clear. The broad economic damage to the US...

How will the US chemistry job market look in 2020?

The Thanksgiving turkey has long been roasted, carved, and turned into soup, which means it’s time to boil down my predictions for the 2020 US chemistry job market. Last year I thought a recession might be in the cards for 2019, but the US has not seen any significant declines in gross domestic product (GDP). In fact, the first quarter of this year showed a healthy 3.1% increase in GDP from the previous quarter, with modest 2.0% increases in both the second and third quarters. So unless something dramatic happens, a recession will not occur in 2019. The broad consensus among Wall Street economists is that there won’t be a recession next year either. Why do we care about the broader economy? Because scientists’ employment typically rises and falls with it, which isn’t surprising, as the chemical enterprise touches nearly all parts of the economy. How did I do with

What is a chemistry job?

“What is a chemistry job?” That evergreen question comes up often in the chemistry social media space, and I always struggle with how to respond. Are chemists only those who use the tools of chemistry in a laboratory? If so, how does this definition address the teacher of students of chemistry, or someone who uses a computer to further our understanding of chemistry? How about people who write about chemistry? Do they possess a writing job or a chemistry job? In fact, there is no one right answer to the question of what a chemistry job is, and any attempts to draw lines or define boundaries will inevitably exclude groups of people that we know deep in our bones are part of our ever-expanding enterprise. What we do know is that among those who study the physical sciences, only a small percentage go on to research-based roles. For example, the

Predictions for the US chemistry job market in 2019

With 2019 just around the corner, you might be wondering what the chemistry job market in the US will look like next year. If I knew, I wouldn’t be working in the chemical enterprise; I’d be making fortunes on Wall Street. What I do know is that how the job market performs will likely depend on what the economy does in 2019. By the numbers, the US economy is doing pretty well. The second and third quarters in 2018 had healthy gross domestic product increases of 4.2% and 3.5%, respectively, and we’ve had record low unemployment at 3.7%. But if the recent stock market is a guide to the economy of 2019, there may be signs of a slowdown, as major indices have lost most of their gains for 2018. Another indication that the economy as a whole may be slowing down comes straight from the chemical enterprise. The American

Perspective from grad school: Master’s degrees matter

Graduate students have a lot on their plates. They are expected to do exceptional research, publish frequently, take classes, teach, train new students ... the list goes on and on. Eventually, the primary tasks become finding a job and graduating. An issue that can affect these fledgling chemists is the lack of information and support for those facing the decision between master’s and doctoral degrees. The availability of more information about this decision might eliminate the population of graduate students without clear career goals who stay in grad school because they see no other option. In my experience as a chemistry graduate student, a master’s degree is viewed with contempt even though there are a significant number of jobs in chemistry for applicants with a master’s degree. Yes, these are frequently “limited” to jobs in industry—another idea that is often viewed with contempt by those in academia—but that does not

Ten years after the Great Recession, chemists reflect on its impact

A decade has passed since the Great Recession hit, but many chemists remember the day they were laid off as if it were yesterday. The volatile period from December 2007 to June 2009 was the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, and it took away any inkling of job security those in the chemistry community might have felt. Even though time has healed most professional wounds, careers and salaries have yet to fully recover, some chemists say. Many say the lack of jobs in chemistry led them to seek employment in other fields. Some go so far as to describe their cohort of affected chemists as a “lost generation.” “There are a lot of people who are really good scientists who are no longer in the field, and that’s a huge loss,” says Ph.D. chemist Brenda Case, who was laid off from Pfizer in 2010 and

Rethinking industrial analytical chemistry

The analytical chemistry business is booming. Contract manufacturers have significantly expanded their analytical labs in recent years to keep pace with regulatory requirements and customer demand for data. At dedicated analytical service firms, business is growing as drug companies and customers in other industries seek out backup resources for their in-house labs and manufacturing plants. That growing demand is creating lots of analytical chemistry jobs. The sometimes-repetitive nature of the work, however, often leads chemists to move on to other fields, such as drug discovery or academic research, creating a serious churn in hiring and on-the-job training. But analytical chemistry is changing with the advent of new measurement and data tools. Quality management efforts, especially in the life sciences, have boosted the importance of analysis as well as the demand for chemists. University chemistry departments and companies that employ analytical chemists are working hard to breathe new life into the

Advice for "Hunting Season".

Advice for "Hunting Season".

The Power Of 163,000 Chemists

Does it seem to you that the past few years have produced a steady stream of economic and professional challenges? Many chemistry jobs have disappeared, venture capital for start-ups is scarce, and federal funding for scientific research is on the block again. Taken together, these trends pose a daunting and perplexing challenge that could cause us to throw up our hands in surrender. However, I think there comes a tipping point when we must say, “Enough is enough; surrender is not an option. I need to help do something!” I know that change—including getting involved—can be uncomfortable. Over my 48 years as an American Chemical Society member, I transitioned from scientist to businesswoman; helping leaders get results is my passion. Last year, I ventured into new territory, becoming chair of the Board Standing Committee on Public Affairs & Public Relations. Since then, I’ve gained a whole new outlook on how ...

ENTREPRENEURS WANTED

RETURN TO ISSUEPREVNewsNEXTENTREPRENEURS WANTEDACS MEETING NEWS: Task force outlines path to 100,000 new chemistry jobs in 20 yearsRUDY BAUMCite this: Chem. Eng. News 2011, 89, 36, 14Publication Date (Print):September 5, 2011Publication History Published online9 March 2012Published inissue 5 September 2011https://doi.org/10.1021/cen-v089n036.p014Copyright © 2011 AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETYArticle Views18Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (353 KB) Get e-Alerts

ACS NEWS COMMENT

DURING MY TENURE IN THE PRESidential succession, members constantly told me of their concern for the way the public perceives chemistry and perhaps even more important, how students perceive chemistry. I have heard them say, Students don't go into chemistry because it's hard; they would rather do something easy. Or, Students don't become chemistry majors because there are no jobs in chemistry, and they can make more money in law or business. We all have anecdotes; but for the first time, I've seen a study that has helped me understand why students do go into the sciences. Robert H. Tai and coworkers at the University of Virginia tested whether eighth-grade students who saw themselves in a science-related career by age 30 actually obtained baccalaureate degrees in science at higher rates than those who did not want such a career ( Science 2006 , 312 , 1143). The hypothesis was tested for both life sciences and ...