What can Chemistry BS do?

[osumc2014]

What jobs or fields do you guys know that people go into with a bachelors in chemistry?

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[Lil Mick]

I've known people who: 1) taught in a high school, 2) were lab techs, or 3) went into business (pharm).

 

[osumc2014]

I've known people who: 1) taught in a high school, 2) were lab techs, or 3) went into business (pharm).

are any of those things particularly competitive? a friend was rejected from chem grad school and seeing what their options are, and how easily it is to even find a job now

 

[Negrodamus]

He/She can always become a teacher. They're specific programs that will pay/payback the graduate school tuition for stem majors.

 

[Iapyx]

It saddens me when people fall back onto teaching as a last result. If it is not your passion, becoming a high school teacher is a recipe for stress and misery. To answer your question, she could become a lab tech.

 

[Ugen]

I know at my schools career fair, there were a few companies looking for Chemical Engineers that were willing to interview Chemistry majors. I got a job as a Cement Engineer for an energy company with a Chemistry major.

 

[deleted357625]

It saddens me when people fall back onto teaching as a last result. If it is not your passion, becoming a high school teacher is a recipe for stress and misery. To answer your question, she could become a lab tech.

so true

 

[osumc2014]

well do people normally reapply for chem grad? sorry I have no idea about this! and neither does she!

 

[kexy]

lab tech lab tech lab tech.
i have a friend with a chem BS who is working as a research assistant at a biopharmaceutical company in the bay area. his undergrad GPA wasn't awesome, but he got a summer internship with them, worked really hard, and impressed them enough that they hired him full time. i think he's making like 55k a year, and he's planning to reapply for grad school in a few years. i'm sure the work experience could only help one's application...

 

[slatermd]

It saddens me when people fall back onto teaching as a last result. If it is not your passion, becoming a high school teacher is a recipe for stress and misery. To answer your question, she could become a lab tech.

srsly. the world has enough sh*tty, miserable teachers. Bad for you, bad for your potential students.

No one should default bass ackwards into teaching.

 

[RedRobin]

Chemistry is a very big field and what you can do depends on what branch you're looking into.

I'd say organic and analytical are by far the best in terms of getting jobs in the industry. Inorganic can be also useful but there aren't just very many opportunities. And as for physical chem...eh, I can never understand them 😛

For organic, many people find jobs in pharmaceutical, fragrance, polymer etc etc
Analytical itself is also a big field including electrochem, spectroscopy, microscopy, hybrid etc etc. Basically anything that involves fancy instruments.

I'd say chemistry is a very good major to find jobs because it's the central science as we call it. It can easily combine studies with physics, engineering, or biology.

 

[Spin]

Your friend could try to get an internship or postbac at NIH. I once found one that payed about $20,000/year.

If your friend is good at standardized tests, they could always take a few, score in the top 10%, and apply to teach with Kaplan, The Princeton Review, etc. It's not really a full-time job, but it's flexible (mostly nights/weekends), it pays well, it's fun, and it might eventually help them get a TA position in grad school.

 

[orthomyxo]

You know, the usual BS.

 

[Lil Mick]

Did your friend take the American Chemistry Association's licensing exams? This usually opens the doors to industrial jobs, as you are certified as competent in chemistry...

 

[osumc2014]

Did your friend take the American Chemistry Association's licensing exams? This usually opens the doors to industrial jobs, as you are certified as competent in chemistry...

nope, just graduated

thanks for the help! looks like looking for a job as a lab tech seems to be the popular vote

 

[LEUNIT]

You know, the usual BS.

I c wut u did thar, and I appreciated it. 👍

 

[slatermd]

I c wut u did thar, and I appreciated it. 👍

👍

 

[fahimaz7]

Nothing. BS's in life science degrees are useless. If I could go back and do it again, I would get a business degree in finance or accounting, and another degree in Spanish or something.

Cell bio, biochem, biology, chemistry, etc are all useless degrees unless you get a PhD. Expect a big 35k/year for most jobs, unless you are a hot chick and get a pharmaceutical spot.

 

[Ugen]

Nothing. BS's in life science degrees are useless. If I could go back and do it again, I would get a business degree in finance or accounting, and another degree in Spanish or something.

Cell bio, biochem, biology, chemistry, etc are all useless degrees unless you get a PhD. Expect a big 35k/year for most jobs, unless you are a hot chick and get a pharmaceutical spot.

Chemistry is a physical science, not a life science. While not exactly engineering degrees, life science degrees do not doom you to low paying grunt work without a doctorate.