Department of Awful Statistics: The September Swoon in CEN industrial job ads

In the past month, there have been 2 (count 'em -- 2!) industrial job ads in Chemical and Engineering News. To see if this is an anomaly or a trend, I've charted the industrial ad content for the issue of C&EN for 2nd week of September. (I tried to pick the issue that was closest to the arbitrary date of Sept. 14.) The resulting graph (data set here) is not encouraging:

Now, there are any number of explanations:

Competition against C&EN: 1989 is before the internet - I'm going to guess that it was the only game in town, if you wanted to hire chemists. Nowadays, it's one of at least 5 or 6 places to go -- besides, who wants to pay for ads on-dead-tree when you could pay much less for ads online?

Recruiters moving their schedules: It's completely possible that companies have, over the years, quit advertising for positions during the 2nd week of September and they're putting their ads in C&EN some other time.

The golden years are over: Perhaps this is evidence of a "secular trend", as the economists would put it, where the job market for chemists is just never going to be as good as it ever was. Sad, if true.

I'm sure there are alternate explanations; readers, you're welcome to comment on them. But nevertheless, the current paucity of industrial job ads and positions is hitting chemists hard.

UPDATE: Clarified a few words here and there. (9/28/09, 6 PM)

Chemjobber C&EN Index: 9/21/09

Industrial positions (non-academic, non-governmental):
Total number of ads: 0
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US: 0/0
Area: 0
Week to week trend: Flat.

Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 1
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 1
- Ratio of US/non-US: 1/0
Area: 67
Week to week trend: Stable. 
  
Academic positions:
Total number of ads: 29
- Postdocs: 2
- Tenure-track faculty: 35++
- Temporary faculty: 0
- Lecturer positions: 0
- Staff positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 33+/4+
- Area (square cm): 1777
Week to week trend: Down, but strong 

Dude, where's my no-jobs senryu?: 
Unemployment stinks
Post-docs are not much better
Who will hire chemists?


Tenure-track, however...: Again, lots of new tenure-track positions. Good luck out there. 


Small college of the week: Dickinson College (Carlisle, Pennsylvania, student population: 2,300 - SA-LUTE!) is looking for a professor of biochemistry. Among the famous alumni, the fifteenth president, James Buchanan. Wonder what he'd think of biochemistry? (He wouldn't -- he's dead. -ed.)

Daily Pump Trap: 9/25/09 edition

Good morning! Including September 16, there have been 188 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. Of those, 26 (14%) are faculty positions and 119 (63%) are from our friends at KSR.

The middle aisles smell so fresh!: Want to make processed foods that will make the health nuts scream and mouths water? International Flavors and Fragrances needs B.S./M.S. chemists in their flavor/fragrance delivery research teams. 

Great name: Smooth-On needs a senior polymer chemist; they would like a B.S. chemist with at least 7 years experience.

Gas card no longer needed?: Exxon-Mobil is looking for a fuels researcher; they would like someone who has a fuel chemistry speciality and preferably a Ph.D. in chemistry or chemical engineering.

Postdoc at the aquarium: Sounds like an album name, doesn't it? Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has postdoctoral fellowships open. 'Twould be a lovely place to do a postdoc, wouldn't it?

Kelly Time!: All together now: are you a chemist? Do you like doing chemistry? The geniuses at Kelly Scientific Research would like to know if you can do the following things: be a biostatistician, a "skill [sic] marketing job" with a Ph.D. in plant ecophysiology, a clinical psychologist or a coding nurse. Good luck!

Chemjobber C&EN Index: 9/14/09

Industrial positions (non-academic, non-governmental):
Total number of ads: 0
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US: 0/0
Area: 0
Week to week trend: Down.

Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 1
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 1
- Ratio of US/non-US: 1/0
Area: 67
Week to week trend: Up, slightly. 
 
Academic positions:
Total number of ads: 28
- Postdocs: 3
- Tenure-track faculty: 30++
- Temporary faculty: 0
- Lecturer positions: 0
- Staff positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 31/2
- Area (square cm): 2025
Week to week trend: Up.  

Time again for senryu (since no industry ads): 
CJ sings the blues
Where are the jobs for his friends now? 
Please not more post-docs!

On the other hand...: Plenty of faculty positions to apply for, with 31 faculty positions. 


Small college of the week: The University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh (Oshkosh, WI, student population: 12,669, SA-LUTE!) is looking for a tenure track assistant professor position in analytical position. Doyle Redland (of Onion fame) is a (fake) alumnus, if that's a plus for you.  

Chemjobber C&EN Index: 9/7/09

Industrial positions (non-academic, non-governmental):
Total number of ads: 2
- Postdocs: 1
- Permanent positions: 3+
- Ratio of US/non-US: 1/3+
Area: 76.7
Week to week trend: Up, slightly.

Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 0
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US: 0/0
Area: 0
Week to week trend: Down.
 
Academic positions:
Total number of ads: 72
- Postdocs: 5+
- Tenure-track faculty: 78 (6+)

- Temporary faculty: 0
- Lecturer positions: 2
- Staff positions: 1
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 83/3
- Area (square cm): 3574

Week to week trend: Not applicable.

Piddling: Looking for an industry job? Unless you're heading to South Korea or you want to postdoc, no dice.

Big week for faculty positions: Over 70 tenure-track faculty positions. I think I'll have a more detailed roundup later this week, but it's pretty huge. As I recall, this is the "academic recruiting" issue; nice to see that there's something out there.

Small college of the week: The University of Toronto - Mississauga (Mississauga, Toronto, Canada - student population: 8762) is looking for a Lecturer in Analytical Chemistry. If you want to watch the Toronto Argonauts practice (this is the site of their practice facility) in your off hours, this position might be for you!

Interview: CJ speaks with Dave Harwell on ACS Careers and the ACS Careers website

With my recent complaints about ACS Careers (and Kelly Scientific), I decided to contact them. Dave Harwell is assistant director of ACS Careers and Diversity Programs; it should be noted that he is not speaking here for ACS. Dr. Harwell kindly agreed to an interview by e-mail; below is our exchange on the inner workings of ACS Careers, the ACS Careers website, Kelly Scientific and when he thinks the job market might pick back up. (His answers have been lightly edited by me for links, etc.)  

CJ: How can ACS members interact with ACS Careers staff? What are common complaints, etc.? What are things that ACS members really appreciate?

DH: The easiest way for ACS members to contact the ACS Careers Staff is by writing to careers@acs.org. 


The Careers Team receives both positive and negative emails from members and other job seekers.  Negative emails are generally focused on the frustrations associated with the job hunt.  People may want more job listings in a particular job category, salary range, and/or geographic region.  Where possible, we try to accommodate these requests by contacting employers with corresponding listings.  However, the reality is that we cannot manufacture jobs.  In the end we are limited by market demands. 


Thank goodness, we also receive thank you notes.  Helping people find employment, especially in a tough economy, is a hard job.  Still, it is rewarding to know that you are able to help in some small way in the process.  Thank you notes generally focus on the services provided by our volunteer career consultants or the resources provided through our website: www.acs.org/careers.  We also receive many positive comments through the ACS Careers Blog and the ACS Careers Industry Forum. 


What would ACS Careers staff most like to hear about/from ACS members? 


I would most like to know about what works.  How are others overcoming barriers and finding opportunities?  The most powerful thing about an association is the ability to share information.  If we are able to find out about strategies that worked for the job search process, we can communicate them to others through our blog and/or the ACS Network.  Most recently, one of our career consultants wrote a knol about the many ways that Google tools can be used in the job search process.  Her knowledge has proven useful to many others, and her knol has become one of the most searched career resources at Google. 


I also want to know about things that are going wrong.  Our team can’t fix a problem unless we know it exists.  Recently, Chemjobber alerted us to a phishing scheme in the jobs database.  We were instantly able to pull down the listing and work with our vendor to enhance our restrictions and firewall protections. 


Our mission at ACS Careers is to help ACS members gain employment; to help them keep their jobs; and to prepare them for the many career transitions that they are bound to face.  Any communications that helps us to further our goals are welcomed and encouraged. 


Are there any efforts by ACS Careers to expand their web presence? The RSS feed is handy. 


Yes, we are constantly developing new resources and making them available through our websites.  Our greatest challenge at this point is integrating the websites that we currently provide.  Our job listings and career consulting services can be found through the jobs database site (chemistryjobs.acs.org), while most of our career resources are located at www.acs.org/careers.  We also have online and facilitated learning opportunities through the ACS Center for Professional Development and the ACS Professional Training websites.  And lastly, the ACS Careers Blog is located at acscareers.wordpress.com. 


Most recently, we added the first in our Career Caffeine video series.  This first video focuses on the job search process.  Two more videos are in production for the topics of writing a resume and interviewing.  Self study guides and group discussion guides have also been developed for the job search, resume writing and interviewing processes.  All of these resources are available through the Job Search Essentials page on www.acs.org/careers. 


What is the process for getting an ad on ACS Careers? 


For a job listing, employers use an automated system very similar to the one used by job seekers.  The potential employer creates a profile for the company and enters the text for their advertisement.  They also select appropriate categories for the job such as inorganic, green and/or senior level.  To post the job listing, they choose a term of service and either pay by credit card or choose to be invoiced.  The fees generated through this process help pay for services offered to our members.  The fee structure also helps to ensure that job listings are legitimate. 


Although ACS charges employers for job listings, there is no charge to job seekers for any of our services. 


Are ads vetted by an editor before posting? 


Listings that are published in C&EN undergo review before publication; however, online job listings generally do not.  The online job posting system is automated in order to keep the posting process timely.  Employers generally expect their job listings to be posted as soon as they complete the e-commerce process. 


If complaints about a listing are received, the posting is reviewed immediately and it may be removed or modified at the discretion of ACS staff and legal counsel.  In cases where illegal or questionable activity is detected, listings are removed and employer profiles are blocked to protect our users.  Our service provider, Boxwood Technologies, also monitors postings and traffic patterns to detect illegal activity.  All user records are protected in accordance with the highest industry standards including PCI compliance. 


What is the relationship between Kelly Scientific Resources and ACS Careers? Do they pay for ad space? 


The ACS Committee on Economic and Professional Affairs recognized the only way to apply for entry-level positions at many chemical and pharmaceutical companies is through staffing or placement agencies.  Some companies, especially larger ones, have outsourced their screening and on-boarding processes to professional staffing agencies.  The Committee recommended that ACS develop relationships with one or more staffing agencies in order to provide a route into entry-level positions at major chemical and pharmaceutical companies.  Negotiations were begun with several firms; however, Kelly Scientific Resources was the only staffing agency who both applied and was able to meet all of the requirements set by the Committee in terms of hiring and compensation practices. 


Kelly Scientific Services pays an annual fee to ACS to place their job listings within the ACS Careers Jobs Database.  They also provide job placement and career counseling services to ACS members upon request.  Additionally, they provide informational seminars at ACS national and local meetings as requested. 


What's your prediction for when the job market for chemists will pick up? Any 'green shoots' that you're aware of? 


I must preface this answer by stating that I am not an economist.  I am a chemist.  I must also state that this is my own opinion and it does not reflect the views of the Society.  It should not be used as the basis for any financial or other transactions. 


Today’s Financial Times has a story on the cover which quotes Ben Bernanke, US Federal Reserve chairman, as stating that the US recession “is very likely over,” but I think that it will be six to eight months before we will see changes in the US chemical and pharmaceutical job markets.  Most chemical companies are still highly leveraged with large inventories on hand.  They are not likely to start hiring again until those inventories are reduced and production starts.  The pharmaceutical industry does not have the same problems with regard to inventory surpluses, but their hiring practices have also slowed due to mergers and acquisitions (M&A).  The M&A process generally takes one to three years to complete.  During the first year, there is generally no hiring and layoffs are common due to the elimination of redundant positions.  The good news here is that we are about 6 to 8 months into the very large M&As of 2008 and 2009.  The job market for chemists should start to thaw next spring.  In the mean time, we may see additional layoffs as companies compensate for poor market performance and those involved in M&A continue to eliminate redundancies.

Daily Pump Trap: 9/15/09 edition

Good morning! Including September 11, there have been 104 new jobs posted on the ACS Careers website. Of those, 58 are from our friends at KSR and 28 are academic faculty positions.

There they go again!: Genentech is looking for B.S. or M.S. synthetic chemists for their medchem program. I feel like they've done this before, but hey! it's the Bay Area. Good luck!

Tasty: ICP in St. Louis, Missouri, is looking for a Ph.D. chemist with experience in inorganic chemistry to come up with applications for food phosphates. Interesting...

Like organizing?: Targacept (of our last DPT) is looking for a B.S. chemist to be a compound management scientist. I would imagine that the folks who like these positions are very neat (said the person with the messiest desk in the company...)

There's the stimulus!: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is looking for a M.S. chemist to apply NMR technology to biomass conversion. That's a little unexpected, but it sounds cool.

Kelly Time!: Say it with me, folks: are you a chemist? Do you like doing chemistry? Kelly Scientific Resources wishes to know if you'd like being a registered nurse or perhaps a manufacturing operator. Sigh.

Department of Awful Statistics: tough times at Harvard, too

How's this for a bit of depressing news? You can find the recruiting schedule for Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology here. Handily, they have the recruiting schedule for the last 3 years, too.

I tabulated the schedules here* and came up with this little graph you see above. That's the ugly truth, folks. If they ain't hiring folks outta Harvard, they're not hiring anywhere. Let's see where we get in 2010 -- remember, unemployment is a lagging indicator.

*I know this isn't by any means scientific. Also, I didn't count companies that were visiting, but only gave a presentation and did not interview. I suspect the 2006 stats are less detailed (i.e. there may have been companies that presented, but did not interview.)


UPDATE: A commenter notes that the 2009 schedule ended with 12 companies visiting; still, that's less than 2008. (Man, I wish that weren't the case.)

Daily (?) Pump Trap: 9/11/09 edition

Good morning! Since September 1, there have been 191 new jobs posted to the ACS Careers jobs database. Of those, 49 are from our friends at Kelly Scientific Resources.

Do you want to be a professor?: There have been 77 faculty positions posted in the last 11 or so days. That's remarkable -- I imagine it's also going to be a healthy sign for the academic recruiting issue of C&EN. Good luck, postdocs.

For the rest of us: Bugs, polymers and fuel cells -- that's what Lawrence Berkeley Labs is looking for in a Ph.D. chemist staff scientist. If electrochemistry is your field, this may be a job for you.

That's an interesting combination: Sandia National Labs is looking for a B.S. chemist to help with computer modeling in biofuels and neurosciences. I'm guessing those are the folks who are funding the position? "Hyperspectral Imaging" -- sounds very Star Trek, doesn't it?

Inorganic chemist wanted, real science wanted?: Blacklight Power (home of the "hydrino") is looking for a Ph.D. inorganic chemist. I'm pretty skeptical of their science, but they're hiring, I guess.

Must love college basketball: If you're a B.S. analytical chemist with 6 years of experience (or a M.S. with 2) in HPLC analysis, there's a job in North Carolina for you with Targacept.

Kelly Time!: Are you a chemist? Do you love doing chemistry? The geniuses at Kelly Scientific Research want to know if you can be a "psychometrician rater", a pharmacist or a entry level microbiologist. Sounds like a good fit for me!

While I won't get off my KSR hobbyhorse anytime soon (considering they make up 26% of the take from ACS Careers), I have noticed that their postings are becoming more relevant as of late.

Chemjobber C&EN Index: 8/31/09

Industrial positions (non-academic, non-governmental):
Total number of ads: 0
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US: 0/0
Area: 0
Week to week trend: Flat, like Kansas.

Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 1
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 1
- Ratio of US/non-US: 1/0
Area: 40
Week to week trend: Down.

Academic positions:
Total number of ads: 22
- Postdocs: 0
- Tenure-track faculty: 26
- Temporary faculty: 0
- Lecturer positions: 0
- Staff positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 24/2
- Area (square cm): 967

Week to week trend: Down, slightly.

Time for poetry:
No industry ads
Where will workers find jobs now?

Not C&E News.

Nevertheless: There are a goodly number of tenure-track positions available. All of these university postings make me wonder how big the university recruitment special issue will be...

Small college of the week: Mt. Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA, student population: 2,100 - SA-LUTE!) is looking for a tenure-track assistant professor who has a speciality in either bioorganic or biophysical chemistry. That sounds fun to me.

Chemjobber C&EN Index: 8/24/09

Industrial positions (non-academic, non-governmental):
Total number of ads: 0
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US: 0/0
Area: 0
Week to week trend: Flat as a pancake.

Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 1
- Postdocs: 4
- Permanent positions: 4
- Ratio of US/non-US: 8/0
Area: 473
Week to week trend: Up, big.

Academic positions:
Total number of ads: 25
- Postdocs: 0
- Tenure-track faculty: 42+
- Temporary faculty: 0
- Lecturer positions: 0
- Staff positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 23/19
- Area (square cm): 1207
Week to week trend: Up, big.

Not a good week to be looking for an industry job: De nada.

But if you're looking for a faculty position: There's 42 new positions posted this week, including the University of Miyazaki's ten assistant professor positions. Good Lord, that's a lot of professorships. Best of luck, folks. (That Wikipedia entry explains it -- they've been a chartered university for 5 years. Nothing like getting in on the ground floor!)

Small college of the week: The University of Southern Maine (Portland, ME, student population: 10,974 - SA-LUTE!) is looking for a tenure-track assistant professor in biochemistry. Like lobster? This position might be for you!

Daily Pump Trap: 9/1/09 edition

Good morning! Including August 22, there have been 167 new jobs posted on the ACS Careers website. Lots of odd jobs, not so many permanent positions.

Aloha!: Are you an analytical chemist? Want to move to Hawaii? Cellana LLC is a company doing biofuels work and they're looking for an experienced chemist to do chromatography (PhD preferred, BS chemists welcome to apply.)

Computational chemist desired: Cubist Pharmaceuticals is looking for a PhD computational chemist with 5-7 years of experience. Sounds like a company on its way up, with a couple of products under its belt.

There's our stimulus funds!: Argonne National Labs is looking for a PhD electrochemist to do studies on lithium ion batteries. I think it's a good time to be a battery specialist -- what do you think?

Do you get discounts on contact solution?: Alcon is looking for an experienced analytical chemist to support a surgical R&D team. Sounds pretty cool. M.S. or Ph.D. with experience desired.

Kelly Time!: Are you a chemist? Do you like to do chemistry? Kelly Scientific Resources wants to know if you are a bilingual nurse, can do biostatistics calculations or if you want to leave the bench to be a procurement manager. Awesome!