This past week, the 2010 ACS spring conference took place in San Francisco. The numbers reported to the ACS Council about the associated job fair were as follows:
40 employers seeking applicants
116 positions available
1018 job seekers
As nasty as those numbers sound, I'll bet that's not more than a standard deviation or two above the mean. Then again, I don't have much to compare with, other than last year's spring numbers (32 employers, 176 positions, 524 applicants.) I suspect the geographical location (SF vs. Salt Lake City) has much to do with the increased number of employers and job seekers.
Good luck out there!
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I'm currently a junior seeking a BS in Chemistry and I am absolutely scared to death about my job prospects. I've got a summer research gig for 2010 to pad up my resume, but how the heck am I going to compete against guys with 20+ years of experience? No way.
ReplyDeleteEveryone at this college is pushing grad school like it is some magical saving grace, but all I see is the prolonging of the inevitable (and an increase in student loan debt) for these folks.
Anon3:20:
ReplyDeleteI'm not dismissing your concern at all, but I don't think you're competing against those with lots and lots of experience. Rookies don't compete against NFL veterans (ok - not technically), they mostly compete against other rookies.
More likely than not, your competition for entry-level positions is going to be other college seniors and other B.S./M.S. folks with 1-3 years of experience.
All of that said, you're thinking about it a year out, so it sounds like you're being smart. Best of luck.
Oh, and yeah, with the potential exception of getting an M.S., graduate school is by no means a magical saving grace.
ReplyDeleteJust a little article I think people considering grad school should read. It compares the difference in lifetime salaries of BS vs Ph.D scientists.
ReplyDeletehttp://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/previous_issues/articles/2008_04_11/caredit_a0800055
A recent comment on In The Pipeline states that all BS/MS jobs are the ones being farmed out to Asia, but it then says that chemistry as a whole is a dead end, so take from that what you will.
Also keep in mind that if you want to conduct research as a faculty member you have no choice but to get a Ph.D. If you're looking to have a decent paying job and the ability to live comfortably, your considerations will change.
I also agree with Chemjobber, grad school is not a guarantee to an easier or better life, just a potential avenue.