tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post9169110428771700485..comments2024-03-18T16:39:23.054-04:00Comments on Chemjobber: Senior Dow manager writes on #chemjobsChemjobberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-48049995495357938402016-09-27T06:01:59.471-04:002016-09-27T06:01:59.471-04:00If you're entering the job market and need to ...If you're entering the job market and need to to start writing a resume, then listen up because the times have probably changed a bit since days gone by <a href="http://www.cheapresumewritingservices.net/services/affordable-resume-writing-services/" rel="nofollow">cheap resume writing services</a><br />Tareq Hasanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09473724964548792337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-9658267989056455092011-08-30T19:56:00.677-04:002011-08-30T19:56:00.677-04:00Chemjobber, can we have a reasonable discussion of...Chemjobber, can we have a reasonable discussion of the ethics of middle management/MBAdom? Perhaps we are all biased on this one, but what exactly does everyone gain? The front lines of research feel micromanaged and suffocated to death with what feels like unrealistic short term expectations and even less stability. What does technology and industry really gain at the end of the day? In some respects I kind of feel that industrial science is cannibalizing itself on its own legacy (especially after reading posts like this.) How do we make progress go forward?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-66913837349299065022011-08-30T00:04:47.870-04:002011-08-30T00:04:47.870-04:00Oh Daaaaaamn! Watson gets nailed for being a hypoc...Oh Daaaaaamn! Watson gets nailed for being a hypoch... hipo... a hypochon-driac! Only done work on benzocyclobutenes. <br /><br />Still, now I'm actually going to read the article. That's why I was thinking about the MBA earlier. Sure, I wanted to make a difference in peoples' lives by doing research when I was young and stupid. Now that you can't make a career out of that, might as well go all the way over to the dark side. Now I just want a fat paycheck so that I can afford to drive around in a Porske guaranteed; even if I can't solve anyone's chemical problems while earning the fat cash. Hey, what can I say? I'm a material boy.<br /><br />That's why I need this guy Watson's adivice on how to leapfrog into management with less time on research and no in depth learning of new stuff. I just have to learn to read between the lines and speak betters. I think the biggest problem will be the clothes though. I sweat too much in hot weather and that ruins white shirts; and I still get the girlfriend to tie the tie because I can never do it right. Once I get that down (plus learn how to play golf), I think I can be good in management.uncle samnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-58291098517099712032011-08-26T21:26:50.752-04:002011-08-26T21:26:50.752-04:00I looked up Watson’s profile on LinkedIn. He spen...I looked up Watson’s profile on LinkedIn. He spent a grand total of six years doing research at Dow, and has spent the past 4 in various management jobs. He appears to be out of R & D altogether. He certainly is qualified to talk about changing from a research career to a business career. To be plain, I don’t believe he’s particularly qualified to speak about what is needed to have a decent industrial R & D career, since that apparently has not been his own aim. <br /><br />I’ve also looked up his patents. They are all in the same narrow field of polymerizable benzocyclobutenes. Even he himself has not worked as a researcher in various areas. So much for being a generalist.<br /><br />I worked at Dow in Midland 30 years ago. Back then, it was recognized that there needs to be a mix of generalists and specialists. It was recognized that it could take some time (1-3 years) for a person to get up to full speed doing R & D. People were encouraged to move around the R & D labs for various businesses – it was rare for a person to spend their entire career in one business unit doing one type of work. And people were happy to move around.<br /><br />And there was none of the corporate buzzword mumbo jumbo. There were barely any meetings. No Six Sigma and its myriad useless cousins. And the R & D people were highly productive, since there was nothing inconsequential to chew up their time. The management had a good deal of respect for R & D, as well. <br /><br />Who knows what it’s like now at Dow. It sounds like it’s no different than any other large chemical company. Or any type of large company. <br /><br />I hope that next time Nature Chemistry actually chooses a real industrial R & D chemist to comment on careers for today’s industrial R & D chemists.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-5761367438116634042011-08-26T18:27:09.205-04:002011-08-26T18:27:09.205-04:00Employers want a plug-and-play employee who can pr...Employers want a plug-and-play employee who can produce from day one. They dont care about training or on the job learning. Very soon, new graduates will be required to do 1 or 2 years of free intership before the employers will consider hiring them full time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-1340373393834833892011-08-26T16:27:20.111-04:002011-08-26T16:27:20.111-04:00"...it is important that potential industrial..."...it is important that potential industrial chemists demonstrate that they are willing and able to learn new technologies"<br /><br />Too bad hiring managers don't see it that way. From what I've seen, most are looking for very specific skills...not the potential to learn those skills quickly. And with unemployment so high, why should they settle?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-71977782826951072942011-08-26T14:14:39.261-04:002011-08-26T14:14:39.261-04:00A10:28a: Sorry for that. I think, though, that the...A10:28a: Sorry for that. I think, though, that the different topics laid out in the "Keep learning" section are definitely applicable in an academic setting (with the possible exception of going to conferences every 6 months.)Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-50903597837927228392011-08-26T13:28:46.847-04:002011-08-26T13:28:46.847-04:00"Keep learning..Project Management skills..Ya..."Keep learning..Project Management skills..Yadi yadi yada.." I agree that all these tips are very helpful, but where can I get a job that will help me obtain all these skills? I'm pretty sure the employers are not paying for the training.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-85977698617389219712011-08-26T11:12:09.225-04:002011-08-26T11:12:09.225-04:00There's a lot of good advice in that article. ...There's a lot of good advice in that article. He's right that we have shifted from being experts in one field to being generalists. The most important skill you can show right now is the ability to change to something completely different and get up to speed quickly (that's my experience at least).<br /><br />I think this change is relatively recent because there are still a lot of experienced people here where I work who are specialists. They are becoming an endangered species.Unstable Isotopenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-2104174635029063652011-08-26T11:06:30.996-04:002011-08-26T11:06:30.996-04:00When I see "personal brand", I take that...When I see "personal brand", I take that to mean my online presence. As in, making sure my Facebook page is clean and the parts that aren't are secure/hidden. And hopefully, I haven't picked a bunch of fights using my real name on these blogs or worse, LinkedIn.Doc Ocnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-88223493584205327932011-08-26T10:07:35.172-04:002011-08-26T10:07:35.172-04:00A million thanks for covering this CJ (I commissio...A million thanks for covering this CJ (I commissioned and edited it - not that there was much to do as Keith suggested the title and wrote the piece very well).<br /><br />And I'd like to remind your readers that the article itself is free - but only until the end of September - so please read/download it soon!<br /><br />On the subject of 'personal brands', I disagree that it's ill-fitting, but I guess it might be ill-defined - but I can't think how else to define it. For me, it's about how other people see you - are you someone they would like to collaborate with? Do people outside your lab/institution/company know you or your work? <br /><br />Looking forward to more of your thoughts!Neilhttp://www.nature.com/nchemnoreply@blogger.com