Leigh Boerner is the writer behind Just Another Electron Pusher, C&ENtral Science’s in-house jobs and employment blog. When she’s not a blogger, she’s a doctoral candidate in synthetic inorganic chemistry at Indiana University - Bloomington. I caught up with Leigh over IM and via e-mail over the past week; the following is a lightly edited version of our electronic conversation about science writing and her search for employment.
CJ: What have/will your peers done with their degrees? Where do inorganic chemists end up in industry? (Seriously, I don't really know.)
Leigh: They end up in a lot of places. A lot of people from my department have gone to either 3M or what used to be GE Plastics (now Saibic Innovative Plastics), which both recruit pretty heavily here. I had a colleague go to BASF which is essentially the 3M of Germany (he works on adhesives, I believe). Eli Lilly, which is just up the road, also hires a lot of organometallic chemists. (Well, they used to.) Synthetic inorganic chemistry is actually pretty dang versatile, since we tend to do both organic synthesis and work with air-sensitive metals, so we generally know dry-box and Schlenk techniques. We gots the skillz. I actually do quite a bit of organic work myself, since I make porphyrins. But since they're so photo-active, I know a lot of photochemistry and things of that ilk, too. When I started grad school, I ultimately wanted to do solar energy research for the DOE, and there was a girl here a while back that did get a job at a DOE lab in Colorado. So yeah, lots of options.
CJ: So are you thinking about science writing or something else? If you're a beginning science writer, what's the outlook for you -- are you going to be doing a lot of freelancing?
Leigh: Science writing, definitely. About 25% of me is also maybe thinking publishing.... I've been doing some freelancing. I turned in a story for a university mag yesterday. I've written for Science and The Scientist a bit. And I have tons of ideas, but it's just a matter of finding the time to write pitches to magazines, etc.
CJ: Do you think science writing is going to more or less lucrative than being a graduate student? I don't know the first thing about how much a science writer makes.
Leigh: Pretty much everything's more lucrative than being a grad student... It depends on where you work. When I interned at the OC Register, through AAAS, I made about the same each month as I do as a grad student. So that was an internship -- I would say about twice as much, for a beginning writer at a middlish paying type place.
CJ: What was it like working at the OC Register? What are the differences in mindset between a grad student and a reporter? Any insights you think chemists could gain from the media?
Leigh: It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of hard work. I remember constantly missing the turn to get back to my apartment because I was so mentally exhausted every night. Things moved very fast, and I had to just kind of jump in and get my stories written, even though I felt like I didn't know what the heck I was doing much of the time. My editor was very much of the "throw them into the deep end of the pool" philosophy of teaching, and he was constantly putting me in tough situations to see how I would deal with them. The first interview I did on my own was like that. My editor and I were at UC Irvine, and had two interviews set up while we were there. The first one was fine, and my editor did most of the talking. On our way to the second one, he was kind of prepping me up for it, and said that the psychology prof we were going to talk to was notoriously hard to interview, because she never really spoke in plain English. And then he said, "but you're going to do it on your own cuz I've gotta go, bye!" And he was GONE. I stood stunned for a few minutes, and then dragged myself to her office and did the interview. And it actually turned out not so bad.
Working at the OC Register was also probably the polar opposite of being a grad student. Things always started slow in the morning, but got crazy in the late afternoon/early evening. And the week started out mellow, but got insane towards the weekend. I guess the biggest difference was how you're supposed to impart information. In journalism, the simplest way of stating things is always the best. But in science, generally the more jargon you use, the better. I'm forever irritating my adviser because my way of talking is not "scientific" enough. But my editor at the OC Register was always scolding me for "talking like a scientist."
Writing and grad school are similar in the fact that for both, you have to have a really thick skin. I remember my editor saying to me at one point, "You take criticism really well." When I told my adviser that, he laughed and said, "See? Don't say I never did anything for you."
CJ: Who do you read in the chemistry blogosphere? What would you like to see more? Do you have writerly inspirations?
Leigh: I read all the C&E News blogs of course, and yours, the Chemistry Blog, In the Pipeline, and the Skeptical Chymist. Aaaand that's about it. There aren't too many out there, sadly. I do miss The Chem Blog, and I would really like to see some more pop up like that, meaning ones that can really analyze papers well, but also have a sense of humor. And I think we need more chemistry blogs that speak on a lay-person's level, without being condescending. People do think chemistry is really cool, but I think are put off by the jargon. I think a very well-explained blog about chemistry background and current research would be a fabulous addition to ye olde blogosphere.
I do have writerly aspirations. My ideal job would be to write a column about general cool science things (but mostly chemistry) that would give me a reason to still play with chemicals. Have you ever heard of Harold McGee? He's a food writer for the New York Times, and also the author of a few books, e.g. On Food and Cooking and The Curious Cook. In the latter, he actually goes into the lab and tries to figure out things like why egg whites get more foamy when you beat them in copper bowls. It turns out egg whites get kind of gluey sometimes because they're made up of a lot of cysteine, which contains sulfur. These form disulfide linkages, which kind of weigh the egg whites down, and make them more dense. But when you put them in a Cu bowl, the S tend to bind to the Cu instead of each other, which means they get really aerated and floofy and delicious for baking! The same thing happens if you add a drop or two of an acid, like vinegar or lemon juice. Neat huh?
Anyway, my point (and I do have one) is that I want to write stuff like that. Not about food, but about questions like, "why does X do Y?" Then be able to go in the lab and play and figure it out. Then write about it. Once upon a time, I did kind of do that. I had a science column in my university paper called "Ask Suzie Q. Scientist." Unfortunately it didn't last long, because the paper discontinued the Health & Science section shortly after I started the column. But for one of them, I did get to talk about embalming and what it does. Then I shot some formaldehyde into raw chicken, just to see what it did (after sitting for a bit, it bounced like a super ball). Now if I can just find someone to pay me for doing stuff like that, I would be a happy chemist.
I'd also like to write books. I have about six in my head, and I think they need to come out.
CJ: What's your non-chemistry media diet? Any papers or blogs that you particularly like?
Leigh: I read my local paper every day, which tends to surprise my grad school colleagues. I also am a bit of an NPR junkie, and listen to All Things Considered and Morning Edition every day. And RadioLab, whenever a new one comes out (I am a RadioLab FIEND), and I catch Science Friday when I can. I read the New York Times, not every day but a couple times a week (esp Tuesdays, because that's when The Science Times comes out). I also read Science, Nature, New Scientist, Wired, Science News, Scientific American, and a whole slew of other science type magazines. I do also read a lot of general science blogs, like The Loom (Carl Zimmer), Not Exactly Rocket Science (Ed Yong), You Are Not So Smart (David McRaney), Neurotopia (Scicurious, although that's neuroscience, not general), and others too numerous to mention.
CJ here again. Thanks to Leigh for the interview and go on over and enjoy Leigh's blog!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 7/14/2010
Good morning! Between July 9 and July 13, there were 16 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. Of these, 8 (50%) are academically connected.
Foam, my boy, foam: Rynel is looking for a M.S./Ph.D. chemist for R&D at their Wiscasset, Maine facility - sounds like you'll get regular phone calls and/or trips to Sweden, too!
Hmmm: Beta Pharma is looking for Ph.D. organic chemists with 5+ years experience for (I suspect) their New Haven, CT facility.
Sun and sand and...: CP Kelco is looking for a B.S./M.S. analytical chemist "to discover, conceive and develop new ideas, chemicals and systems for use in food, industrial and personal care applications... Expertise in food, nutrition and/or industrial application formulation in addition to the physical chemistry of biopolymers is a plus."
Bay area: Theravance is looking for a B.S./M.S. synthetic chemist with 1 to 5 years of experience. Good luck!
Foam, my boy, foam: Rynel is looking for a M.S./Ph.D. chemist for R&D at their Wiscasset, Maine facility - sounds like you'll get regular phone calls and/or trips to Sweden, too!
Hmmm: Beta Pharma is looking for Ph.D. organic chemists with 5+ years experience for (I suspect) their New Haven, CT facility.
Sun and sand and...: CP Kelco is looking for a B.S./M.S. analytical chemist "to discover, conceive and develop new ideas, chemicals and systems for use in food, industrial and personal care applications... Expertise in food, nutrition and/or industrial application formulation in addition to the physical chemistry of biopolymers is a plus."
Bay area: Theravance is looking for a B.S./M.S. synthetic chemist with 1 to 5 years of experience. Good luck!
You have ten years to get yourself established: more from the ACS salary survey
More interesting statistics on the 2009 salary survey:
- B.S./M.S./Ph.D. unemployment, respectively: 5.6%, 4.2%, 3.3%. Really? I would have expected the completely opposite trend.
- A bad, bad trend: the highest age decade for postdocs? The thirties, with 7.5% postdocs. Chemists aged 20-29 are at 5.9%.
- Highest age decade for part-time work? The sixties, by far: 9.2. While I suspect that much is by choice, I also surmise that some of it is involuntary, either because of institutional means (why don't you take this nice 0.5 FTE position?) and some of it is financial (your nest egg took a hit.)
- Check out these numbers for respondents under 40:
2005: 27.8%
2006: 33.0%
2007: 27.9%
2008: 24.4%
2009: 31.3%
This level of instability in the numbers suggests that there's something funny about that set of numbers. I dunno -- it just looks weird.
Monday, July 12, 2010
ACS salary survey: chemist unemployment at 3.9%, highest in 20 years
Both Rudy Baum and the excellent Leigh Boerner at Just Another Electron Pusher have posted on the newly released 2009 ACS salary survey data. More on the trends soon, but here are my keys to this data:
- The U3-like measurement of chemist unemployment is at 3.9%, which is the highest it's been in twenty years.
- The U6-like measurement of chemist unemployment (unemployed + part-time + postdocs) is at 9.6%, which is also higher than any rate for the past ten years (the report only has numbers back until 1999.)
- Median chemist salaries fell 3.2%. That's not good, either.
- After you reach 40 years of age, the likelihood of unemployment climbs unpleasantly. For chemists aged 30-39, the "U3" rate is 2.3%. For the next age deciles, the rates are respectively 3.9, 5.0 and 4.9%. The "U6"-like rate is even uglier, with part-time employment increasing significantly (6.5%, 7.9% and 14.1%)
I'll note that my bold prediction of last year came out to be a bit pessimistic ("U3" = 5%, "U6" = 12%). I'm happy to have been wrong.
More later, after I've had a chance to digest this.
- The U3-like measurement of chemist unemployment is at 3.9%, which is the highest it's been in twenty years.
- The U6-like measurement of chemist unemployment (unemployed + part-time + postdocs) is at 9.6%, which is also higher than any rate for the past ten years (the report only has numbers back until 1999.)
- Median chemist salaries fell 3.2%. That's not good, either.
- After you reach 40 years of age, the likelihood of unemployment climbs unpleasantly. For chemists aged 30-39, the "U3" rate is 2.3%. For the next age deciles, the rates are respectively 3.9, 5.0 and 4.9%. The "U6"-like rate is even uglier, with part-time employment increasing significantly (6.5%, 7.9% and 14.1%)
I'll note that my bold prediction of last year came out to be a bit pessimistic ("U3" = 5%, "U6" = 12%). I'm happy to have been wrong.
More later, after I've had a chance to digest this.
Friday, July 9, 2010
What's the 'funding line' for a Big Pharma senior scientist these days?
A recent comment at In the Pipeline summarized something I've been meaning to think about for a while. AlchemistOrganique writes:
A cautious guess as to the (less than 200, I suspect?) candidates who were hired for entry-level Ph.D. positions for major pharmaceutical companies in the last 2 years or so (2008 to 2010). I suspect that (WAG):
1. most or all obtained their doctorates at very prominent universities from "name" professors.
2. over 75% had postdoctoral fellowships, again at very prominent universities or institutes.
3. the median CV probably had more than 6 publications during their academic training.
Readers in the know, what do you think?
I suspect that the career fair at the upcoming ACS Meeting in Boston will be a zoo, regardless of job speciality (Pharma, Environmental, QA/QC). As if Boston weren't already a competitive job market for organic chemists, every grad student or postdoc from "top-tier" groups will probably be scheming to get positions that are suited for those with just the right amount of industrial experience. Any thoughts on what would be an "ideal" candidate for an entry-level position in MedChem or Process?Academic readers will be familiar with the concept of the ever-rising "funding line" or "pay line" for grants submitted to NIH. What is the equivalent expectation for Big Pharma these days?
A cautious guess as to the (less than 200, I suspect?) candidates who were hired for entry-level Ph.D. positions for major pharmaceutical companies in the last 2 years or so (2008 to 2010). I suspect that (WAG):
1. most or all obtained their doctorates at very prominent universities from "name" professors.
2. over 75% had postdoctoral fellowships, again at very prominent universities or institutes.
3. the median CV probably had more than 6 publications during their academic training.
Readers in the know, what do you think?
Daily Pump Trap: 7/9/10 edition
Good morning. From July 6 to July 8, 15 new positions have been posted to the ACS Careers website. Of those, 4 (27%) are academically connected and 1 is from our friends at Kelly Scientific Consulting.
Mysterious?: Amyris Biotechnology is looking for a Ph.D. organic chemist for work in scale up in their process department. Why a biofuels company desires someone skilled in natural product synthesis is kind of beyond me.
Find the hidden aliens, too!: UES, Inc. is looking for a Ph.D. materials scientist for a postdoctoral position in organic and nanostructured electronic devices.
Matsci FTW: Brewer Science, Inc. ("a leading supplier of specialty coatings to the microelectronics industry") is searching for 3 positions: process engineer, senior research associate and project leader. Sounds interesting and these aren't the first positions they've posted this year.
Well, that's inconvenient: DuPont's Discovery Knowledge Center is looking for Ph.D. organic chemists (1-5 yrs. experience). The positions are in Hyderabad, India and you "must have legal right to work in India." Huh.
Mysterious?: Amyris Biotechnology is looking for a Ph.D. organic chemist for work in scale up in their process department. Why a biofuels company desires someone skilled in natural product synthesis is kind of beyond me.
Find the hidden aliens, too!: UES, Inc. is looking for a Ph.D. materials scientist for a postdoctoral position in organic and nanostructured electronic devices.
Matsci FTW: Brewer Science, Inc. ("a leading supplier of specialty coatings to the microelectronics industry") is searching for 3 positions: process engineer, senior research associate and project leader. Sounds interesting and these aren't the first positions they've posted this year.
Well, that's inconvenient: DuPont's Discovery Knowledge Center is looking for Ph.D. organic chemists (1-5 yrs. experience). The positions are in Hyderabad, India and you "must have legal right to work in India." Huh.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Chemjobber C&EN Index: 6/28/10
Industrial positions (non-academic, non-governmental):
Total number of ads: 5
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 22++++
- Ratio of US/non-US: 21++++/1
Area: 1118
Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 0
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US: 0/0
Area: 0
Academic positions:
Total number of ads: 11
- Postdocs: 2+
- Tenure-track faculty: 6
- Temporary faculty: 4
- Lecturer positions: 1
- Staff positions: 3
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 13+/3
- Area (square cm): 487
Well!: It's the first one-pager in a while, with Genentech coming in strong with one of their old "BECAUSE" ads. Gilead and Grace post a nice set of positions, too.
Good luck with that: Novartis is looking for a senior EH&S manager for their Shanghai, China site. Not to get too overly cynical, but can you imagine what that job's going to be like? You're basically going to be the senior EH&S manager in China for Novartis, too. Um, no thanks.
I don't believe you: Gilead's rather lovely ad has the tagline "Careers for Life." Well, yes, but, well, no, I think you're trying to fool me.
So as I was sayin': W.R. Grace is looking for a R&D scientist in their batteries program. Desired traits? Ph.D. with 1 to 5 years experience in inorganic chemistry with battery experience.
Small college of the week: Southern Connecticut State University (New Haven, CT, student population: 7002 - SA-LUTE!) is looking for an assistant professor for physical chemistry. So if you want to be a professor at the other school in town (which has some serious football alumni!), this might be the job for you!
Total number of ads: 5
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 22++++
- Ratio of US/non-US: 21++++/1
Area: 1118
Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 0
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US: 0/0
Area: 0
Academic positions:
Total number of ads: 11
- Postdocs: 2+
- Tenure-track faculty: 6
- Temporary faculty: 4
- Lecturer positions: 1
- Staff positions: 3
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 13+/3
- Area (square cm): 487
Well!: It's the first one-pager in a while, with Genentech coming in strong with one of their old "BECAUSE" ads. Gilead and Grace post a nice set of positions, too.
Good luck with that: Novartis is looking for a senior EH&S manager for their Shanghai, China site. Not to get too overly cynical, but can you imagine what that job's going to be like? You're basically going to be the senior EH&S manager in China for Novartis, too. Um, no thanks.
I don't believe you: Gilead's rather lovely ad has the tagline "Careers for Life." Well, yes, but, well, no, I think you're trying to fool me.
So as I was sayin': W.R. Grace is looking for a R&D scientist in their batteries program. Desired traits? Ph.D. with 1 to 5 years experience in inorganic chemistry with battery experience.
Small college of the week: Southern Connecticut State University (New Haven, CT, student population: 7002 - SA-LUTE!) is looking for an assistant professor for physical chemistry. So if you want to be a professor at the other school in town (which has some serious football alumni!), this might be the job for you!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Pump Trap: 7/5/10 edition
Good morning! There are 129 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website from June 11 to July 4, 2010. Of these, 51 (40%) are academically related and 1 is from our friends at Kelly Scientific.
Gone for a while: So the DPT wasn't around for a while. Not a ton of big company positions, but Sigma-Aldrich is hiring and lots of smallish, non-pharmaceutical companies. Sounds like a good start.
Batteries, batteries: If I could go back in time to get myself a job right now, I would turn myself into an Ph.D. organic or organometallic chemist who also did lots of electrochemistry research. If I had a nickel for every small battery-tech company that was looking for a synthetic chemist, I'd have at least one more: Pellion Technologies is looking for one with 3-5 years of experience.
IAEA: The International Atomic Energy Agency is looking for a B.S. radiochemist to run their trace element and radionuclei detection laboratories. If those Russian spies are looking for another position to co-opt...
Just in time for Independence Day: The US Army's Picatinny Arsenal is looking for a chemist to "to conduct research and development on pyrotechnic devices, pyrotechnic formulations, and material characterization." Huh -- sounds like fun.
The job that refreshes?: Coca-Cola ("the global leader in nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages providing more than 1.3 billion servings per day in over 200 countries around the world.") is looking for Ph.D. analytical and/or organic chemists to work on flavor chemistry to obtain a "in-depth understanding of the chemical interactions of food/beverage constituents and food ingredient systems as they pertain to flavor (taste and aroma)." Ahhhhhh....
A hot (and exotic! tropical!) postdoc: The US Department of Agriculture is looking for a Ph.D. chemist to perform analysis of biofuel quality on feedstock crops at their facility in Hilo, Hawaii. Enjoy!
Gone for a while: So the DPT wasn't around for a while. Not a ton of big company positions, but Sigma-Aldrich is hiring and lots of smallish, non-pharmaceutical companies. Sounds like a good start.
Batteries, batteries: If I could go back in time to get myself a job right now, I would turn myself into an Ph.D. organic or organometallic chemist who also did lots of electrochemistry research. If I had a nickel for every small battery-tech company that was looking for a synthetic chemist, I'd have at least one more: Pellion Technologies is looking for one with 3-5 years of experience.
IAEA: The International Atomic Energy Agency is looking for a B.S. radiochemist to run their trace element and radionuclei detection laboratories. If those Russian spies are looking for another position to co-opt...
Just in time for Independence Day: The US Army's Picatinny Arsenal is looking for a chemist to "to conduct research and development on pyrotechnic devices, pyrotechnic formulations, and material characterization." Huh -- sounds like fun.
The job that refreshes?: Coca-Cola ("the global leader in nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages providing more than 1.3 billion servings per day in over 200 countries around the world.") is looking for Ph.D. analytical and/or organic chemists to work on flavor chemistry to obtain a "in-depth understanding of the chemical interactions of food/beverage constituents and food ingredient systems as they pertain to flavor (taste and aroma)." Ahhhhhh....
A hot (and exotic! tropical!) postdoc: The US Department of Agriculture is looking for a Ph.D. chemist to perform analysis of biofuel quality on feedstock crops at their facility in Hilo, Hawaii. Enjoy!
Friday, July 2, 2010
June unemployment report: mixed, but not great
The official unemployment rate (U3) went slightly down in June to 9.5% from May's 9.7%. The broadest measurement of unemployment, U6, also went down to 16.5% from May's 16.6%.
While these numbers are not bad, I am going to guess that they have more to do with dropping labor force participation rather than increasing payroll numbers. Speaking of which, private sector payrolls increased by 83,000 in June, which was lower than the 100,000 jobs expected by analysts.
More later, as much more expert people begin commenting on these numbers. Enjoy! (okay, not really). But have a good weekend! (truly)
UPDATE 1:
UPDATE 2: Okay, let's try that again. Private non-farm payrolls decreased by 125k in June. To quote from the BLS press release: "The decline in payroll employment reflected a decrease (-225,000) in the number of temporary employees working on Census 2010."
All in all, things aren't really looking so good and there aren't a ton of bright spots out there. Sigh.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Too good to, ah, er, no comment
"Laboratory Safety Program Manager
Under the general supervision of the Manager, Research Safety Division, manage the Laboratory Safety Program in the department of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). Oversee laboratory inspections and ensure quality control, assist departments with the development and implementation of health and safety policies, assist with laboratory design, as requested, determine and recommend appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for use in laboratories, and ensure the safe operation of laboratory equipment including fume hoods. Also responsible for preparing technical and administrative reports as well as the development and coordination of laboratory safety training."
Location? The University of California, Los Angeles.
Under the general supervision of the Manager, Research Safety Division, manage the Laboratory Safety Program in the department of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). Oversee laboratory inspections and ensure quality control, assist departments with the development and implementation of health and safety policies, assist with laboratory design, as requested, determine and recommend appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for use in laboratories, and ensure the safe operation of laboratory equipment including fume hoods. Also responsible for preparing technical and administrative reports as well as the development and coordination of laboratory safety training."
Location? The University of California, Los Angeles.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Culinary school = getting a PhD in chemistry?
From a recent interview with Anthony Bourdain, a 28 year veteran of professional kitchens, where he's asked by a young caller about the possibility of becoming a professional chef (25:00, transcript done by me -- hope there aren't too many mistakes):
On the face of it, really, not much. Culinary school (so far as I understand) is shorter and you have to pay the tuition; it's rare (non-existent?) for graduate students in the sciences to need to pay tuition. Usually, they pay you. Salaries are different, too. If you're working for $10/hour with a master's degree in chemistry, friend, you're getting waaaay ripped off. But the long hours and the long time before you'll be making decent money? Yeah, that does sound like getting a doctorate in chemistry.
I think a significant difference between chemists and cooks is the concept of "doing it because you love it." I don't think chemists need to rely so much on that aspiration to replace the concept of a liveable wage after they're out of school. I hope not, anyway.
Caller: ...For the past 4 or 5 years, I have a huge passion for cooking, mostly just for family and friends. As the years go by, I've considered getting into it as a career myself. What would be your advice to break into the industry, would it be culinary school or jumping right into the kitchen and working my way up?
Bourdain: Well, before you, uh, you're right on the age limit right about now. 27, 28, beyond that, it's going to be very, very, very tough for you, by the time you're trained up and ready to really work and make money in the industry. It's going to be late. You're practically Methuselah at 27.
What I would definitely recommend before you quit your previous profession is work for free, if necessary or just get a few months, six months, in a very busy restaurant. Any busy restaurant, you know, get your butt kicked -- see if you really like it, before you spend money on culinary school.
Because, no matter how good the culinary school, you're going to be rolling out of there and the best you can hope for is like a ten dollar an hour job for the first couple of years. You're not going to be paying back that student loan any time soon. So just make sure you love the business, that it's for you, that it's a passion, that you're willing to suffer for it and do without any kind of reasonable amount of money for quite some time.
Host: ...what do you tell young people thinking about getting into the kitchen as a professional chef?
Bourdain: ...It's like rock'n'roll in the sense that you better just love playing rock'n'roll for playing rock'n'roll. If you think that you're going to be a star, as most any musician will tell you, that's not a reasonable expectation.
Do it 'cause you love it. And most importantly, get out there and do it first, find out if the life is for you -- chances are, it's not. You'll know it after a few months in the business. And then, culinary school is a very worthwhile enterprise.So here's my question: how much is culinary school like graduate school in chemistry?
On the face of it, really, not much. Culinary school (so far as I understand) is shorter and you have to pay the tuition; it's rare (non-existent?) for graduate students in the sciences to need to pay tuition. Usually, they pay you. Salaries are different, too. If you're working for $10/hour with a master's degree in chemistry, friend, you're getting waaaay ripped off. But the long hours and the long time before you'll be making decent money? Yeah, that does sound like getting a doctorate in chemistry.
I think a significant difference between chemists and cooks is the concept of "doing it because you love it." I don't think chemists need to rely so much on that aspiration to replace the concept of a liveable wage after they're out of school. I hope not, anyway.
Friday, June 11, 2010
CJ's postulates: lab supply location
CJ postulate 1: The amount of time searching for laboratory supplies (and asking other workers for supplies) is directly proportional to the managerial* seniority of the searcher.
*UPDATED: added the word "managerial" for clarity.
*UPDATED: added the word "managerial" for clarity.
Daily Pump Trap: 6/11/10 edition
Good morning! Between June 9 and June 10, there were 19 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. Of those, 4 (21%) are academically connected and 3 (16%) are from our friends at Kelly Scientific Resources.
Pfizer: Pfizer's Cambridge, MA site (the RTC, I believe) is looking for a B.S./M.S. chemist to join their product purification group. Like mass-directed separations? This is for you.
Winding wire: SuperiorEssex desires a M.S. chemist for research into wire and wire products; the company is " the world's largest producer of magnet wire, also known as winding wire, an insulated copper or aluminum conductor used by major original equipment manufacturers and distributors." Huh.
Big Oil (services): Schlumberger desires a Ph.D. chemist for work on "the development of chemical measurement systems for the oilfield and, more specifically, on the development of an H2S measurement method."
Kelly: How about some applause for Kelly, which continues its (amazing!remarkable!) run of relevant postings. Want to be a catalyst technician ("job hoppers" not wanted - snerk), an NMR analytical-type or a pharmaceutical analyst?
Pfizer: Pfizer's Cambridge, MA site (the RTC, I believe) is looking for a B.S./M.S. chemist to join their product purification group. Like mass-directed separations? This is for you.
Winding wire: SuperiorEssex desires a M.S. chemist for research into wire and wire products; the company is " the world's largest producer of magnet wire, also known as winding wire, an insulated copper or aluminum conductor used by major original equipment manufacturers and distributors." Huh.
Big Oil (services): Schlumberger desires a Ph.D. chemist for work on "the development of chemical measurement systems for the oilfield and, more specifically, on the development of an H2S measurement method."
Kelly: How about some applause for Kelly, which continues its (amazing!remarkable!) run of relevant postings. Want to be a catalyst technician ("job hoppers" not wanted - snerk), an NMR analytical-type or a pharmaceutical analyst?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 6/8/10 edition
Good morning! Between June 2 and June 8, there were 33 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. Of these, 11 (33%) are academically related and 1 position (3%) is from our friends at Kelly Scientific Resources.
Hmmmm: The Sierra Club is looking for environmental specialists. "Professionals with advanced degrees or engineering licenses are sought for non-litigation and litigation projects." Huh -- gee, what's the pay for this?
Amgen: The folks at Amgen are looking for a M.S. chemist to do synthetic work. Sadly (or not), the position is in Cambridge, not Thousand Oaks. Sigh.
Polymers: Solvay is looking for a polymer chemist in Alpharetta, GA. Experience with compounding and molding equipment desired.
Biopolymers: Cargill is looking for a M.S/Ph.D. polymer chemist to work on biopolymers. Good luck trying to understand the ad, although experience with "quantitative analysis" and championing "technology development" is desired.
Hmmmm: The Sierra Club is looking for environmental specialists. "Professionals with advanced degrees or engineering licenses are sought for non-litigation and litigation projects." Huh -- gee, what's the pay for this?
Amgen: The folks at Amgen are looking for a M.S. chemist to do synthetic work. Sadly (or not), the position is in Cambridge, not Thousand Oaks. Sigh.
Polymers: Solvay is looking for a polymer chemist in Alpharetta, GA. Experience with compounding and molding equipment desired.
Biopolymers: Cargill is looking for a M.S/Ph.D. polymer chemist to work on biopolymers. Good luck trying to understand the ad, although experience with "quantitative analysis" and championing "technology development" is desired.
Chemjobber C&EN Index: 5/31/10
Industrial positions (non-academic, non-governmental):
Total number of ads: 2
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 2
- Ratio of US/non-US: 2/0
Area: 45
Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 1
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 1
- Ratio of US/non-US: 1/0
Area: 47
Academic positions: Total number of ads: 4
- Postdocs: 1
- Tenure-track faculty: 3
- Temporary faculty: 0
- Lecturer positions: 2
- Staff positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 5/1
- Area (square cm): 321
Yeah, it's been awhile: Yes, this is the first Index in months. Not to worry, I'll catch up. Really!
No, nothing much has changed: I've been looking, just not blogging about it. 2 industry positions, neither really exciting for the typical chemist. Well, maybe the Algenol position.
Small college of the week: Mt. Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA, student population: 2,200, SA-LUTE!) is looking for a senior laboratory instructor in organic chemistry. Sounds like fun, especially if you're into the rural thing. Good luck!
Total number of ads: 2
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 2
- Ratio of US/non-US: 2/0
Area: 45
Governmental positions (US, international):
Total number of ads: 1
- Postdocs: 0
- Permanent positions: 1
- Ratio of US/non-US: 1/0
Area: 47
Academic positions: Total number of ads: 4
- Postdocs: 1
- Tenure-track faculty: 3
- Temporary faculty: 0
- Lecturer positions: 2
- Staff positions: 0
- Ratio of US/non-US positions: 5/1
- Area (square cm): 321
Yeah, it's been awhile: Yes, this is the first Index in months. Not to worry, I'll catch up. Really!
No, nothing much has changed: I've been looking, just not blogging about it. 2 industry positions, neither really exciting for the typical chemist. Well, maybe the Algenol position.
Small college of the week: Mt. Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA, student population: 2,200, SA-LUTE!) is looking for a senior laboratory instructor in organic chemistry. Sounds like fun, especially if you're into the rural thing. Good luck!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Question: good resume writing services?
Anon12:00 asks "I am wondering if you know a good resume review and writing service for organic chemistry/phd background."
Well, really, I don't. I've had success (in my opinion) from the free career consulting that the ACS Careers people put on at ACS meetings. I met with John Borchardt and thought he did a nice job of correcting/editing my resume, which was appreciated. I believe the ACS Careers website has a (free!) personal career consulting service; I've not heard any reviews of its quality. (That being said, I think there's real room for a market here; certainly there are a lot of people who could use one and people who could use the work.)
Anyone know of a good resume writing service for organic chemists?
Well, really, I don't. I've had success (in my opinion) from the free career consulting that the ACS Careers people put on at ACS meetings. I met with John Borchardt and thought he did a nice job of correcting/editing my resume, which was appreciated. I believe the ACS Careers website has a (free!) personal career consulting service; I've not heard any reviews of its quality. (That being said, I think there's real room for a market here; certainly there are a lot of people who could use one and people who could use the work.)
Anyone know of a good resume writing service for organic chemists?
BREAKING: May unemployment rate at 9.7%, situation is not good
411,000 of those jobs were temporary positions with the US Census. While those are indeed "real jobs", they're not permanent. This is a cause for concern, I'd think.
The invaluable Calculated Risk suggests that the fall in the unemployment rate has to do with a lowered number of participants in the job market. As CR continues analysis, I'll pass it along. Finally (to end on a sort-of good note), the broader U6 unemployment rate fell from 17.1% to 16.6%. Thank God for small blessing.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Well, that's something I didn't expect
Okay, so I have A LOT to write about. Really. But first, I need to get some sleep. But first...
Do you want a job as a cosmetic chemist? No, really. It's a serious field (and I knew that before today), but I found out there's a blog for that. The folks at Chemist's Corner are professional cosmetic chemists and can tell you all about picking out raw materials and formulating.
(I can't tell you how many people I know who were drawn into chemistry by Ashley Abbott, who was apparently a chemist on The Young and the Restless (a show I know next to nothing about...))
Do you want a job as a cosmetic chemist? No, really. It's a serious field (and I knew that before today), but I found out there's a blog for that. The folks at Chemist's Corner are professional cosmetic chemists and can tell you all about picking out raw materials and formulating.
(I can't tell you how many people I know who were drawn into chemistry by Ashley Abbott, who was apparently a chemist on The Young and the Restless (a show I know next to nothing about...))
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 6/2/10 edition
Good morning (and welcome back, DPT!) There are 48 new positions posted between May 21 and June 1st on the ACS Careers website. Of those, 11 (23%) are academically connected and 1 (2%) are from our friends at Kelly Scientific Resources.
Are things getting better?: I dunno, but there seem to be more positions these days. "Seem" is the key word here.
Life Technologies: They're hiring these days; 3 positions (bioinorganic chemist!) in the last week or so and a position or two every month, it seems.
Are things getting better? (cont.): Sure seem like a lot of these positions are in the "Ph.D. 5-7 years" range. That's good news for someone, I'd think. (e.g. Pharmasset, Flamma, Agios)
Jobs of the future?: Clean Fuel is looking for a lab quality control manager; they make biofuel and the like. I'm going to guess that this counts as a "green collar" job.
Dept. of little lost lambs: Invista (a polymer company, granted) is looking for an Electrical Reliability Engineer in the (virtual) pages of the American Chemical Society. Good luck.
Kelly positive reinforcement: One ad from KSR, in the "food chemist" vein. Hey, that's an improvement.
Are things getting better?: I dunno, but there seem to be more positions these days. "Seem" is the key word here.
Life Technologies: They're hiring these days; 3 positions (bioinorganic chemist!) in the last week or so and a position or two every month, it seems.
Are things getting better? (cont.): Sure seem like a lot of these positions are in the "Ph.D. 5-7 years" range. That's good news for someone, I'd think. (e.g. Pharmasset, Flamma, Agios)
Jobs of the future?: Clean Fuel is looking for a lab quality control manager; they make biofuel and the like. I'm going to guess that this counts as a "green collar" job.
Dept. of little lost lambs: Invista (a polymer company, granted) is looking for an Electrical Reliability Engineer in the (virtual) pages of the American Chemical Society. Good luck.
Kelly positive reinforcement: One ad from KSR, in the "food chemist" vein. Hey, that's an improvement.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Favo(u)rite things, set to music
I've really enjoyed all the chemistry favorites lists -- they've all been wonderful. However, no one has gone to the lengths of Chemjobber reader Leo, who submits the following musical version:
MY FAVOURITE CHEMISTRY THINGS (by Leo M.)
Easy quick workups and a column that cleanses
The smell of ether and a product that fluoresces
Brown Aldrich packages the courier brings
These are a few of my favourite things.
White powdery solids and high yields and ee's
Ground glass and valves brass and multiple degrees
Sealed vacuum chambers with rubber o-rings
These are a few of my favourite things.
Low-boiling solvents that leave with no traces
Girls in white lab coats and Erlenmeyer vases
Clean NMRs on a Friday in spring
These are a few of my favourite things.
When the flask breaks
When my hand stings
When I'm still a grad
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.
Count me impressed. (Good luck with the thesis, Leo.)
MY FAVOURITE CHEMISTRY THINGS (by Leo M.)
Easy quick workups and a column that cleanses
The smell of ether and a product that fluoresces
Brown Aldrich packages the courier brings
These are a few of my favourite things.
White powdery solids and high yields and ee's
Ground glass and valves brass and multiple degrees
Sealed vacuum chambers with rubber o-rings
These are a few of my favourite things.
Low-boiling solvents that leave with no traces
Girls in white lab coats and Erlenmeyer vases
Clean NMRs on a Friday in spring
These are a few of my favourite things.
When the flask breaks
When my hand stings
When I'm still a grad
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.
Count me impressed. (Good luck with the thesis, Leo.)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 5/21/10 edition
Good morning! There are 28 new positions on the ACS Careers website. Of those, 8 (29%) are academically connected and none are from Kelly Scientific Resources.
Sun and (black? white?) sand, too: Dow is looking for a Ph.D. analytical chemist for its Basic Plastics division; 3+ years as a polymer chemist desired -- industrial experience appreciated. Located in Freeport, TX.
Biorefinery: FPInnovations is the world's largest private forest products research institute (world's tallest midget?); they are looking for a chemist ("ideally Ph.D.") to lead a team develop "novel bio-materials" from wood, pulp and paper products.
Quite a claim: Astellas ("the bright spot in the pharmaceutical industry") desires a Ph.D. chemist with experience in both organic chemistry and protein conjugation technology. Experience with HPLC, ELISA and pilot-plant scale bioreactors is desired. (Oh, that's all.) 5+ years experience is also desired.
La vie in chimie: Publival Multiservices is looking for a postdoc to participate in medicinal chemistry projects; also cheminformatics and molecular modeling involved. Located in Paris, France.
Little Lost Lamb: Why is a Portland, Oregon engineering consulting firm looking for a transportation planner in the American Chemical Society? Dunno.
Sun and (black? white?) sand, too: Dow is looking for a Ph.D. analytical chemist for its Basic Plastics division; 3+ years as a polymer chemist desired -- industrial experience appreciated. Located in Freeport, TX.
Biorefinery: FPInnovations is the world's largest private forest products research institute (world's tallest midget?); they are looking for a chemist ("ideally Ph.D.") to lead a team develop "novel bio-materials" from wood, pulp and paper products.
Quite a claim: Astellas ("the bright spot in the pharmaceutical industry") desires a Ph.D. chemist with experience in both organic chemistry and protein conjugation technology. Experience with HPLC, ELISA and pilot-plant scale bioreactors is desired. (Oh, that's all.) 5+ years experience is also desired.
La vie in chimie: Publival Multiservices is looking for a postdoc to participate in medicinal chemistry projects; also cheminformatics and molecular modeling involved. Located in Paris, France.
Little Lost Lamb: Why is a Portland, Oregon engineering consulting firm looking for a transportation planner in the American Chemical Society? Dunno.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 5/14/10 edition
Good morning! From May 11 through May 13, there were 17 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. Of these, 4 (24%) are academically connected and none are from Kelly Scientific Resources.
GSK DMPK: GlaxoSmithKline desired a B.S/M.S. chemist for DMPK research in their Infectious Diseases CEDD. At least 5 years of experience is desired.
Vertex!: Vertex, the reigning champ of the ACS Careers database, is (once again) searching for candidates for 5 positions. One of those is the Head of Medicinal Chemistry, for which they want a Ph.D. with at least 10 years in industry. Good luck with that. (So is that your official title? Who's the Toe of Medicinal Chemistry, anyhow?)
Blues, BBQ and chemistry: Vesicol is looking for a M.S/Ph.D. chemist to do product development R&D for them; the ability to do analytical support in a plant setting is also desired. It's in Memphis, which might be desirable.
Top Secret Chemistry: Midwest Research Institute is looking for a chemist (B.S. + 6 years, M.S. + 3 years or Ph.D. with 0 years) to perform spectroscopic analysis. "Familiarity with intelligence/DoD community preferred, but not required." Hmmmm....
GSK DMPK: GlaxoSmithKline desired a B.S/M.S. chemist for DMPK research in their Infectious Diseases CEDD. At least 5 years of experience is desired.
Vertex!: Vertex, the reigning champ of the ACS Careers database, is (once again) searching for candidates for 5 positions. One of those is the Head of Medicinal Chemistry, for which they want a Ph.D. with at least 10 years in industry. Good luck with that. (So is that your official title? Who's the Toe of Medicinal Chemistry, anyhow?)
Blues, BBQ and chemistry: Vesicol is looking for a M.S/Ph.D. chemist to do product development R&D for them; the ability to do analytical support in a plant setting is also desired. It's in Memphis, which might be desirable.
Top Secret Chemistry: Midwest Research Institute is looking for a chemist (B.S. + 6 years, M.S. + 3 years or Ph.D. with 0 years) to perform spectroscopic analysis. "Familiarity with intelligence/DoD community preferred, but not required." Hmmmm....
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Hi, there!
Boy, there are a lot of people visiting! Welcome! I had no idea that the "My Favorite Things" meme would be as successful as it is. And here I was just avoiding writing up another depressing post on graduate school. (If you're interested in seeing a complete list of all of the different lists, go here.)
I hope you like what you see when you visit. This blog is about the current chemistry job market; I use the Daily Pump Trap and the Chemjobber C&EN Index to attempt to measure the number of available positions for bench chemists in the marketplace. I also try to flesh out basic questions about chemical employment and I have an interest in chemical safety, especially the case of Sheharbano (Sheri) Sangji. Again, thanks for visiting and I hope you stay.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
May unemployment numbers: Um...
In other measurements of the overall job market, hiring was up in March, even though the number of job openings and labor turnovers were flat. Layoffs were down. Small business hiring is also quite low and the number of people who have been unemployed for extended periods (27 weeks +) is high by historical standards. On a happier note, temporary hiring is quite strong, even though Kelly Scientific doesn't seem to be reflecting that on the ACS Career boards. One step at a time.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 5/11/10 edition
Good morning! Between May 6 and May 10, there have been 21 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. 6 positions (29%) are academically oriented and 1 (5%) position was with Kelly Scientific Resources.
But are there sharks?: LaserGen is looking for a Ph.D. synthetic organic chemist with experience in nucleotide chemistry. The significance of the company name is not immediately obvious.
Plastics!: Dow Chemical Company is looking for a Ph.D. polymer chemist (new grads considered) for its polyethylene product research division.
Lots to see: Evans Analytical Group is looking for a B.S./M.S./Ph.D. scientist with experience in analysis with electron microscopy. I'm not familiar with areas of chemistry that use EM, but hey -- maybe there are.
Novan: Novan desires a M.S./Ph.D. process chemist with 5+ years of experience with pharmaceutical synthesis. Good luck!
But are there sharks?: LaserGen is looking for a Ph.D. synthetic organic chemist with experience in nucleotide chemistry. The significance of the company name is not immediately obvious.
Plastics!: Dow Chemical Company is looking for a Ph.D. polymer chemist (new grads considered) for its polyethylene product research division.
Lots to see: Evans Analytical Group is looking for a B.S./M.S./Ph.D. scientist with experience in analysis with electron microscopy. I'm not familiar with areas of chemistry that use EM, but hey -- maybe there are.
Novan: Novan desires a M.S./Ph.D. process chemist with 5+ years of experience with pharmaceutical synthesis. Good luck!
Friday, May 7, 2010
My Favorite Things about Chemistry
Because sometimes the facts about chemical employment just aren't very fun. But this is!
My Favorite Things about Chemistry (by CJ)
1. A chromatography column that works well.
2. The treasure trove of literature, filled with truth, (a few) lies and idiosyncrasies galore.
3. Ground glass joints that fit snugly.
4. The first few drops of a successful vacuum distillation.
5. The little tips that "everyone" knows (DMF in your acyl chloride formation, etc.)
6. The prettiness of water flowing through Tygon tubing.
7. Watching product fall out of solution.
8. Crystals, beautiful crystals.
9. J-coupling that makes sense.
10. A clean 250 mL roundbottom.
Let's see if I can start a meme going around the chem-blogosphere. I tag mitch, azmanam, CBC, milkshake, Newscripts, The Haystack, The Safety Zone and Derek Lowe.
Have a good weekend!
UPDATE: azmanam, Newscripts and The Haystack have their lists up. Thanks for playing along, all -- I am honored.
My Favorite Things about Chemistry (by CJ)
1. A chromatography column that works well.
2. The treasure trove of literature, filled with truth, (a few) lies and idiosyncrasies galore.
3. Ground glass joints that fit snugly.
4. The first few drops of a successful vacuum distillation.
5. The little tips that "everyone" knows (DMF in your acyl chloride formation, etc.)
6. The prettiness of water flowing through Tygon tubing.
7. Watching product fall out of solution.
8. Crystals, beautiful crystals.
9. J-coupling that makes sense.
10. A clean 250 mL roundbottom.
Let's see if I can start a meme going around the chem-blogosphere. I tag mitch, azmanam, CBC, milkshake, Newscripts, The Haystack, The Safety Zone and Derek Lowe.
Have a good weekend!
UPDATE: azmanam, Newscripts and The Haystack have their lists up. Thanks for playing along, all -- I am honored.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 5/6/10 edition
Good morning! Between May 1 and May 5, there have been 33 new positions posted on the ACS Careers jobs database. Of those, 10 (30%) are academically connected while none are from Kelly Scientific Resources.
Biocides: Stepan Company is looking for a senior manager of its biocides business. They'd like you to have a lot of experience in the biocides field (10+ years) and good leadership skills.
Bond movie villain, Inc?: Draths Corporation is building a "next generation chemical company... covering the entire benzene value chain". Um, okay. They're looking for a Ph.D. analyst (5+ years exp.) to lead their analytical chemistry team.
Smell of success: International Flavors and Fragrances is looking for a M.S. chemist with 16 years experience or a Ph.D. chemist with 10 years to work on a project that "will include planning and execution of a complex technical multi-functional project of significant size." Intriguing...
Details, details: Adhesives Research, Inc. is looking for a B.S. chemist or chemical engineer to work on its wound care adhesives research project. Naturally, "wound care adhesion experience a must."
Biocides: Stepan Company is looking for a senior manager of its biocides business. They'd like you to have a lot of experience in the biocides field (10+ years) and good leadership skills.
Bond movie villain, Inc?: Draths Corporation is building a "next generation chemical company... covering the entire benzene value chain". Um, okay. They're looking for a Ph.D. analyst (5+ years exp.) to lead their analytical chemistry team.
Smell of success: International Flavors and Fragrances is looking for a M.S. chemist with 16 years experience or a Ph.D. chemist with 10 years to work on a project that "will include planning and execution of a complex technical multi-functional project of significant size." Intriguing...
Details, details: Adhesives Research, Inc. is looking for a B.S. chemist or chemical engineer to work on its wound care adhesives research project. Naturally, "wound care adhesion experience a must."
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A quick salary comparison between M.S. and Ph.D. chemists
The recent discussion on the differences between a M.S. and Ph.D. positions has set me to thinking about the differences between the degrees, skill sets and overall employability. But first, let's look at the salary numbers.
Assume that we have 4 individuals. They're all in the same group in graduate school, they're all the same age, gender, whatever. At year 0, they decide to take 4 different paths, as shown below:
Person A: takes M.S. immediately, goes to work for 60k, gets 1% raise a year
Person B: takes M.S. immediately, goes to work for 70k, gets 1% raise a year
Person C: stays in grad school, takes Ph.D. in 2 years, goes to work for 80k, gets 1% raise a year
Person D: stays in grad school, takes Ph.D. in 2 years, does 2 year postdoc, goes to work for 90k, gets 1% raise a year
At year 20, how will their earnings differ?
Person A, M.S. (year 20 total earnings): $1,321,140.24
Person B, M.S. (year 20 total earnings): $1,541,330.28
Person C, Ph.D. (year 20 total earnings): $1,569,179.81
Person D, Ph.D. + postdoc (year 20 total earnings): $1,553,207.80
My spreadsheet is here, for those of you who are interested.
Caveats: There weren't any promotions in these cases, so there weren't any considerations of pay grades and the like. The salaries are a bit made up (I doubt there are postdocs hired into industry at salaries 10k above their non-postdoc colleagues.) Also, there are layoffs to be considered (how do you calculate that?)
Conclusions? Hard to say, but in this idealized scenario, assuming all other things equal, Ph.D. chemists make up the 2 year difference in salary between their already-working M.S. brethren/sistren in the first ten years of their working life, if not sooner.
Is the salary difference really that great? It depends, of course, on the magnitude of the difference. In that first 20 years, the lifetime difference in total salary between Person B, (70k annual salary) and Person C (80k) is less than $30,000. (Note: of course, it's not completely fair to compare someone who's been in the workforce for 18 years as opposed to 20.)
Also, it's clear that postdocs aren't a great financial decision, in the short term. But that's not why people take postdoctoral appointments. Long term, obviously, if a postdoc gives you more training, better contacts and more job opportunities, then they're worth it.
Assume that we have 4 individuals. They're all in the same group in graduate school, they're all the same age, gender, whatever. At year 0, they decide to take 4 different paths, as shown below:
Person A: takes M.S. immediately, goes to work for 60k, gets 1% raise a year
Person B: takes M.S. immediately, goes to work for 70k, gets 1% raise a year
Person C: stays in grad school, takes Ph.D. in 2 years, goes to work for 80k, gets 1% raise a year
Person D: stays in grad school, takes Ph.D. in 2 years, does 2 year postdoc, goes to work for 90k, gets 1% raise a year
At year 20, how will their earnings differ?
Person A, M.S. (year 20 total earnings): $1,321,140.24
Person B, M.S. (year 20 total earnings): $1,541,330.28
Person C, Ph.D. (year 20 total earnings): $1,569,179.81
Person D, Ph.D. + postdoc (year 20 total earnings): $1,553,207.80
My spreadsheet is here, for those of you who are interested.
Caveats: There weren't any promotions in these cases, so there weren't any considerations of pay grades and the like. The salaries are a bit made up (I doubt there are postdocs hired into industry at salaries 10k above their non-postdoc colleagues.) Also, there are layoffs to be considered (how do you calculate that?)
Conclusions? Hard to say, but in this idealized scenario, assuming all other things equal, Ph.D. chemists make up the 2 year difference in salary between their already-working M.S. brethren/sistren in the first ten years of their working life, if not sooner.
Is the salary difference really that great? It depends, of course, on the magnitude of the difference. In that first 20 years, the lifetime difference in total salary between Person B, (70k annual salary) and Person C (80k) is less than $30,000. (Note: of course, it's not completely fair to compare someone who's been in the workforce for 18 years as opposed to 20.)
Also, it's clear that postdocs aren't a great financial decision, in the short term. But that's not why people take postdoctoral appointments. Long term, obviously, if a postdoc gives you more training, better contacts and more job opportunities, then they're worth it.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 4/30/10 edition
Good morning! From April 27 until 11:30 AM GMT April 30, there were 27 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. Of these, 7 (26%) are academically connected and 1 is from our friends at Kelly Scientific Research.
A flavorful position: Mars is looking for a PhD flavor chemist to head its flavo(u)r chemistry division. Sounds like fun; obviously, you need to be quite experienced for this job.
Dupont: It's nice to see the major companies come in with positions -- Dupont has posted 5 positions, including a B.S. chemist for work in its Stone and Tile products division.
Regulus: And on the other end of the size spectrum, Regulus Therapeutics has posted 2 positions in bench chemistry. They are looking for a B.S./M.S. chemist with 1-5 years experience for microRNA and oligonucleotide synthesis and also an associate director (Ph.D., 8+ yrs.) for the same field.
The Holton Lab: Robert Holton (of Taxol fame) is looking for an "assistant scholar scientist" to work on taxane syntheses. I don't typically post on post-doc positions in the DPT, but this one has a 65-72k salary. For Tallahassee, that's not too bad.
Positive reinforcement: Kelly Scientific Resources has done a remarkable job of improving the positions its been posting. No more food technician positions, mostly really lab-based. Nice.
A flavorful position: Mars is looking for a PhD flavor chemist to head its flavo(u)r chemistry division. Sounds like fun; obviously, you need to be quite experienced for this job.
Dupont: It's nice to see the major companies come in with positions -- Dupont has posted 5 positions, including a B.S. chemist for work in its Stone and Tile products division.
Regulus: And on the other end of the size spectrum, Regulus Therapeutics has posted 2 positions in bench chemistry. They are looking for a B.S./M.S. chemist with 1-5 years experience for microRNA and oligonucleotide synthesis and also an associate director (Ph.D., 8+ yrs.) for the same field.
The Holton Lab: Robert Holton (of Taxol fame) is looking for an "assistant scholar scientist" to work on taxane syntheses. I don't typically post on post-doc positions in the DPT, but this one has a 65-72k salary. For Tallahassee, that's not too bad.
Positive reinforcement: Kelly Scientific Resources has done a remarkable job of improving the positions its been posting. No more food technician positions, mostly really lab-based. Nice.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 4/27/10 edition
Good morning! From April 21 to April 26, there were 29 new positions posted on the ACS Careers database. Of these, 11 (38%) were academically connected and 1 (3%) were from our friends at Kelly Scientific Resources.
Avon calling...: Avon Products, Inc. is looking for a Ph.D. analytical chemist to work on R&D into cosmetic formulations. Previous experience with analysis of cosmetics is desired.
Vertex!: Our heroes of the last year are at it again, although with a temporary contract. Vertex is looking for a B.S./M.S. chemist to work in formulation development for 3 months -- good luck!
Like the name, anyways: Wildcat Discovery Technology seems to be looking at combinatorial approaches to developing new battery technology. They're looking for Ph.D. bench chemists with experience in electrochemistry and other energy-related fields.
Um, good luck?: The Transportation Security Administration is looking for a chemical engineer to serve as the Chief Scientist for the Office of Operational Process and Technology (OPT). Basically, it sounds like you'll be the scientific advisor for all the testing of screening equipment. Good luck with that -- hope that you can figure out a way that I can stop taking off my shoes. Please?
Avon calling...: Avon Products, Inc. is looking for a Ph.D. analytical chemist to work on R&D into cosmetic formulations. Previous experience with analysis of cosmetics is desired.
Vertex!: Our heroes of the last year are at it again, although with a temporary contract. Vertex is looking for a B.S./M.S. chemist to work in formulation development for 3 months -- good luck!
Like the name, anyways: Wildcat Discovery Technology seems to be looking at combinatorial approaches to developing new battery technology. They're looking for Ph.D. bench chemists with experience in electrochemistry and other energy-related fields.
Um, good luck?: The Transportation Security Administration is looking for a chemical engineer to serve as the Chief Scientist for the Office of Operational Process and Technology (OPT). Basically, it sounds like you'll be the scientific advisor for all the testing of screening equipment. Good luck with that -- hope that you can figure out a way that I can stop taking off my shoes. Please?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
April unemployment numbers: not much improvement
Thanks, as always, to the Calculated Risk blog for the graphic.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 4/21/10 edition
Good morning! Including April 17, there have been 27 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. Of these, 9 (33%) are academically connected and none are from Kelly Scientific Resources.
Top Secret Analytical Chemist: Lockheed Martin needs an experienced (12+ years) B.S./M.S. analytical chemist to um, well, I dunno -- they don't say. But you do need experience with LC/MS, HPLC and FTIR.
And something else mysterious: Los Alamos National Laboratory is looking for a Research Technologist 1 in the Clean Chemistry Team in the Chemistry Division's Nuclear and Radiochemistry group. Looks like you'll be spending your time doing ICP mass spectrometry.
And the Cardinals are 9-5, too!: BASF seeks an experienced M.S./Ph.D. chemist to manage their pest control R&D team in St. Louis, MO. Sounds lucrative.
A major Dunder-Mifflin competitor: Georgia-Pacific's Gypsum Division is looking for a Ph.D. organic chemist with 3 years experience in coatings research. The position is in Decatur, GA.
Top Secret Analytical Chemist: Lockheed Martin needs an experienced (12+ years) B.S./M.S. analytical chemist to um, well, I dunno -- they don't say. But you do need experience with LC/MS, HPLC and FTIR.
And something else mysterious: Los Alamos National Laboratory is looking for a Research Technologist 1 in the Clean Chemistry Team in the Chemistry Division's Nuclear and Radiochemistry group. Looks like you'll be spending your time doing ICP mass spectrometry.
And the Cardinals are 9-5, too!: BASF seeks an experienced M.S./Ph.D. chemist to manage their pest control R&D team in St. Louis, MO. Sounds lucrative.
A major Dunder-Mifflin competitor: Georgia-Pacific's Gypsum Division is looking for a Ph.D. organic chemist with 3 years experience in coatings research. The position is in Decatur, GA.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
What does Rudy write?
Over at In the Pipeline, chemblogosphere eminence grise Derek Lowe announced that he's been invited to serve on an advisory board at C&E News. He also solicited opinions to share with the staff of the magazine; there are no shortage of opinions (80 comments and counting!)
A comment reminded me of one of my favorite old hobbyhorses: the editorials of Rudy Baum, the Editor-in-Chief. They range from the innocent (wrens! pretty!) to the mundane (Pittcon 2040 - the Future is the Future!), but they can really veer into the controversial.
I was terribly curious as to how many editorials were of the politics/controversy type. Naturally, I dragged out all the available copies of C&EN that I had. Sadly, they only cover parts of 2008, 2009 and 2010. The results are tabulated here; the more controversial or personal editorials are highlighted. (Green for climate change, blue for everything else.)
Below is a chart presenting the 2009 editorials in the issues that I have in hand:
![](https://spreadsheets.google.com/oimg?key=0AnKgQxYqrrTodHBKbmhlRDFIckxVQks1end6NXhHNWc&oid=1&v=1271738577882")
I'm surprised that the ratio of the mundane to the controversial was as low as 1.9:1. I expected the ratio to be a lot lower and my memory was just biased. (Man, it seemed like in 2005, I found something to be mad at in every one of his editorials.) I'll also note that I scored the controversy with a pretty weak threshold and with a eye towards including editorials I agreed with, like the one that railed against "The Story of Stuff". (On that one, right on, Rudy!) Also, I'll note again: this is just for the issues that I had at home. THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE TABULATION, FOLKS.
As for Baum's editorials, I used to really get irritated at the more political stuff, but I learned to just deal with the fact that they were one man's opinion. Life goes on, and I'll probably still read them.
A comment reminded me of one of my favorite old hobbyhorses: the editorials of Rudy Baum, the Editor-in-Chief. They range from the innocent (wrens! pretty!) to the mundane (Pittcon 2040 - the Future is the Future!), but they can really veer into the controversial.
I was terribly curious as to how many editorials were of the politics/controversy type. Naturally, I dragged out all the available copies of C&EN that I had. Sadly, they only cover parts of 2008, 2009 and 2010. The results are tabulated here; the more controversial or personal editorials are highlighted. (Green for climate change, blue for everything else.)
Below is a chart presenting the 2009 editorials in the issues that I have in hand:
I'm surprised that the ratio of the mundane to the controversial was as low as 1.9:1. I expected the ratio to be a lot lower and my memory was just biased. (Man, it seemed like in 2005, I found something to be mad at in every one of his editorials.) I'll also note that I scored the controversy with a pretty weak threshold and with a eye towards including editorials I agreed with, like the one that railed against "The Story of Stuff". (On that one, right on, Rudy!) Also, I'll note again: this is just for the issues that I had at home. THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE TABULATION, FOLKS.
As for Baum's editorials, I used to really get irritated at the more political stuff, but I learned to just deal with the fact that they were one man's opinion. Life goes on, and I'll probably still read them.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Daily Pump Trap: 4/16/10 edition
Good morning! Including April 14, there have been 21 new positions posted on the ACS Careers jobs database. Of those, 8 (38%) are academically connected and none are from Kelly Scientific Resources.
More, please: Boehringer Ingelheim is hiring in Cleveland and Bedford, OH. They must have a process plant somewhere there; they're looking for a Ph.D. analytical chemist and a B.S. chemist for process development. Overall, there are 5 positions. Nice!
Flavors and fragrances: Takasago International is looking for a M.S. organic chemist for synthesis of new flavors and fragrances. Sounds like a nice position.
Oooooh: The National Gallery of Art seeks a Ph.D. analytical chemist to work in photography conservation. They'd like somebody with experience in X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and FTIR.
And there's always Arkansas, too: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories apparently has a facility in Shreveport, Louisiana; they're seeking 2 B.S. chemists with QC experience.
More, please: Boehringer Ingelheim is hiring in Cleveland and Bedford, OH. They must have a process plant somewhere there; they're looking for a Ph.D. analytical chemist and a B.S. chemist for process development. Overall, there are 5 positions. Nice!
Flavors and fragrances: Takasago International is looking for a M.S. organic chemist for synthesis of new flavors and fragrances. Sounds like a nice position.
Oooooh: The National Gallery of Art seeks a Ph.D. analytical chemist to work in photography conservation. They'd like somebody with experience in X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and FTIR.
And there's always Arkansas, too: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories apparently has a facility in Shreveport, Louisiana; they're seeking 2 B.S. chemists with QC experience.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Who gets laid off first?
The last post ("Who gets hired first?") has attracted a great number of comments, many of which I intend to address in the coming days. Thanks to all for the great commentary. But the corollary question hasn't been asked here; that is, when it comes time to lay people off, who gets the ax first?
Layoffs are particularly painful for a company. In my short industrial experience, I saw 2 of them and there was a third within a year. The following chart represents what I've seen in layoffs:
While layoffs often appear random to the bench-level chemist, it does seem that they affect the more experienced a lot more than the less experienced. In addition, middle management appear to be affected more than most (thus the "1st" tag on moderately experienced PhDs.) Ugh. This stuff needs to be analyzed, but is so unpleasant.
Layoffs are particularly painful for a company. In my short industrial experience, I saw 2 of them and there was a third within a year. The following chart represents what I've seen in layoffs:
I'd love to get an insider's perspective on this. Also, I don't think the above chart is entirely correct. Maybe I need a poll. Readers, is the chart accurate? What are your thoughts as to how this happens?
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Pump Trap: 4/14/10 edition
Good morning. So it's been a while since the last one of these (life intervenes.) From March 17, 2010 until April 13, 2010, there have been 156 new positions posted on the ACS Careers website. Of these, 35 (22%) are academically connected and only 1 (<1%) are from our friends at Kelly Scientific Resources.
Things are...: Well, it's hard to say. For not doing this for nearly a month, I certainly hoped that there would be a lot more out there than this. That being said...
Good, but not perfect: Good: Albany Molecular is looking for experienced chemists. Not perfect: ...in Hungary, India and Singapore.
Safety specialist: The United States Pharmacopeia is looking for a B.S. chemist safety specialist. Sounds like fun, and probably a stable position.
So that's a little specific: Cabot Microelectronics is looking for a senior research scientist to work on R&D in their sector, semiconductor polishing slurries. Don't know what that is, but it sounds neat. (No educational requirements made.)
And the benefits, well: E&J Gallo Winery is looking for a B.S. analytical chemist to work on testing of well, everything: "alcoholic beverages, grapes, grape products, corks, oak, water/waste water, incoming goods and materials, product contact materials, and other related materials."
First wine, then: Trader's Point Creamery (located in the well-known dairyland of Zionsville, Indiana) is looking for a cheese making and shift supervisor. Why they decided to come to the ACS Careers website is beyond me.
Things are...: Well, it's hard to say. For not doing this for nearly a month, I certainly hoped that there would be a lot more out there than this. That being said...
Good, but not perfect: Good: Albany Molecular is looking for experienced chemists. Not perfect: ...in Hungary, India and Singapore.
Safety specialist: The United States Pharmacopeia is looking for a B.S. chemist safety specialist. Sounds like fun, and probably a stable position.
So that's a little specific: Cabot Microelectronics is looking for a senior research scientist to work on R&D in their sector, semiconductor polishing slurries. Don't know what that is, but it sounds neat. (No educational requirements made.)
And the benefits, well: E&J Gallo Winery is looking for a B.S. analytical chemist to work on testing of well, everything: "alcoholic beverages, grapes, grape products, corks, oak, water/waste water, incoming goods and materials, product contact materials, and other related materials."
First wine, then: Trader's Point Creamery (located in the well-known dairyland of Zionsville, Indiana) is looking for a cheese making and shift supervisor. Why they decided to come to the ACS Careers website is beyond me.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Who gets hired first?
Paul Hodges (of the great "Chemicals and the Economy" blog) recently said that the global recession is more or less over; now we're just waiting (and waiting and waiting and waiting) for the recovery.
So who gets hired back first? Some of this comes from Anon3:20 from yesterday, who's concerned about being young and competing against much more experienced folks. I have a (W.A.) guess:
Here's my boring theory: first, you hire good, high quality worker bees. Then, you hire new folks, once you run out of experienced people. After that, you hire folks to manage all of them -- presumably, you need a good bit of experience to be a manager of chemists. I suspect that it would take quite a robust economic recovery for people to get absorbed into senior management.
This makes sense to me, even though my theory does not bode well for folks with more than 10 years of experience. What does everyone think of this?
So who gets hired back first? Some of this comes from Anon3:20 from yesterday, who's concerned about being young and competing against much more experienced folks. I have a (W.A.) guess:
Here's my boring theory: first, you hire good, high quality worker bees. Then, you hire new folks, once you run out of experienced people. After that, you hire folks to manage all of them -- presumably, you need a good bit of experience to be a manager of chemists. I suspect that it would take quite a robust economic recovery for people to get absorbed into senior management.
This makes sense to me, even though my theory does not bode well for folks with more than 10 years of experience. What does everyone think of this?
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