Experts Weigh In On Current Job Market Trends
October 12, 2021
Given the change of course that has happened in the world, we wanted to provide expert opinions on what aspiring graduates can do to start off their careers in an uncertain economic climate. We wanted to know what skills will be more important, where the economy is doing relatively well, and if there will be any lasting effects on the job market.
Companies are looking for candidates that can handle the new responsibilities of the job market. Recent graduates actually have an advantage because they are comfortable using newer technologies and have been communicating virtually their whole lives. They can take what they've learned and apply it immediately.
We spoke to professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the job market for recent graduates is heading, as well as how young graduates entering the industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.
Our Panel of Experts
Ohio University Southern
Wake Forest University
University of Utah
Boston College
Brandeis University
High Point University
University of Minnesota, Morris
Georgia College and State University
Maryville University
Cleveland Community College
University of California
Elmira College
Ohio Dominican University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Norfolk State University
Rider University
University of the Sciences
University of South Florida
Oral Roberts University
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of InstructionOhio University Southern
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Chemist resumes?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: For industry/research positions, employers like to see that candidates have experience/training on certain instruments. HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) is a common instrument that I see in a lot of job postings, so experience with that can be especially helpful to a candidate.
What soft skills should all Chemists possess?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: Communication skills are crucial, regardless of the type of position. Chemists need to be able to effectively communicate their findings, as well as communicate with their supervisors and colleagues. Additionally, chemists may be asked to train newer employees, further highlighting the importance of these communication skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemists?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: As I mentioned in question 1, training/experience on various instruments is the most important for industry/research jobs. For teaching positions, experience with different pedagogical/education techniques will be helpful for a potential candidate.
What skills will help Chemists earn the most?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: Communication, original thinking, as well as hard skills (training on instruments).
Brian Mendenhall
Associate Director and Career CoachWake Forest University
Office of Personal and Career Development
What skills stand out on Chemist resumes?
Brian Mendenhall: Two things that stand out for me, regardless of whether the person is seeking employment in research or industry, are data analysis (Excel, Python, R) and presentation skills. Research specific skills would also include experimental design and specific relevant laboratory techniques & equipment experience.
What soft skills should all Chemists possess?
Brian Mendenhall: In the past, the most important attributes have been leadership and problem-solving skills. If the pandemic has taught us anything, the most important attribute is the ability to work with others and get along in multiple virtual and in-person environments. The rest seem elementary and are all dependent on each other. To work well on a team, you need to problem-solve, both on the topic and on how to share information. To solve problems, you need to be analytical and quantitative. Certainly, to do this well, you need to communicate across diverse audiences and levels of understanding. The National Association of Colleges and Employers surveys employers on these priorities and updates the results frequently. (see below for your reference)
Ability to work in a team 81.0%
Problem-solving skills 79.0%
Analytical/quantitative skills 76.1%
Communication skills (verbal) 73.2%
Communication skills (written)
https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/press/the-key-attributes-employers-seek-on-college-graduates-resumes/
What skills will help Chemists earn the most?
Brian Mendenhall: One very important skill that will help you achieve the most is emotional intelligence, knowing yourself and your environment, how your colleagues and team receive and deliver information most effectively. Sensing the culture, fit, the timing of the environment, and how the organization develops/awards employees can be pivotal for growth. Eventually, having enough EQ and experience to manage a team and maintain momentum will help you get to the top.
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.
Dale and Susan Poulter Endowed Chair in Biological Chemistry, Associate Chair of ChemistryUniversity of Utah
Department Of Chemistry
What skills stand out on Chemist resumes?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The skills that stand out are research experience, characterization instrumentation experience, and more recently, data science experience and coding experience, as machine learning and AI become more and more important in chemistry.
What soft skills should all Chemists possess?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The most important soft skills are communication and people management skills. It is critical to be strong in both oral and written communication.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemists?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The most important technical skill is solid experience in a research laboratory where you learn technique as well as the fundamentals.
What skills will help Chemists earn the most?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: I think complementing strong fundamental chemistry background with coding and data science skills.
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.
Margaret A & Thomas A Vanderslice Chair in Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry, Chairperson of Chemistry DepartmentBoston College
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Chemist resumes?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Skills to identify and solve problems.
What soft skills should all Chemists possess?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Problem-solving skills. When presented with a problem, knowing where to go to find information to solve it.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemists?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Chemistry is a diverse field. As a foundational discipline, it enables several sub-fields and supports emerging new fields. As one example, our graduates become experts in medical research, health care, and scientists and engineers in many other fields. Depending on the different career goals, what is important can be drastically different. Generally speaking, doing bench work (either in the lab or on a computer) should be a good skill to have at graduation.
What skills will help Chemists earn the most?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Earnings right after graduation aren't really a great way of measuring success; short-term gains in earnings may not serve the goal of long-term growth well.
What experience really stands out on Chemist resumes?
Dwight Peavey Ph.D.: Hands-on experience through an internship(s) and summer employment/research in the environment field puts that student ahead of others. Many students receive job offers from firms at which they have been employed or interned.
How do you envision technology impacting Chemists in the next 5 years?
Dwight Peavey Ph.D.: Technology is the key to identifying environmental problems/hotspots. The drone will increase ecological data collections and routine monitoring of facilities, crops, or ecosystems. Remote sensors are cost-effective and timely in 24/7 monitoring. Technology is the key to pollution prevention. Fix the problem before the accident or release.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Dwight Peavey Ph.D.: No --- once a vaccine is widely available, a new "normal" will be established. A turnover in older employees will give way for the "new generation" of environmental caretakers. Working remotely, alone and as part of a team, will be part of the "new normal."
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and ChairHigh Point University
Department of Chemistry
What type of skills will young Chemists need?
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.: Students always need foundational technical skills. In addition to skills specific to chemistry and biochemistry, strong communication and interpersonal skills such as writing, speaking, and collaboration are vital, as are quantitative reasoning skills such as data analytics, statistical analysis, and programming.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Chemists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.: There are several high technology hubs worldwide with promising job prospects for degrees in chemistry and biochemistry. These include the Greater Boston area, Silicon Valley, Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, Austin, Texas, Southern California, Washington D.C. Metro area, New York/New Jersey Metro area, and the Seattle region.
How do you envision technology impacting Chemists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.: The rapid transition to online instruction, due to the COVID pandemic, has been a challenging adjustment for students in 2020 but could turn out to be a long-term benefit professionally. Students will be much more comfortable with online collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, facilitating collaboration with colleagues around the globe. Cloud computing will be increasingly important as software for analytical instrumentation becomes cloud-enabled. Thus data analysis can be undertaken anywhere, and not just in the lab where the data is collected.
In the biochemistry field, CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology will become much more widespread with the potential to impact therapeutics in the biomedical area significantly. Finally, looking a little further out than five years, quantum computing's development offers the prospect of computational modeling of too complex chemical, biological, and materials problems currently intractable with standard classical computational methods. Scientists who learn how to develop and use quantum computing to solve complex problems will be at a significant advantage in the coming decade.
What experience really stands out on Chemist resumes?
Alyssa Pirinelli Ph.D.: Research experience as an undergraduate, even literature-based research experiences where lab-based ones are not available. Preferably at least a year, if possible, including summer research, with the presentation of their work via a poster session or talk to their peers. Getting research experience can sometimes start with a simple conversation with their faculty members or mentors and a conversation with their advisors/mentors on what field/area of research may be appropriate/applicable for the student's career plan.
How do you envision technology impacting Chemists in the next 5 years?
Alyssa Pirinelli Ph.D.: I think we will have more opportunities to work remotely, so I believe graduates will need experience working in teams on documents and related software. Scheduling synchronous meetings may become more challenging due to outside work or personal commitments/responsibilities. It is currently unclear when things may return to "normal" concerning having people in one physical room for a meeting. Therefore Zoom experience (both as an attendee and someone who runs their sessions with at least a few other people present) or similar will be essential. I also believe there will be more emphasis on the written word and conceptual drawings/artistic expression. There is no requirement for everyone to be in the room simultaneously, and the "workshopping an idea" is nowhere near as quickly done over Zoom. Software for creating images (from basic chemical line structures to creating and manipulating 3D drawings of macromolecules) may help mitigate some of these problems. In some cases, additional seats/site licenses may be needed for some software, depending on the demand.
More of our instrumentation can likely be run remotely, or the software may need to be easily remotely monitored. Still, in many cases, the required tech is either expensive or not invented yet (this may be a promising avenue for students who are analytical minded!). However, much of the leading technology we use on a daily/weekly basis is pretty standard. There may be more influx of new/cutting edge things at larger institutions, but for now, students need to know the basics of how to understand/run/troubleshoot standard instruments. Fancier buttons do not necessarily make for fancier instrumentation.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Alyssa Pirinelli Ph.D.: Graduates in the sciences will have to deal with the hiring freeze and economic downturn, the same as many fields, so putting their skills into different areas will prove useful.
There is also a sense among our students of "what's the point of my science education if there are no jobs" and I don't know what to tell them at this point. Over the last several years (I've been here for four now), there has been a flood of scientists on the market and fewer jobs, and the pandemic's unemployment and subsequent significant hiring freezes certainly hasn't helped matters. Right now, there are more and more graduates for very few positions, so there will be a few years where this will likely still be a problem.
What Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Peter Rosado: I tell students to call their "gap" year more of a "Developmental" year. If a graduate desires to have such a year, they should focus on their whole goal, which means developing their professionalism and having other experiences. For example, travel to another country, learn a new language, intern at a company outside of the U.S., get involved further in the field of study. What stands out in candidates is how they made use of their time, skills that they acquired, and how they could weave them into the position they are applying for. That the candidate has had experiences outside of their comfort zone tells me as an employer that they are flexible and can adapt to new and unpredictable situations.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Peter Rosado: Right now, with COVID-19, I feel that the field of medicinal chemistry/biotechnology is going to see a boom. Materials science is also on the rise with alternative energies and new restorative therapies. The area of chemistry is not a more extended purist and more integrated/interdisciplinary. No longer can you call yourself an "inorganic chemist" or an "analytical chemist"? Graduates should be aware that flexibility and eagerness to learn new things is critical here. These are the skills obtained from a college degree, which is not the only subject matter. But the ability to think through and solve problems, be flexible, adaptable, etc.
What experience really stands out on Chemist resumes?
Peter Rosado: A while ago, I was a manager in cosmetics manufacturing before I became a professor and was in charge of hiring some new personnel, so I can attest that hiring managers are looking for candidates that are well rounded. That meaning is not just content knowledgeable, but candidates who can hold a conversation and interact with customers, clients, and peers. Knowledge about the world is also a plus.
Our company would do business in many countries and even national companies. Every time I would see a resume from a candidate with these qualities, I would pay close attention to it. Being able to interact with others, have leadership skills, and follow-through is a big positive. Problem-solving skills are hopefully acquired by obtaining a chemistry degree, but these other soft skills are developed by being involved in situations outside of the classroom/lab.
I recommend aspiring candidates to be involved in local organizations that pertain to their fields, maybe hold officer positions, interact with the public, etc. I encourage them to be involved in their field of study rather than spectating it.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Anuradha Vummenthala: I don't envision the significant enduring impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on graduates looking for jobs in the Chemistry field. I do acknowledge that the current scenario appears gloomy. It has undoubtedly impacted everyone's lives socially, economically, and psychologically. But we, as humans and especially as Americans, have remarkable resilience, and we are bound to bounce back more vital than ever before.
We managed through the Great Recession and the economic crisis of 2008. The graduates may face some short-term challenges due to a hiring freeze and delayed start date on new hiring. However, the economy is slowly opening up, and opportunities will soon start pouring in. This is not going to last forever! Graduates can efficiently utilize this time to broaden their skill sets, expand their network, and explore non-traditional career paths like scientific writings, patent drafting, federal jobs, etc
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Chemists to find work opportunities?
Anuradha Vummenthala: The East Coast and West Coast are hubs for chemistry job opportunities. Texas is another place where options are plenty. The St. Louis area also has ample opportunities for chemistry graduate students by pharmaceutical, agrochemicals, and many startups.
How do you envision technology impacting Chemists in the next 5 years?
Anuradha Vummenthala: Technology is going to have a significant impact on the field in the next five years. Artificial Intelligence, Deep learning, Data mining, and Data Analytics will play a massive role in Pharmaceuticals, Agrochemicals, and other chemistry-related areas. For instance, recently, IBM has announced the development of an AI/cloud-based chemistry lab named RoboRxn, which will help chemists deliver the products faster and efficiently and avoid the age-old approach of trial and error.
What general advice would you give to a Chemist?
Lynn Monteith: Chemistry is one of the hardest majors to earn. If you have a chemistry degree, you have opened up the door to many rewarding opportunities. Find a field in chemistry you are passionate about and stick with it.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Lynn Monteith: I believe nanotechnology is the most critical technology now and will be even more so in the next 3 - 5 years.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Lynn Monteith: The pandemic is already impacting new graduates' ability to secure jobs. It is also affecting students who are currently enrolled in college courses. Some students choose to take a year off from school with hopes of returning to campus after the pandemic is over.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Vicki Grassian Ph.D.: I think there will be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on new graduates, and everyone else for that matter, for some time to come. We will come out on the other side for sure in about the next year, but the impacts will linger on. What does that mean for graduates entering the job market in 2020? For our chemistry and biochemistry majors, I am very happy to say I have seen hiring! For example, I have seen one graduate student turn an internship into a job awaiting her when she finishes at the end of 2020, and I have seen an undergraduate student within a month of graduating last spring that applied for a position that was well aligned with her interests and skillset and was then hired for that position. These are just a couple of anecdotal examples, but I find them uplifting and encouraging for people who are entering the job market this year.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Chemists to find work opportunities?
Vicki Grassian Ph.D.: The San Diego area is a great area for people to live and work. We have many biotech companies as well as other tech companies that are doing well even now.
How do you envision technology impacting Chemists in the next 5 years?
Vicki Grassian Ph.D.: There is more and more interest in AI in chemistry and biochemistry. I think we are at the cusp of an AI wave for chemistry and biochemistry research, from designing drugs to contaminant remediation. It will be interesting in 5 to 10 years from now to see where this all goes.
What general advice would you give to a Chemist?
Dr. Betsy Smith: I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Betsy Smith: Honestly, I think anytime a scientist tries to predict what will be "big" in a few years, they're likely to fail. That said, I think there's a growing interest among consumers for more "green" products, so research into those areas will likely grow. For instance, we might see attempts to develop new plastics that are safer for the environment and humans, perhaps biodegradable. Organic chemistry traditionally uses harsh solvents and chemicals that are difficult to dispose of safely, so there is an effort to find alternatives to these. Analytical chemistry techniques for separating and identifying compounds, like GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), will likely continue to be necessary. CRISPR, the relatively new gene-editing technology, is likely to become even more widely used on the biochemistry side of things.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Dr. Betsy Smith: I am sure the pandemic is going to have lasting effects on everything, chemistry included. I think all industries are going to continue allowing more working from home when it's appropriate. For bench chemists, that will rarely mean fully at-home because of lab work, but it might mean going in, setting up an automated reactor, and monitoring it from home while analyzing data. There will be a lot more research into coronaviruses and how to treat coronavirus infections. That seems like it would be more biological or medical, but there's a lot of chemistry involved in drugs and drug design, and a lot of overlap between chemistry and biology.
What general advice would you give to a Chemist?
Dan Little Ph.D.: Due to the pandemic, it will likely be more complicated than usual to find a job right away in the current economic situation. Companies are probably weighing the pros and cons of remaining open at all right now, so the prospect of filling vacant positions is secondary. But don't panic! Keep in touch with as many contacts as possible. Personal connections can be the best path to unexpected career opportunities.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Dan Little Ph.D.: This largely depends on what "the field" is, because there are a wide variety of career paths in chemistry. One of the most significant technologies I have noticed in the past decade or so, which will likely become even more prevalent in the future, is high-throughput methodologies. Some instruments can run dozens of similar chemical syntheses, or chemical analyses, which expands what an individual chemist can accomplish with their time. Being comfortable working with large data sets and designing experiments that take advantage of this technology sets you apart from others.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Dan Little Ph.D.: Other than enduring impacts on society at large, I do not foresee chemistry graduates being impacted explicitly by the pandemic. If anything, we might see a small boost in demand for bioanalytical chemists. Companies seek to develop cheaper and more versatile testing apparatuses for the inevitable pandemic of the future.
What general advice would you give to a Chemist?
Kevin Belfield Ph.D.: Keep learning, and stay curious. New information and technologies are being generated at an unprecedented rate. A grad's new degree is a great foundation. It's essential to continue learning, both in your field and in others. Suppose you have a particular interest, unrelated to your degree (perhaps it's robotics, music, economics, web design, history, or science fiction, for example). It's not a bad idea to dedicate some time each week reading in or pursuing this area, as one never knows when there may be a convergence of your interests that can lead to an unexpected professional opportunity.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Kevin Belfield Ph.D.: The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in chemical analytics is one area that comes to mind, as does personalized biological therapeutics. Evermore ubiquitous is the use of batteries to store energy and power devices from biosensors to automobiles, and renewable energy to provide electricity. The space for innovation in these areas for chemists is expansive, with substantial challenges to undertake. Further out on the horizon, but not too far off, the development of technologies to ensure the sustainability of our earth system and interplanetary travel will be intriguing endeavors.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Kevin Belfield Ph.D.: It depends on what is meant by the impact. The current COVID-19 pandemic affects most everyone's personal and professional lives in profound and unanticipated (mostly unwelcome) ways. Concerning the professional growth of recent graduates, the short-term impact may be substantial, yet the long-term impact, we hope, will not be as consequential. What do I mean by this? While seeing our recent graduates in the chemical sciences fare well thus far, it's reasonable to expect an attenuation of the start of recent graduate's professional career due to the severe economic disruption in so many business sectors. However, the continued societal and technological need for chemists' skills and contributions to so many critical technologies, sustainability, and human health are long-term needs and will present numerous opportunities for graduates.
What general advice would you give to a Chemist?
Suely Black Ph.D.: Be resilient. Don't let lack of response or declinations to your applications get to you. There is a job out there for you. Try to learn from each declination. Sharpen all of your application documents and carefully craft email messages. They are a reflection of your work quality. Practice being interviewed. Use online resources. AAAS/Science has excellent information.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Suely Black Ph.D.: We cannot predict what new technologies will emerge, so it is essential to be adaptable and comfortable with learning how to use all kinds of techniques, mostly those that connect people.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Suely Black Ph.D.: I do not believe there will be a negative impact on graduates. On the contrary, there could be a positive one if graduates adapt, are resilient, and overcome. They will learn that there is no problem without a solution, if you just persist.
What general advice would you give to a Chemist?
Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.: Balance patience with a sense of urgency. In a hypercompetitive market, new jobs, or other experiences will likely not be optimal -- the work might be tedious, or the pay might be low. But budding chemists can't get discouraged in these positions, there are still plenty of satisfying careers out there. I would remind these job seekers that they absolutely cannot become complacent, however. Finding those great careers will require hard work. I advise graduates to seek value from every opportunity, tenaciously. For example, can arriving early and leaving late to an entry-level lab position pay dividends in the form of new knowledge or skills? And, most importantly, how can that entry-level position be leveraged to expand the all-important network?
It's also essential for graduates to understand that even the most definite sense of urgency is going to be inefficient in the absence of a cohesive plan. Planning is stressful, though, when one is just starting. I advise grads to use multiple tools, including their network and their alma mater's career services department, to identify mentors who can help them establish appropriate goals and strategies.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.: Advances in many areas -- computing, communication, materials, energy, and so on -- all seem to converge on one technology: artificial intelligence. The ability of the global community to process information continues to change rapidly, and it isn't easy to predict. What's not hard to predict, though, is the impact that AI will have on job landscapes in the sciences and beyond. Budding chemists who have a grasp on big data, in its many forms, will be in the best position to use AI and to be at the forefront of the deployment of the tools that AI allows us to envision. These "modern" chemists are on track to be the leaders and the influencers, while others will be stuck playing catch up.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.: The pandemic has already had a drastic impact on the economy and unemployment, and the timing of the recovery is in question. But other effects are likely to be positive for the proactive scientific job seeker. I believe that the pandemic will strengthen global cooperation in many ways, and this cooperation will lead to rapid scientific advancement and rapid economic growth in the scientific sector. We will also see an inevitable expansion of healthcare R&D. The importance of investment in vaccines, anti-virals, and diagnostics has become blindingly obvious. But the scientific community will also look at the outcome disparities and reinvigorate investment in technologies that impinge on tangential conditions (think diabetes and cardiovascular diseases) as well as techniques that enhance healthcare delivery to underserved populations. The global unpreparedness for this outbreak laid bare multiple needs in healthcare, and otherwise, and optimistic chemists with fresh ideas will be a crucial part of the response.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
John Tomsho Ph.D.: We are seeing a constantly changing economy, over these past months, as the pandemic and government responses spread. In the academic job markets, we have seen widespread freezing of tenure-track positions and significant rearrangements in the adjunct and visiting professor workforce. As universities, large and small, wait to know how the pandemic changes the higher education landscape. In the industrial sector, hiring for chemistry jobs in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, will likely remain stable. Other chemical industry areas, such as petrochemicals, are more closely related to the economy at large, and hiring historically follows these economic trends. With that being said, I feel this time of disruption and reorganization of our economy will provide many opportunities for those chemists with an entrepreneurial streak or those looking at non-traditional careers.
What general advice would you give to a Chemist?
John Tomsho Ph.D.: Keep an open mind and consider all career options available to you. Also, seriously consider temp agencies and other short-term/contract employment opportunities. Many companies will hire their permanent employees from their ranks of contract workers. These short assignments can primarily serve the purpose of a 6-12 month interview period.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
John Tomsho Ph.D.: We have seen the automation of many routine lab processes over the years, and I think that we will be continuing, this trend of increasing automation in the lab. Currently, there is even work being done to develop automated, non-routine processes like discovery chemistries, literature searching, and also synthetic route design. This will increase the need for workers that can develop, design, build, and maintain these technologies (both hardware and software). This also increases the importance of individuals trained in quantitative analysis to analyze and appropriately use the data being generated critically.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.: I would say there will not be an enduring impact, though that answer is based on a return to primarily face-to-face instruction by this time next year. The use of online/virtual labs is not ideal, in a way that watching exercise videos does not give one six-pack abs or playing Madden does not make one a professional football player. We are already offering partial face-to-face labs to mitigate this, and a return to full face-to-face labs will allow students to pick up the skills they may not have perfected in earlier labs.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Chemists to find work opportunities?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.: One of the great things about chemistry is that there are so many areas for our graduates to work, whether in health care, quality control, energy, defense, or elsewhere. Each of these areas is well represented geographically, with specific concentrations for each. Much of the energy research is based in Texas and Oklahoma. Defense research is often proximal to bases. Healthcare research has hubs in the northeast (primarily Boston) and west coast (mainly the Bay area). Quality control is often wherever manufacturing is taking place. We're fortunate that many of these opportunities are present in the Tampa area, with solar energy, MacDill, biotech companies, and manufacturers like Yuengling and Coca Cola, nearby.
How do you envision technology impacting Chemists in the next 5 years?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.: Advances in instrumentation and automation always allow chemists to come into play, since they often lead to increased evaluation (drug discovery samples, materials, manufactured goods). The chemists are there to interpret the data and optimize the process.
What general advice would you give to a Chemist?
Dr. William Collier Ph.D.: Know where you want to go, and head in that direction. Be open to a lot of different starting positions; you are young and can change at this point in your career reasonably quickly. In short, if an exciting job comes up, it is not exactly what you are looking for, but you need a job. You might be surprised to find out what you do and do not like about it. You can always change a few years down the line. Work hard, be honest, treat others right, be a team person, and leave excellent impressions of yourself. You will live happier, and be surprised at how far your reputation (for good or ill) will travel. Verbal references to your work skill, talent, and work behavior can carry more weight than a resume.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. William Collier Ph.D.: Hard to call; biotechnology, and its link to chemistry are certainly going to be a big one. But I have always been an advocate of a well-rounded chemical instrumentation set of skills. If you know the basics dead cold, it's easy to branch out to any new area. Most companies need problem solvers, tech skills in a specialized area can be taught as required; if you have the correct essential background. Forty years ago, TOF mass spectrometry was considered a dying field; now, it is routinely used and growing in biotechnology; it is tough to predict.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Chemists?
Dr. William Collier Ph.D.: Chemistry has always been an active, ready field in which to find jobs. The pandemic is going to depress the job market, just like any economic downturn, except maybe in COVID related chemistry positions. Most economic downturns change, and the market rebounds. The disaster of the 1918 Spanish flu disappeared, and likely, so will COVID. Thus, I predict mainly from my years in the chemistry job market, not in any expert status, that this will be forgotten in a few years, and the enduring impact will be that the CDC and other related fields/areas will be much better funded.for a while.
