Careers in chemistry.

Pamplemousse19

I'm a first year student in NUIG doing Undenominated Science. I'm thinking of going into the area of chemistry but I'm open-minded. The problem is that I don't really want to end up in a lab or some other tedious job. I'm starting to get a bit worried though as it seems like lab work provides almost all the jobs and am contemplating dropping out to consider my options.
Can anyone tell me if there are actually any interesting science jobs or if I'm being prejudiced about lab work? Perhaps pharmacy would be more suitable for me? Also, teaching doesn't really interest me!

ianobrien

Pamplemousse19 wrote: »

I'm a first year student in NUIG doing Undenominated Science. I'm thinking of going into the area of chemistry but I'm open-minded. The problem is that I don't really want to end up in a lab or some other tedious job. I'm starting to get a bit worried though as it seems like lab work provides almost all the jobs and am contemplating dropping out to consider my options.
Can anyone tell me if there are actually any interesting science jobs or if I'm being prejudiced about lab work? Perhaps pharmacy would be more suitable for me? Also, teaching doesn't really interest me!

Some Pharmaceutical QC labs can be a fraction tedious at times from an analytical chemistry point of view, but most of the time there is enough of different products and other tasks to make it interesting. Technical services and R&D labs are very much a case of thinking on your feet and juggling different projects and are far from tedious.

I'm working as an analytical chemist in a R&D lab for a large multi-national Pharmaceutical company, and it's far from tedious. I've been asked to come up with tests for impurities, checking suitability of methods for different analyte matrices, impurity identification via MS, and that was last week!

Pamplemousse19

ianobrien wrote: »

Some Pharmaceutical QC labs can be a fraction tedious at times from an analytical chemistry point of view, but most of the time there is enough of different products and other tasks to make it interesting. Technical services and R&D labs are very much a case of thinking on your feet and juggling different projects and are far from tedious.

I'm working as an analytical chemist in a R&D lab for a large multi-national Pharmaceutical company, and it's far from tedious. I've been asked to come up with tests for impurities, checking suitability of methods for different analyte matrices, impurity identification via MS, and that was last week!

Thanks! Does analytical chemistry involve a lot of maths? Also, is it as easy as saying that you want a job in R&D and getting it or would many analytical chemists be forced to work in QC labs if they can't find a job in the line of work they want?

Cathald04

What sort of salary is in the sciences ? I am interested in doing physics or chemistry at Ucd and i am insure of what the pay is like after i graduate ? Which is a more valued degree physics or a chemistry related one ?? Can anyone tell me what science in Ucd is like ??

discus

Pay depends really! You can expect between 21,000 to 30,000 starting off depending on your degree and experience (here's where your summers pay off!)

dirtyden

Pamplemousse19 wrote: »

I'm a first year student in NUIG doing Undenominated Science. I'm thinking of going into the area of chemistry but I'm open-minded. The problem is that I don't really want to end up in a lab or some other tedious job. I'm starting to get a bit worried though as it seems like lab work provides almost all the jobs and am contemplating dropping out to consider my options.
Can anyone tell me if there are actually any interesting science jobs or if I'm being prejudiced about lab work? Perhaps pharmacy would be more suitable for me? Also, teaching doesn't really interest me!

If you feel laboratory work may not be for you it is worth reconsidering your options for your degree major. Although if you wish to study chemistry, remember a good degree opens a lot of doors. It really depends what you want to do when you finish. If you want to stay within science there are multiple options, environmental, patent law, pharmaceuticals, basic research, in fact Id say the amount of people who go into QC positions would not be as large as you might think. Personally I like the lab, I work in process R&D and chemical development and I find it very interesting but you definitely need a strong interest in it. If you think now that you are not sure you are probably right and may need to look at some of the other science options. That said there were 50 in my chemistry class and only half stayed in chemistry but I think most are in good jobs now.