Will a Chemistry PhD Make Me "Unemployable"?

[MaudDib]

Hey, GradCafe people.

 

I just finished the application process, and I've been accepted into some (I think) pretty good schools. Applying to grad school wasn't an impulsive or path-of-least-resistance thing for me. I've been planning to go to graduate school for years. In fact, I began my undergraduate career planning to do well enough in class, and get enough research experience, so that I could have a shot at being accepted to Purdue for graduate school. And ... I was! So, I feel pretty good about that. My reasons for going to grad school are pretty standard, I think: I really like research. I like learning and discovering new things, and I think I've found an area of chemistry that's especially interesting. I don't mind being in school at all. Also, I'd like to be able to get a good job when I graduate.

 

However, I'm going through some last-minute waffling, largely thanks to my family. Several people in my extended family seem pretty upset about the prospect of me going to graduate school. They say things like "You're going to make yourself unemployable," and point out, every time I talk to them, that I would make more money if I went to e.g. med school or pharmacy school. 

 

I feel like I should be able to brush off these kind of objections, except that .... I'm not sure that they're wrong. Derek Lowe blogs every other week about the overproduction of chemistry and medicinal chemistry PhDs, and other communities (r/chemistry) seem to harbor similar sentiment.

 

On top of that, it seems that there are basically no reliable employment statistics for doctoral-level chemists, once you throw out the ACS surveys because of their obvious sampling bias. And I don't have anyone who I can ask about the job market, and expect to get a believable answer. The only people I know IRL who I could ask -- professors and current grad students -- aren't exactly the most unbiased crowd, either. Grad students will obviously tell me that I should go, because they need to validate their own decision (see also: the pervasive hatred of pre-med undergrads). Professors will tell me to go because 1) They need grad students to work in their labs, and 2) Grad school seemed to work out really well for them!

 

I'm really not in this for the money. If I was, I wouldn't even be looking at grad programs -- I'd be looking at law schools. However, I would like to eventually be able to do normal adult things, like buy a car and a house. Am I going to be overqualified for everything, and relegated to a box under a bridge, if I go get a chemistry PhD from Purdue?

 

I'd be really interested in hearing from people who have navigated the chemistry PhD job market.

Edited March 27, 2014 by MaudDib

[Eigen]

You don't mention what area of chem you're in, which makes it harder. But I don't know anyone with a chem PhD that's had a problem getting jobs. 

 

Pre-Med is a bad track right now if you want to make money, just because of the dropping income and rising cost of med school. Pharm's not bad, but most PhD chemists (in industry) will make as much or more. 

 

I'm not sure why you're skeptical of ACS job stats, they're better than almost any other field has, and are exceptionally comprehensive. 

 

And the hatred of pre-med undergrads? It's justified, although hatred might not be the best word. General frustration, maybe? Just wait until you have to teach them. But hey, I'm sure that's because I need to "validate my decision".

 

I mean, once you cut out the major professional organization, professors and grad students, who are you expecting to get any information from? That's pretty much it. 

[MaudDib]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off as derisive towards grad students. After all, I'm probably going to be one in a few months

 

ACS employment statistics aren't reliable because they only include ACS members. If you can't find a job, or you can only find a job that pays as much as a BS chemist would get, are you really going to keep paying that membership fee?

 

I was hoping to hear from some people who have already finished, and who have (or haven't) found jobs.

[Eigen]

I haven't personally finished, but I've got 20-30 friends who've graduated while I've been in grad school, and all of them have found jobs. 

 

ACS is very detailed, it's not just ACS members. They track statistics overall. 

 

Can also check the department of labor. 

[Quantum Buckyball]

I was at a job fair for chemists last month and talked to some recruiters. Many of them mentioned that they only hire chemists with a BS or a MS degree, and some prefer people with a high school diploma. One of the guys I talked to told me that they used to have a PhD organic chemist at his company but they fired him because he was too difficult to work with, and too "expensive"  .  

[St Andrews Lynx]

The Chemjobber blog has a lot of information about big pharma growth/layoffs, news, employment stats for chemists (not just ACS members), useful job hunting tips as well as humorous stuff (www.chemjobber.blogspot.com ).