When people talk about building a career in chemical engineering, often the conversation jumps immediately to the job search. But that鈥檚 skipping ahead to the end of the process. There鈥檚 a lot more involved in building a satisfying career in chemical engineering, and it requires planning and research before the actual job search.
Focus on your interests
Having many career options is an enviable situation that chemical engineers enjoy, but it can also sometimes be a little overwhelming. Whether you鈥檙e an established engineer or just starting out, you have a wide range of paths to choose from, including traditional roles and a variety of non-traditional career paths. Take the time to explore several options, and do some soul-searching to understand what kind of work really satisfies and interests you.
Reach out to those with experience
One of the best ways to do so is by talking to others who work in areas that interest you. Start with people you know, and also consider using AIChE鈥檚 member resources for help, such as connecting with other members through and networking at conferences.
As an AIChE member, you can also find valuable information through , where we鈥檝e put together useful career advice to help lead the way. For example, check out the career planning section of CareerEngineer to find advice and information about some of the non-traditional jobs open to chemical engineers, such as and . You鈥檒l also find various useful articles, such as and the . And, of course, you鈥檒l find a lot of how-to on the actual job search, once you get to that point.
Get hard data to make smart decisions
You鈥檒l learn a lot from talking to people based on their personal experience and insights, but there are also other kinds of information that can inform you about the reality of possible career paths. For example, you鈥檒l want job data about typical salaries, and forecasts on employment outlook for a given job. Through the area of CareerEngineer, you can find this kind of information for specific job titles and geographic areas. You鈥檒l also find additional information organized by job title, including a list of the skills needed, the educational requirements, and more.
Build your career like an engineer
As chemical engineers, we鈥檙e trained to understand and build effective processes and systems. So approach your career as you would a chemical engineering challenge: use your training to methodically assess and plan, by taking advantage of the tools, data, and advice that will help you build a long and satisfying career.