In the mid-1960s, when the U.S. chemical industry enjoyed double-digit growth, a typical chemist went to work expecting to spend his or her entire career with the same company. Nowadays, this is no longer true because U.S. chemical companies, as with other industries, are continually adjusting their workforces to improve corporate earnings. Such events force chemists to deal with unexpected career interruptions such as layoffs or early retirements. Downsizing is a major reason why chemists on average will change jobs or positions seven times and work for three different employers. Thus, for those who are newcomers to the job market or those who want to change careers, job security means having the ability to find another job.

There is no doubt that the task of always looking for the next job is a major challenge. However, thanks to the vast, diverse and complex global marketplace there are a wide variety of jobs for chemists who are willing to consider both industrial and nonindustrial career pathways.

Industrial Careers
This is certainly true when considering the personnel needs of European and American companies who rank among the global top 50 chemical companies. These transnational companies have increasing needs for global-minded employees to meet their expanding scientific, manufacturing and business goals. So to take advantage of these job opportunities a chemist must be able to look beyond his or her national borders to appeal to such employers.

To emphasize the need for such workers, Rajiv Gupta, Chairman and CEO of Rohm & Haas, a chemical company that is ranked 31st worldwide, says:

"Ours is a company which has committed itself to a global path and which intends to increase its sales greatly in the world market, and so we have made ourselves a player in the 'world.' This 'world' we play in is a world of multiples. It is multi-faceted, multi-hued, multi-textured, multi-lingual and multi-cultural."

Rohm and Haas operates approximately 150 research and manufacturing locations in 25 countries. Job-seeking visitors to Rohm & Haas's web site are invited to, "Find your place in the world of Rohm & Haas." Potential employees may themselves in an R&D facility in such diverse locations as France, Germany, Japan or Singapore.

Germany's Bayer Corporation, the world's 3rd largest chemical company, shows the need for global-minded employees. At Bayer's US Web site, applicants who are interested in international opportunities are urged to give serious consideration to the company's international business needs:

"We're a global company. Our customers are global companies. Our employees need to be globally sophisticated as well."

Chemists who have or are willing to develop a global mindset gain two major advantages over their colleagues who have more parochial views of the world:

If a prospective employee wants to take advantage of an opportunity to work overseas then they must bring a vast array of skills to the job. First of all, every employer expects a successful applicant to have an excellent command of the chemical sciences and good communication skills. Once these credentials are established the next step is to look for key non-technical, transferable skills. BASF's Ph.D. Professional Development Program (PDP) provides graduates with the opportunity to apply their education and background to two or three challenging assignments prior to placement in one of BASF's business groups. This program allows the participant to develop technical expertise, network at senior levels throughout BASF and explore possible career tracks within the company. Assignments in the participant's field of expertise will be designed and planned to enhance career development and deliver immediate value to BASF.

Assignments can be located at many of BASF's manufacturing sites across North America. In addition to a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, polymer science or chemical engineering, PDP participants should also possess:

· Team orientation
· Expressed interest in international issues
· Willingness to relocate
· Flexible/Adaptable
· Second language desirable

An employee with this skill set is expected to perform well in other cultures because they will:

· Be sensitive to social and cultural differences based on language, religion and historical events.
· Keep their sense of humor despite the many frustrating inconveniences and challenges of living in another country.
· Adapt to the fact that American management practices are not always useful abroad. For example, the boss may need to solve problems through consensus building to maintain harmony in the workplace rather than making all of the key decisions alone.
· Meet the required level of language proficiency.

Up to this point the emphasis has been finding work abroad. However, there may be globally sophisticated chemists who have the requisite skills but do not want to leave the U.S. In that case they may be interested in a career with an international focus in an American subsidiary of a foreign chemical company, like BASF. This huge transnational with 80% of its $35B sales outside of Germany employs over 3,100 workers at thirty-one U.S. manufacturing sites. Besides these plant locations BASF also has 600 employees who specialize in agricultural chemical products at a New Jersey R&D center. New Jersey is also headquarters to another foreign employer of over 3,000 Americans: Rhodia, a French company, which is ranked 27th in the world.

Other Career Options
If a chemist's primary goal is to work overseas and he or she is willing to consider a nonindustrial career, there is a variety of employers who need scientifically trained, global-minded people.

Federal Government
The U.S. Government encourages qualified U.S. citizens to consider employment opportunities with the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations. While the State Department is the lead agency for managing U.S. government recruitment efforts for the UN, several other federal agencies play key roles in referring American candidates for technical and highly specialized positions in their counterpart UN agencies. For example, the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recruit for International Atomic Energy Agency, and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Programme, and Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture. The State Department's Web site for international organization employment information can be found at http://www.state.gov/p/io/empl/.

Enforcement agencies also have an overseas presence, such as the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Treasury Department and the Department of Defense. You can either visit the employment section of a specific agency's Web site or visit USAJOBS, the U.S. government's official site for jobs and employment information provided by the United States Office of Personnel Management.

The required level of language proficiency for overseas government assignments varies from country to country. All of the U.S. Foreign Service agencies (State, Commerce, Agriculture, and U.S. Agency for International Development) use a common system to test language proficiency. The scale runs from 0 to 5, with 5 as the equivalent of a college-educated native speaker. Two scores are always given, one for speaking and one for reading. Edward Yagi, a specialist in the Commercial Section of the U.S. Department of Commerce is ranked 4/4 in Japanese, meaning he has full professional fluency in both speaking and reading.

Overseas government positions are either identified as language required or non-language required. Language required jobs are assigned minimum proficiencies, depending on the job, rank and other factors. Generally, applicants for language required positions must have the minimum qualifications or higher when they apply, or time and training prior to the actual assignment.

Non-language required jobs usually require the ability to exchange courtesies in another language such as hello or thank you. Edward Yagi is currently working in Cairo, Egypt, even though he speaks no Arabic. This is because in many countries English is considered a business language, so no training is necessary.

Other International Organizations
Currently, there are more than 7,300 Peace Corps volunteers serving in 78 countries. Volunteers serve in their host countries for two years and receive intensive language and cross-cultural training in order to become part of the communities where they live. They speak the local language and adapt to the cultures and customs of the people with whom they work. Projects include protecting the local environment, keeping people healthy, and helping them grow more food.

According to the Peace Corps, to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, an applicant must meet certain education and work experience requirements. In most cases, applicants with a bachelor's degree in any discipline, strong motivation and a commitment to Peace Corps service will be competitive to become Peace Corps Volunteers.

Teaching Overseas
International Schools K-12 (ISK-12) has information about teaching opportunities in international schools. This Web site provides information about international schools, information about recruitment fairs for international schools, and links to Web sites of international schools. However, this site does not have a searchable database or offer any employment services; it is for information only.

The State Department has information on worldwide American-sponsored elementary and secondary schools overseas, current fact sheets on the 180 American international schools, and helpful job-hunting links. Although the relationship between the American embassies and the various schools overseas may be close, the schools are private institutions, responsible for hiring their own teachers and staff. Generally, the schools are not joined together under any administrative umbrella, each does its own hiring and establishes its own qualification requirements and application procedures. Salary levels and benefits vary from school to school.

There are opportunities available in many countries for native English-speakers to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). For example, Japanese schools and companies require a large and steady stream of native English-speakers to meet their increasing ESL educational needs. For general information about ESL or EFL (English as a Foreign Language), visit About.com's ESL/EFL Career Guide.

Thus, for the chemist who is looking at the job market for the first time or the one who is looking for a new career there are exciting opportunities for challenging international jobs with industrial and non-industrial employers for those candidates who are or have the potential to become globally sophisticated employees.

George J. O'Neill is the former Director of Asia-Pacific Research Office in Osaka, Japan for Eastman Chemical Company. He now volunteers as a Career Consultant and workshop presenter for the American Chemical Society.