| The Changed World of Employment
The concept of a job emerged from a need to package work done in the growing factories and bureaucracies of the industrialized world. In the past, an offer of employment was based on the long-term needs of an organization, and acceptance of employment signified a lifetime commitment; mutual loyalty was implicit in the agreement. Pay increases came over time, and businesses were run like families. Job security was more or less guaranteed.
Today, long-term employment security is, for many workers, a thing of the past. Roughly one-third of American industrial firms now outsource at least half of their manufacturing and support. Offers of employment are based on current business needs; therefore, acceptance of employment must be based on the short-term needs of the individual. Employment and pay increases are based on performance and reflect business need, fit, and contribution. Given all of these factors, job security can be described as residing in the individual's skills and abilities, not in a specific position. Therefore, job security should now be defined as the ability to find another job.
To understand the employment arena of chemical scientists, you must first understand the major factors that influence (and are expected to continue to influence) the chemical industry. As a chemist, you must be aware of how these factors will affect the progression of your career.
Market Trends
An awareness of market trends is important when conducting a job search, for many reasons. First, you must be able to measure your marketability against the present market so you can determine which areas of the job market you should focus on to make the most of your skills and abilities. Second, you must constantly be aware of emerging or growing technologies relevant to your fields of interest. Finally, you must be able to market your abilities and be flexible enough to match the needs of the market.
Organizational Trends
Chemical companies have been experiencing increased competition from abroad, which has led many to compete overseas themselves. Sales have been increasing outside the United States, and production has also started moving abroad. Heavy industry and commodity chemicals have been moving outside the United States to take advantage of cheaper labor costs, reduced regulation, and proximity to foreign customer bases, all of which further lowers the domestic job base.
Government regulations also affect the trajectory of technology, business, and job growth. Although regulation can have a negative impact in certain sectors, it can increase business opportunities in others. For example, new environmental regulations can lead to the development of new products and services, but the costs of compliance may increase for many firms.
Over the next few years, R&D funding is expected to remain flat or increase only slightly in the chemical industry because of competition and an emphasis on cost reduction. Companies are establishing more joint partnerships with customers, competitors, universities, and national laboratories to reduce R&D costs. Basic research for its own sake is not emphasized; rather, the focus is on applied research to generate products that can be brought to market quickly.
Overall, the funding of R&D is changing to reflect an increased business focus. Chemical professionals must deal with advanced technologies in many fields, and they must be able to communicate with scientists and engineers in other disciplines. The chemical industry faces strong international competition and a globalization of manufacturing. Production is emphasized, and in general, product life cycles are shortened. These changes mean that work must be accomplished more efficiently and with greater quality, because there is a smaller margin for error.
Current Trends
In 1998, the ACS published a detailed report based on a survey of senior management in industry, government, and academe entitled Current Trends in Chemical Technology, Business, and Employment. The issues addressed in the study included areas of growth and decline, shifts in R&D funding, economic factors, and federal policies affecting the chemical industry. It also estimated supply of and demand for chemical professionals, focusing on hiring trends and degrees granted in the chemical sciences. The information in this section and the next section is taken from this report.
Increased demand for new consumer goods such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, rubber and miscellaneous plastics, and specialty chemicals is expected to create jobs in these industrial segments. In essence, the effect will counterbalance the slower growth and loss of jobs predicted in the chemical industry that traditionally has employed chemists (e.g., industrial chemicals).
Current Trends indicates that growth can be expected in drug discovery, biotechnology, combinatorial and computational chemistry, materials design, catalysis, food technology, information technology, and fine and specialty chemicals. These new areas of growth illustrate how opportunities and different segments can change rather rapidly over time.
It is important to know not only where the opportunities lie in terms of industries and the fields and kinds of companies that are hiring but also which abilities employers are looking for, so that you can correct any weaknesses and market your strengths. Current Trends recommends that the successful job seeker cultivate not only a mastery of chemistry but also
· a breadth of knowledge of science,
· communication skills,
· problem-solving ability,
· computer literacy,
· flexibility and versatility,
· some practical experience,
· a business orientation, and
· interpersonal and leadership skills.
The employment outlook is generally brighter now than it has been at any time in the past 10 years. The current job market and the less stable future job base require chemists to be flexible and creative in seeking jobs, and to focus on acquiring and maintaining career management skills. Remember that true job security rests in your abilities, not in any specific position or employer.
Targeting the Job Market and Current Trends in Chemical Technology, Business, and Employment, published by the ACS Department of Career Services, offer a detailed discussion on evaluating the job market as well as the big picture on technology, business, economic, R&D, and hiring trends in the corporate, government, and academic worlds.
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