• Question: do u like ur jobs and what qualifications do u need?

    Asked by anon-355859 on 13 Mar 2023. This question was also asked by anon-361077.
    • Photo: Graeme Barker

      Graeme Barker answered on 13 Mar 2023:

      I love it – I teach students the subject that I am interested i, and the research in my lab is similar in that we investigate areas of chemistry driven by what we’re curious about. I’m never bored at work!

      To get to this point, I needed high school qualifications at higher (A-level if you’re in England/Wales) in chemistry, maths, English and at least one more science. I then needed a master’s in chemistry at University, and a PhD (a postgraduate degree in research) after that.

    • Photo: Christy Sadler

      Christy Sadler answered on 13 Mar 2023:

      I love my job- it’s really varied so I get to do different things each day! I did GCSEs and A Levels before going to university. I studied Chemistry at university before starting my PhD.

    • Photo: Martin McCoustra

      Martin McCoustra answered on 13 Mar 2023:

      Like everyone below, I love my job. It’s what I’m interested in and suits me. To get to where I am know I had to go to university after high school and study chemistry. I then stayed on and did a research degree (my PhD) which showed that I could do research, write about it and explain it to others. I then did a short post-doctoral job before taking up my first academic position at 25. The rest was climbing the academic ladder.

    • Photo: Claire Sycamore-Howe

      Claire Sycamore-Howe answered on 13 Mar 2023:

      I love my job! It’s all about Chemistry Higher Education (learning Chemistry at University) and ensuring students get to study really great courses. I enjoy meeting new people and working with contacts at universities on their degrees, it’s a nice and varied role with travel around the UK and Ireland.

      Qualifications:
      You need A-levels and a degree in Chemistry, at least a BSc but higher qualifications can help (such as a masters or PhD). I have a masters in chemistry.

      This is because I review and talk to universities about technical information that they teach as part of their courses, so it’s important you have good chemistry knowledge so you can understand what is being taught.

    • Photo: Graeme Dykes

      Graeme Dykes answered on 13 Mar 2023:

      I definitely enjoy my job – life is too short not to!
      To get a good job in chemistry, you need a degree at minimum. You don’t need a Ph.D. but it can be harder to progress without it.

    • Photo: Alana McNulty

      Alana McNulty answered on 13 Mar 2023:

      I really like my job as I get to work on loads of interesting projects and I think the nuclear industry is pretty cool (though I guess I’m biased!).

      I did A-levels in chemistry, maths and biology (and English literature up to AS), studied chemistry at University and then did a PhD in Earth Sciences which was focussed on radioactive contaminated land.

      But, there are loads of people I work with that took totally different paths to mine. Most people I work with don’t have a PhD and either joined after their first degree, or did apprenticeships and worked their way up. A few people I work with joined the Navy and worked on submarines, and then got jobs in the nuclear industry when they came out.

    • Photo: Claire Fordyce

      Claire Fordyce answered on 14 Mar 2023:

      Yes, I do like my job. I work in consumer product regulation (mostly cosmetics and home fragrance). For this, I needed a degree in either chemistry or biology. I also have a PhD but this is not required for this role.

    • Photo: Ai-Lan Lee

      Ai-Lan Lee answered on 14 Mar 2023:

      In general, yes. A levels, followed by a few degrees (MSci and PhD) and some postdoctoral research experience are the typical qualifications for an academic job at a university (e.g. to be a lecturer). Not all jobs in science require a PhD though, many do join the work force after a first degree (e.g. BSc or MChem).

    • Photo: Joshua Bray

      Joshua Bray answered on 14 Mar 2023: last edited 14 Mar 2023 5:12 pm

      My job is great. It challenges me in many different ways and I work with a great group of people.

      I personally have an integrated undergraduate masters degree in chemistry (MChem), then I went on to do a PhD in chemistry. The majority of people I work with have at least a BSc in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, but we also have an apprenticeship scheme.

      The 2 apprentices who work with us joined our company straight from A-Levels (18 years old). They are studying for a BSc in Chemistry with Manchester Metropolitan, while getting 4 years experience in an industrial setting. They also get paid a pretty good salary for the number of years experience they have, with the scope to move straight into a job with us if they meet our expectations.

    • Photo: Jo Ellis

      Jo Ellis answered on 15 Mar 2023:

      Totally love it and qualifications needed are the physical sciences and maths

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