The Job Market Version of Catch 22

Billions of words have been written about job search tools and tactics in this job market of our discontent. Job board dos and don’ts. Twitter. Facebook. Building a personal brand. Improving your “findability.” It’s all good advice, but none of it will work if your career is sick.

To put it in another and admittedly blunter way, don’t bother looking for a job if you have a wimpy career. You see, that’s what’s different about today’s job market. Come as you are has been replaced by come as you need to be. The good old days of searching for employment with stand pat qualifications are gone. If you’re out of work, your career needs resuscitation.

It doesn’t matter that you got superior ratings on performance appraisals in your last job. It takes no difference that you have a track record of being loyal, dependable, and hard working. And, it is totally irrelevant that your employer went out of business, was acquired or for whatever other reason was the cause of your unemployment. The plain, hard truth is that employers view people in transition as damaged goods. It’s not fair.

It’s certainly not true. And it stinks. But it is reality. You won’t find many recruiters who will admit it. And in most cases, they work hard to avoid the appearance of such a bias. But deep down inside, it’s there. An everyday event confirms it: when presented with a choice between two equally qualified candidates, one employed and the other not, the offer will almost always go to the person who already has a job. It’s the job market version of Catch 22.

So, what can you do?

Reinvent yourself. It doesn’t matter how well educated, trained or senior you are in your field, change your image in the job market. How? By fixing your career. By building up its strength, its fitness. There are many techniques involved in doing that, but perhaps the most important is pumping up its cardiovascular health. The heart of your career is your professional expertise, so go back to school. Right now. Even as you are looking for a job.

Build Career Fitness

Revitalizing your career in the middle of a job search involves two important steps:

· Step 1: Begin acquiring a new skill or refreshing one you already have. You might, for example, take a course in a second language at a local community college or attend a new certification program offered by your professional or trade association. You can choose almost any topic just as long as it will clearly and meaningfully enhance your ability to contribute on-the-job. and
· Step 2: Add the fact that you’re back in school to your resume. Note it in the Summary at the beginning of that document and, in its Education section, provide the name of the course you’re taking, the institution or organization that’s offering it, the formal outcome if there will be one (e.g., the certificate or degree you will earn) and the term “On-going.” Those two simple steps will instantaneously transform you into a new person. First, they will enhance your skill set, making you a potentially more valuable employee. Second, taking a course of instruction or training program even as you are searching for a job demonstrates attributes all employers want but find it hard to identify in a candidate: resolve, fortitude, and determination.

Most importantly, this course of action will set you apart from other candidates by demonstrating that you have two very special attributes: you understand that in today’s rapidly evolving world of work, staying competent in your field is an ever-moving target AND you take personal responsibility for keeping yourself at the state-of-the-art. You recognize the responsibility and accept it.

Become that person, make that transformation, and the playing field will level. You may be in transition, but you will no longer be at a disadvantage when compared to employed candidates. You will have reinvented yourself as a career activist, a person who is committed to continuous self-improvement no matter how senior or experienced they may be. An individual who has the right stuff—the skills and the attributes to be a champion at work.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at Weddles.com
Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.
© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC. All Rights Reserved.

What Have You Learned Lately?

I’m currently sitting in a coffee shop, spending the day working on my laptop.  I’m here waiting for several boy scouts who are attending a Merit Badge University, and learning about Leatherwork, Public Speaking, and Reptile and Amphibian Study, among other things.  As I watched them head off to their respective  classes, it occurred to me how eager they were to learn new things, and explore the world around them.  In their case, if they are successful, they will come back with a completed merit badge to prove they now understand and can execute a whole new set of skills.  More than just a piece of cloth on their uniform, they have confidence in their ability to do and share their new knowledge.

For those of us who a are just a little bit older, it’s not quite so easy.  There are lot of things we want to learn about, but the effort and time commitment to sign up for a formal class is often more than we are willing to expend.

Fortunately, we often acquire new skills and knowledge without formal training, and sometimes without fully realizing what we have learned.  I recently taught a workshop to a group of graduate students, and in talking about resumes was asking them about their professional experience and significant accomplishments.  Several of them told me they didn’t have any work experience  - a statement I hope their graduate advisor would take exception to!

When I started probing, they were almost all able to tell me about something they had done of which they were very proud.  Maybe it was a compound they had synthesized, a particularly difficult analysis they had completed, or in some cases a class they had taught where they felt they really made a difference in the life of a particular student.  In every case, once they started talking about the event, they became animated and their excitement and pride was palpable.  As I asked questions about what they did and what they had learned, they started to realize just how much this particular event had meant to them, and how much they had learned in the process.

Sometimes, we need to step back and think about what we’re done lately, and reflect on what we have accomplished, and/or  learned.  New analytical instruments or tools are usually easy to recognize, but new non-technical skills are sometimes harder to spot.

Take a few minutes over your coffee today to think about what you’ve done lately, and what you’ve learned from it.  Have you given a talk, or written a report?  What did you learn, not only about the subject matter, but about the process and perhaps a better way to prepare for the next time?  Did you recently get through a difficult situation with a co-worker, and what did you learn about how you might handle a similar situation the next time?

Think also about what you haven’t learned, that might make your career better.  Is there some new technique or method that you’ve been meaning to learn, but just haven’t gotten to?  Maybe your last performance review pointed out oral presentation skills as an area in which you could improve.  Set aside a few minutes to read a few journal articles, or find and attend a Toastmaster’s meeting.

Too often we wait for a crisis to force us to take action, when we know we should have done it long ago.  Identifying gaps in your knowledge and addressing them is one of the best things you can do for your professional future.  Exploring new areas on your own prepares you for the future, and lets you move your career in the direction of your choosing, not into areas that others select for you.  You may not earn a merit badge (like both of my scouts did), but you will gain the satisfaction of knowing that your career is moving forward, and you are the one directing it.

This article was written by freelance scientific communication consultant Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D. of Balbes Consultants and author of: “Nontraditional Careers for Chemists,” published by Oxford University Press (2007). She blogs on Career Development for Scientists.

Too Many Scientists?

A recent report has been causing a lot of controversy in the blogosphere.  ”Steady as She Goes?  Three Generations of Students through the Science and Engineering Pipeline” looked at three issues – the attrition of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students from high school to career, how this attention rate has changed over time, and changes in quality in the students who remain in the STEM pathways.  They evaluated several longitudinal data sets, and determined that retention rates have been constant (or even increasing) from the 1970s through the late 1990s overall, but retention of the highest performing students declined steeply starting in the late 1990s.  The authors suggest the reason for this is that high-performing students are “being recruited into non-STEM jobs that pay better, offer more a more stable professional career, and/or are perceived as less exposed to competition from low-wage economies”. They argue that encouraging more students to go into STEM disciplines may end up hurting the US, since more potential employees mean lower wages, which drives the best students into other fields.

This report is generating some discussion on ScienceCareers.org, in the thread entitled Study Agues US Needs Fewer, Not More, Science Students .  This thread also points back to the  National Academies’ publication Rising Above the Gathering Storm report (2006) which said the nation should “enlarge the pipeline of students who are prepared to enter college and graduate with a degree in science, engineering, or mathematics” in order to remain competitive. Many others have echoed this idea, and the idea of expanding the science pipeline has been guiding policy for awhile – just the opposite of what the newer study suggests.

Part of the reasons these two reports seem to oppose each other is that it is difficult to get actual numbers and hard data on why people choose the career paths they do.  I can think of a number of things that influenced my personal career choices…..a family background in science and engineering, a great high school chemistry teacher who made science interesting and fun, a new class that I just happened to be in the right place to take, personal and family circumstances, and a whole lot of luck.  While I may have considered (briefly) law or business for the financial rewards, I was always encouraged to do something I loved, and not worry about the money (within reason).

In my own travels, I think lately I’m meeting more people who want to do something they are passionate about, and care more about that than making as much money as possible.  They want to make a difference in the world, and as long as they can make a reasonable living they are fine.  Some of them are even choosing to work for less money, if it means more flexible work time and more time with their family, or taking extended time off to be with their families, and planning to go back to work at some point in the future.  I’m hoping this means people are realizing that they can be happy with fewer “things”, as long as they spend their days doing things that interest, excite and engage them.  Hopefully for many of us, that includes STEM careers.

This article was written by freelance scientific communication consultant Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D. of Balbes Consultants and author of: “Nontraditional Careers for Chemists,” published by Oxford University Press (2007). She blogs on Career Development for Scientists.

Doing Your Due Diligence

In a competitive job market, you need to do everything you can to make yourself stand out from other candidates. Especially when you get to the interview stage, you know you are competing against other candidates that are also highly qualified.

So in preparation for the interview, you take your suit to the cleaners, arrange transportation and lodging (if needed), and practice, practice, practice your research presentation.

You’ve heard that you should do some research on the company, so you spend an hour or so looking through their web site, clicking semi-randomly on pages and links that may be of interest.  You don’t learn much, but at least you feel good that you did it.  Right?

I often ask hiring managers what candidates should do that most of them don’t do.  Almost every time, the answer is “do their homework on the company before the interview”.  I’ve had some tell me they want the candidate to know everything that’s on the company web site, and at least one thing that is NOT on the company’s web site.

I was reviewing some industry analysis reports from the financial world today, and it struck me that the questions they proposed for use in evaluating companies for monetary investment were very similar to the ones you might want to ask before a job interview.

• The first thing you want to research is their products – What specifically do they sell?   (For example, pharmaceutical products can be prescription or over the counter, innovator or generic, and so on)?  What do they currently have on the market, and what is in development?  A company’s products, and its pipeline of future products, are its lifeblood.  A solid pipeline of products is essential for success.
• Have their past research and development efforts been successful?  What portion of their operating revenues are spent on R&D?  Is that part of the company growing or shrinking?  Research and development are key to finding those new products to fill the pipeline.
• Have they been involved in any recent mergers, acquisitions, or other partnerships?  While these may increase stock prices, in the short-term they can have a negative impact on employee morale, internal efficiency, and cause customer confusion.  You may not want to discuss this with the interviewer, but you certainly want to keep your eyes and ears open during the day for possible problems.
• What does their international profile look like?  Have they just opened new facilities overseas?  Have they closed local facilities?  This may indicate long-term stability of the facility at which you are being offered a position.
• What do their financial statements, or SEC filings, say about their sales growth, profit margins, earnings…?  Are they making capital investments, or maintaining the status quo?  This is further evidence of the company’s long-term strategy and success.
• What is the background of the company’s managers? You want strong, capable leadership that is knowledgeable in the industry.
• With whom will you be interviewing, and working? You can ask for a copy of the interview schedule in advance (it’s usually available if you ask), then use Google and LinkedIn and scientific literature searches to learn about their background, interests and experiences.  The more you know about your interviewers, the better questions you can ask, and the more likely you are to connect with them.
• What is the corporate culture?  If you’re lucky, they publish it right on their web site like Merck does. To ensure long-term satisfaction, you want to work in a corporate culture that is consistent with your values. Values you might want to look for include commitment to innovation, quality, excellence, professionalism, teamwork, diversity, continual improvement, organizational learning, and so on.

Some of these questions you have probably  looked into before you applied for the position (hopefully!).  However, just before the interview is when you really want to make sure you have all the information you need to ask intelligent, probing questions that will allow both you and the company to evaluate your fit for their needs.

The financial/investment community is expert at determining the value of companies, and conducting extensive research and due diligence on specific companies and industries. Their systematic approach to company valuation is exactly what you do before you invest in a company – either with your money, or  with your time by seeking a job there.

This article was written by freelance scientific communication consultant Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D. of Balbes Consultants and author of: “Nontraditional Careers for Chemists,” published by Oxford University Press (2006). She blogs on Career Development for Scientists.

What Are The Chickens in Your Life?

I recently heard a great story from a friend.  Seems he once had a summer job working on a farm, where some people had the job of moving live chickens from one place to another.  They had to collect 4 live chickens, 2 under each arm, and take them from one place to another.  My friend said that quite often he’d watch someone who got ahold of 4 chickens, started to move them, and then lost control of one chicken and it got away.  In almost every case, they would start chasing after the one they dropped, and in the process they almost always lost control of the other three.  They ended up with no chickens at all, starting all over again.

I have seen people do something similar during the course of their career path.  They have a job they enjoy, that matches their lifestyle and other values, and overall suits them quite well. Then something changes, and the job now has some parts that are not quite so much fun.  In some cases it’s a major change, like re-locating across the country, in other cases it might be relatively minor like now having to write extra reports.  Their first reaction is to jump ship, and start looking for a new position

By just focusing on that one new bad thing, they can lose sight of how good the fit is overall.  In some cases, they go so far as to leave that job for a new one, that may not be as good of a fit overall.  After the initial excitement of the new job wears off, they realize some of that is not as much fun as they thought, and they are off on the hunt again.

It does not have to be this way.  I don’t know anyone who loves every aspect of their job, but most of us realize that it’s the overall fit that is most important.  If we are lucky enough to enjoy what we do on a daily basis, and feel proud of our contributions on a regular basis, we can put up with a little unpleasantness every now and then.

So the next time there is a sudden change at work, stop and think before you react.  Evaluate if this is really a bad thing in the long run, or might it be an opportunity for you to learn a new skill, or grow in another way.  If not, then you can make a change.  If it is, you may find yourself not only with the four chickens you started with, but with something even better.

This article was written by freelance scientific communication consultant Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D. of Balbes Consultants and author of: “Nontraditional Careers for Chemists,” published by Oxford University Press (2006).  She blogs on Career Development for Scientists.

Self Chromatography: Analyzing Your Interests, Skills, and Personality Traits

During the very stimulating “Industry Forum” session in February with former ACS President William Carroll, the following exchange took place. (If you want to check out the entire conversation, which I highly recommend, it’s available as an mp3 audio file or text transcript.)

* * *

Joe Alper (host): Let me ask you a question that came in from one of our web-based participants, who’s trying to decide which area of chemistry she wants to pursue.  She’s trying to decide between the oil energy sector and the ag sector, and she’s wondering, in your crystal ball, if you see which one of these might have better prospects in the years ahead?

Dr. William Carroll: I have to tell you the biggest disservice that I could do for that questioner would be to pick one of those two and tell her to go there.  And the reason is because… there are actually two reasons:

• Chasing a hot sector makes about as much sense as chasing the hot number on a roulette wheel. 
• The real question that you have to ask yourself is, “What do you like?  What kind of chemistry turns you on?”

Every sector will have good times and bad times, but you’re going to have a career 40 years.  I can tell you that there’s nothing worse than waking up at the age of 45 and discovering that you picked the wrong career, partially because you went after it for reasons other than your love of the work that you were doing. The world will always pay for the best in the field, and you stand a better chance of being the best in a field you love.  So my response is, interview, study, look at the work that’s being done and pick what turns you on.  And, remember, it’s probably not the last career choice you’re ever going to make and you can make changes.

Bill Carroll’s question—“What do you like?”—is absolutely essential.  And it sounds so simple…

If you’re anything like me, however, you’ve found that this simple question can be difficult to answer.  I’m not that good at accurately reading my own mind, heart, and gut.  What I’d really like is a printout with a careful and thorough quantitative analysis of … well, of me.  I want answers that are precise, accurate, and repeatable, with very small standard deviations. 

If this were an analytical chemistry experiment, I’d dissolve myself in a solvent, pour myself into the top of a chromatography column, and collect all the different fractions that emerge.  Then I’d use the most reliable analytical techniques—from IR and NMR to mass spec and electrophoresis—to identify and quantify my interests, passions, dislikes, values, strengths, weaknesses, skills, and personality traits.

Armed with these results, I’d then feel much more confident about answering Bill Carroll’s question.

When I went through this self-analysis process for the first time, I was trying to decide which direction to head with my career after grad school.  Even after using Chem Abstracts to thoroughly search the scientific literature, I still couldn’t find the type of chromatography column that would help me quantify the self-discovery process.  

But I did find a book that was very helpful—What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles. In particular, the book gave me some exercises, quizzes, and activities that jump-started my self assessment.

This best-selling classic has been updated, revised, and expanded annually since the first edition was published in 1972.   I think it’s even more useful and accessible today, with an especially helpful website (www.jobhuntersbible.com).  At this website, you’ll find links to a number of resources that will get you started on your self-analysis, from interest inventories (including vocational tests based on Holland’s Theory of Career Choice) to transferable skills tests (including a test called the “Motivated Skills Test”) to personality tests (including Myers-Briggs-type tests and the Enneagram).

Time to slip into your lab coat, put on your safety glasses, and get started on your experiment of self analysis.  The analytical laboratory is just a click away.

Randy Wedin blogs from Wayzata, MN. After spending a decade working for the ACS and as a Congressional Science fellow, he launched a freelance science writing business, Wedin Communications (www.wedincommunications.com), in 1992.  His blog, “The Alchemist in the Minivan” (www.alchemist.pro), looks at the intersection of science, parenting, and daily life.

  

The State of Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology continues to make news as a bright spot for business growth—and jobs. The National Science Foundation, for example, has forecast that the global market for nanotechnology products and services will balloon to more than $1 trillion by 2015 and will employ some 2 million people.

 Some groups pooh-pooh such figures, saying they are waaaay out of proportion with reality. (See http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=1792.php) Yet even most skeptics allow that sooner or later, nanotechnologies will transform many aspects of our lives.

How to get in on the action?

 A good place to start is to check out what states and regional groups are doing to support nanoresearch and industrialization and to provide information to entrepreneurs and employees. You may want to explore the NSF’s National Nanotechnology Initiative, which, among other things, provides a list of links to state and regional programs. (See http://www.nano.gov/html/funding/businessops.html)

 You’ll read about what’s going on in North Carolina, where at least 69 companies already are working with nanotechnology. (See http://www.ncnanotechnology.com) The companies range from small startups using nanotechnology as a core part of their manufacturing processes and services to large firms using nanotechnology as part of their broader operations. Be sure to check out how one company has developed new nanotech coatings for critical car engine parts that are allowing NASCAR racers to boost their horsepower. (See http://www.ncnanotechnology.com/public/21597)

 In the Northeast, the Massachusetts Nanotechnology Initiative seeks to encourage research, foster commercial ventures, and create new jobs by harnessing the state’s university and industrial base of nanoscale science and engineering. (See http://www.masstech.org/mni) For a good example of university-industry collaboration, look at MIT’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, which is working with the U.S. Army and several industrial partners—including Raytheon, DuPont, and Partners Healthcare—to use nanotechnology to give the nation’s fighting forces what they need to be lighter, faster, more versatile, and more easily deployable on short notice. (See http://web.mit.edu/isn)

 On the Left Coast, several groups are nanofocused. The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA is a research center devoted to encouraging university collaboration with industry with an eye on rapid commercialization of discoveries in nanosystems. (See http://www.cnsi.ucla.edu) Some of the institute’s efforts were featured in the July 15, 2009, New York Times. (See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/business/smallbusiness/16edge.html)

 Among other activities, the institute sponsors a series of “incubator” seminars. The latest seminar, for example, focused on giving entrepreneurs a look at what information technology may be useful in a startup company, how to avoid the risks associated with such technology, and how to keep costs in line with that bane of most fledgling companies—limited funding.

 In the Northwest, the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute hosts a variety of programs—in research, industrial collaboration, and educational outreach—to put nanotechnology to work. (See http://www.onami.us/) In one nanoproject, University of Oregon chemistry professor Darren Johnson and Portland-based Crystal Clear Technologies are developing a water filter that uses nanoparticles to cleanse industrial wastewater while harvesting valuable metals trapped in the water.

 In an announcement for a recent “micro-nano breakthrough conference,” the institute captured a common spirit in the field: “In these turbulent economic times, one thing remains unchanged: innovation-driven productivity advances are the only basis for prosperous, high-wage regional economies, and commercialized scientific research is the best and most durable source of innovation advantage.”

 Many of these Web sites offer assistance to fledgling entrepreneurs and information about which firms and universities in their areas are beefing up manufacturing or research—and thus may be adding to the job supply.

 Nanobits of food for thought.

 – Tom Burroughs is a freelance writer based in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Cultural Differences Provide New Opportunities

With all the bad news around lately, it’s nice when something positive shows up.  Perhaps that’s why my interest was piqued when I saw an article entitled American Graduates Finding Jobs in China in the New York Times recently.

According to this article, there is a new wave of Americans moving to China to be part of the entrepreneurial boom there.  With lower unemployment (4.3% in rural areas in China, as compared to 9.4% in the United States) and a gross domestic product that rose 7.9% in the most recent quarter (as compared to the same period last year), China looks to be a land of great opportunity.

In reading through the article, and the individuals mentioned therein, several things struck me.  First, several people mentioned being hired for their “familiarity with Western modern dance”, their ability to “communicate with the Western world”, or their understanding of the social and cultural nuances of the West.

Almost all of these people are being hired to facilitate relationships between Chinese companies and Western markets.  Their knowledge of how things work in Western societies is their most important skill, and the particular domain expertise is secondary.  Building relationships between companies in different cultures can be difficult, and the people involved need to have intimate understanding of at least one of the cultures, and some immersion in the other culture as well.

Another thing mentioned in the article is that the educational systems in the two countries are different, and tend to reward different personality traits. These different educational styles, combined with societal influences, mean that people from different backgrounds tend to approach problems differently.  In recent years, we have realized that having people from different backgrounds on project teams is extremely helpful – everyone brings their own way of approaching the problem, as well as their specific technical expertise.

Since we now work with people around the world on a regular basis, we have learned to take advantage of these differences.  While others may have different ways of approaching problems, they just might see old problems in a new way.

Anyone who has a small child knows that one of their favorite questions to ask is “why?”. Why do you do this or that, and why do you do it that way, or in that order?  While sometimes there is an explanation, often the answer is “I don’t know” or “because that’s the way I’ve always done it”.  And upon reflection, you may realize there is a better, or different, way that would work just as well.

People not familiar with your culture can do the same thing for you.  By constantly asking “why”?, they make you think about what you are doing, and why you are doing it that way.  And sometimes, by making you stop to think about it, they just may make you come up with a better way to do something.

So even if you don’t want to move across the world to experience another culture, you can learn from people with different backgrounds – not only how they approach things, but maybe even how you do.

This article was written by freelance scientific communication consultant Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D. of Balbes Consultants and author of: “Nontraditional Careers for Chemists,” published by Oxford University Press (2006).

Networking – It’s Not a Numbers Game

Back when I was in high school (and dinosaurs roamed the earth), everyone knew who the popular kids were.  They hung out together in groups, oozed self-confidence, and had a whole second layer of people who just wanted to be close to them, to be popular by association.

Today, high schoolers have a whole new way of tracking their popularity.  Online social networks such as MySpace and Facebook let you track how many “friends” you have.  By comparing your number to your friends’ numbers, you can tell how popular you are relative to them.  In some groups it becomes a contest, to see who can have the most “friends”.  In fact, there is now a place where you can buy up to 5,000 Facebook friends for $654.30, or up to 10,000 Facebook fans for $1167.30.

LinkedIn, the professional social networking site, has a similar connection-based operation.  You make “connections”, and can follow their status changes, discussions and other professional activities.  But does having a large number of connections on LinkedIn mean you have a vibrant, healthy professional network?  Or does it just mean you are good at asking for connections from everyone you run into?

One way to test this is by looking at your list of connections, and asking yourself “Would this person take my phone call?”  An even better question – “If I lost my job and called this person, would they merely sympathize, or would they go out of their way to look for leads and opportunities that matched my background and professional goals?

To turn it around, how many of the people in your professional network have you talked to lately?  How many have you done a favor for, or passed along a tidbit that you thought might help them out?  How many do make contact with on a regular basis?  Or do you look your list of connections and try to remember where you met them, and why you wanted to connect in the first place?

Connections, whether tracked online, in an electronic database, or in an old-fashioned paper Rolodex, go stale with time.  Online systems make it easier to keep current contact information, because they update their information when they change companies, but just because you know how to reach someone doesn’t mean you have a real connection with them.  After all, it’s not hard to find the phone number for the White House, but would President Obama take your call?  It takes time and effort to maintain real connections with others in your professional network, just like any other type of relationship.

NOW is the time to take a look at your network, solidify the relationships that are important to you, and build on your new, tentative connections.  Delete people whom you can’t even remember (they probably can’t remember you either).  For people you haven’t talked to in awhile, make contact.  Send an email, write a card, or pick up the phone.

People who have large, strong networks know who to call when they need help.  But that’s because they have prepared ahead of time, by building relationships and helping others out.  After all, they way to measure the strength of your network is not by how many people you know, but by how many people really think about you.

This article was written by freelance technical writer Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D. of Balbes Consultants and author of: “Nontraditional Careers for Chemists,” published by Oxford University Press (2006).

In Demand and Growing Green

CNN recently published a list of the Most Lucrative College Degrees. Twelve of the top paying 15 majors were various forms of engineering, and the remaining 3 were computer science, actuarial science, and construction management – all of which require a significant degree of math skills. According to their numbers, engineering and computer science make up only about 4% of all college graduates, while social science and history each comprise 16%. Simple supply and demand means that employers who need graduates with math skills will have to be willing to pay more for them.

The same is true of careers for chemists. In recent ACS salary surveys, the unemployment rate for chemists is usually about 65% of the national average unemployment rate. (However, long-term trend data suggests that this gap may be narrowing.)

While you certainly should not choose a major or a career based on what is currently most lucrative, it is encouraging to see that the math and science that we love is also a good place to make a living – better than average, in fact.

It is also encouraging to note that one of the few job sectors experiencing growth is green technologies, which according to the United Nations Environment Programme Green Jobs report, involves “work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development, administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high-efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.” Do any of these sound like they could use the input of chemists and chemical engineers?

So if you have these highly desired math and science skills, how do you go about moving your career in a green (or any other) direction?

Start by learning as much as you can about the new field. What terminology do they use? Are there certain certifications or educational requirements that are required for particular positions? What skills and abilities do they value, and how similar are they to ones you current have? Basically, you want to do background research on your possible new career, and do a gap analysis to determine the difference between what you have to offer, and what they need.

Next, figure out how to fill or bridge that gap. Are there books you can read, conferences you can attend, or classes you can take to obtain the missing knowledge? Can you use your current skills in another field to obtain a position related to your new field? Once you have a toehold in the new field, it will be much easier to move further into that field.

Figure out what accomplishments you have that will be relevant to the new field, and how to sell yourself. Companies are hiring you to do something, and the best way to prove that you can do it for them is by showing them how you have done just that (or something very close to that) already.

Finally, use the contacts you made while doing your initial research into the field to identify companies and departments that might have need of your particular skills.

This article was written by freelance technical writer Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D. of Balbes Consultants and author of: “Nontraditional Careers for Chemists,” published by Oxford University Press (2006).