Author: Amanda Gin
Photo: Scientist in white lab coat conducting chemistry experiment in laboratory with glass test tubes containing white and green substances.
A.) Introduction
Starting a career in chemistry can happen at any stage of life⎯whether you are in high school, a college graduate, or a working professional considering a career change. It's never too early or too late to begin. Many successful chemists in the field come from diverse and unique backgrounds.
As my own professional network grows, I have had the privilege of meeting and collaborating with some of these inspiring individuals in the field. Many of these accomplished chemists have faced immense challenges, whether racial, gender-based, emotional, and/or socioeconomic, but they persevered. A recurring piece of advice from them is to maintain persistent curiosity in science and a hard-working mindset. Success will follow.
In this article, I will share insights and opportunities for pursuing chemistry, particularly at the high school and undergraduate levels with reference to some of my experiences.
B.) Areas of Interest
Before seeking out chemistry opportunities and resources, it is important to first identify which area(s) of chemistry you are most interested in. This will help to guide your search and shape your career path. Below are the six broad areas of chemistry, as defined by the American Chemical Society (ACS), with examples.
Broad Areas of Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry is the science of obtaining, processing, and communicating information about the composition and structure of matter. Examples include food safety, pharmaceutical analysis, and forensic analysis.
Biological/Biochemistry is the study of the structure, composition, and chemical reactions of substances in living systems. Examples include enzyme kinetics, protein folding, DNA/RNA analysis, and drug design.
Chemical Engineering is the translation of processes developed in the lab into practical applications for the commercial production of products. Examples include renewable energy technologies, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and water treatment.
Inorganic Chemistry is the study of properties and behavior of inorganic compounds, including metals, minerals, and organometallic compounds. Examples include materials science, coordination chemistry (metal complexes), and nuclear chemistry.
Organic Chemistry is the study of the structure, properties, and reactions of compounds and materials that contain carbon atoms. Examples include drug synthesis, polymer chemistry, natural products, and green chemistry.
Physical Chemistry is the study of how matter behaves on a molecular and atomic level and how chemical reactions occur. Examples include thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, kinetics, and spectroscopy.
If you are experiencing a difficult time narrowing down your choices to any one single area, rest assured, chemistry is an incredibly interdisciplinary science. Even if you specialize in one area, you'll likely draw on knowledge from other areas of chemistry and fields like physics, biology, computer science, or engineering.
Although chemistry is interdisciplinary, chemists will often classify themselves and their research into one of these broad area categories (usually the overarching area). For example, although my research is classified as inorganic chemistry, I frequently use organic chemistry methodology and spectroscopy from physical chemistry.
C.) Careers in Chemistry: Academia, Industry, and Others
There are many fascinating and exciting jobs that you can attain with a bachelor's degree or postgraduate degree in chemistry. Some careers are heavily focused on hands-on research work, while others rarely set foot in the laboratory. Many chemistry students during their studies will consider two main routes for their future career trajectory: academia or industry. Let's briefly discuss these two options:
Academia: Goal of Becoming a Chemistry Professor at the College Level
Research Focus: advancing knowledge
Problem-Solving Timeline: can often take a longer amount of time, and researcher may work on problems that don't always yield results
Responsibilities: teaching, mentoring, securing grants, and peer-reviewing/authoring journal publications
Collaboration: collaborative and teamwork-oriented
Requirements: PhD or equivalent
Industry: Goal of Becoming a Chemistry Researcher at a Company
Research Focus: developing products or services that benefit the company
Problem-Solving Timeline: often a shorter timeline, maximizing return on investment (ROI)
Responsibilities: primary focus is on their core project
Collaboration: collaborative and teamwork-oriented
Requirements: bachelor's degree or higher
Of course, these are not the only options for careers in chemistry. Some of my friends and colleagues have gone on to pursue the following careers with their degree(s) in chemistry:
Brewing Chemist (bachelor's degree or higher)
Elementary, Middle, or High School Science Teacher (bachelor's degree or higher)
Scientific Communications (bachelor's degree or higher)
Forensic Science Technician (bachelor's degree or higher)
Physician/Surgeon (pursue medical school or DO/MD–PhD post-grad)
Patent Attorney (pursue law school post-grad)
Pharmacist (pursue pharmacy school post-grad)
Some of these careers may require additional training or education, such as medical school or law school, while others are accessible with a bachelor's degree. Keep in mind, employers may accept applicants with lower degrees if they have relevant work experience. For example, an employer who is looking for a research chemist with a PhD may also accept the application from a person with a master's degree and two years of work experience.
D.) Chemistry at the High School Level
In most United States high schools, students will take at least one chemistry course, which often includes a lab component. Unfortunately, many students find these experiments frustrating, which can lead to a dislike of chemistry. I've had many peers, even decades after high school, express surprise at my passion for chemistry because of their negative experiences.
However, high-level chemistry research is vastly different from high school lab classes. Even first-year college chemistry labs often fail to capture the excitement of real-world research. If you're passionate about chemistry but disliked your high school classes, don't worry—you're not alone.
For high school students interested in real chemistry experience, I recommend pursuing a research assistantship or internship. Acquiring one of these positions sounds incredibly daunting—but it is not—even as a high schooler.
There are two primary options for research positions as a high school student:
Summer or Academic Year Research Programs
often require an application in addition to letters of recommendation (LOR)
often restrict applicants to juniors only
highly competitive (approximately two to 10% acceptance rate; your GPA, test scores, and writing ability matter)
often 40 hours per week or set schedule programs
few universities offer these programs
can be paid positions or some have tuition requirements
Research Assistant in a Local College/University Chemistry Department
professors are often willing to consider motivated high school student applicants as research assistants
may have less formal application process
may offer flexible working schedules
may be less competitive (your motivation matters most)
can be any local college/university with active research professors (community colleges typically do not have active research professors)
often do not offer paid positions
often do not offer tuition waiver or reimbursement
The second option is often the most accessible. Many professors are willing to offer resources to mentor motivated high school students, and working in a research lab will give you a true taste of chemistry. When you work in a college/university chemistry laboratory as a high school student, you will often be working directly under/with an undergraduate or graduate student, not the professor. Not only do you gain valuable laboratory skills, but your undergraduate/graduate student mentor builds skills as a teacher and mentor. Many professors at universities realize this and thus are willing to accept an inexperienced high school student into their research space.
The process of applying for a research assistant position at local college/university chemistry department is outlined briefly below:
Create a One-Page Résumé
Include availability, contact information, brief statement of goals that you hope to achieve based on the research assistant position, GPA, accomplishments, work history, skills, and up to three references (teachers, academic advisors, previous employers, etc.).
There are many great résumé examples and templates online!
*Editor Note: Consider résumé templates created for Research Girl at this link.
Find Professors' Research Topics that Interest You ("Research Fit")
Search professors' bio sketches and research descriptions on your local college/university academic faculty website.
Start "Cold Emailing" Professors
Send an email to their .edu email address with a brief statement of why you are interested in gaining research experience, why their work interests you, and attach your résumé.
If applying to multiple research groups, you can create résumé and email templates, and make minor modifications for each group.
*Editor Note: Consider "cold email" templates created for Research Girl at this link.
Prepare for an Informal Interview (Optional)
Some professors may want to set up a virtual or in-person meeting to get to know you better before accepting you for work.
Do Not Take Rejections to Heart!
Some professors may not have the resources in their group to accommodate mentoring a high school student.
Any research experience is better than no research experience! Just because your top choice organic chemistry professor said, "No, sorry," doesn't mean that you won't end up being an organic chemist. If you end up doing research in a physical chemistry lab instead, you will still learn new skills and techniques that directly apply to organic chemistry.
E.) Chemistry at the Undergraduate Level
My best advice is to get involved in research early.
See prior Section D for the process of applying for a research assistant position at a local college/university chemistry department (it's the EXACT same process for high school and undergraduate students).
That being said, finding and maintaining a balance in your social life and extracurriculars, keeping your grades satisfactory, and committing time to a research project is crucial. I advise spending at least the first year of undergraduate finding balance between the former two before adding the latter into the mix. An impressive research record is diminished by a poor GPA and vice versa. Many students who try to do it all experience inevitable exhaustion and burnout. It's important to find this balance carefully and craft a well-rounded portfolio of your undergraduate experience.
Lectures and curriculum laboratory classes are important at building a strong foundation in chemical principles but are extremely limited in teaching practical techniques and problem-solving. You will learn the most when you participate in active research where you must critically think and exercise creativity. Most of the time as an undergraduate research assistant, you will assist a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher with their project. This may mean assisting with designing, carrying out, or working up experiments. In some cases, your professor, called the principal investigator (PI), will assign you an independent project.
For most chemistry undergraduate students, the sequence of classes is similar to the following: general chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry. The point being, if you find yourself interested in physical chemistry your first year, you may not be exposed to physical chemistry courses until your senior year of college—even more reason to seek out a physical chemistry research assistant position!
My third piece of advice is to consider pursuing a PhD in science for post-graduate studies. Here's why: PhD students in the sciences (U.S.) are paid a stipend (meaning they pay YOU; you do not pay them for your advanced degree).
This path isn't for everyone, but it's worth considering, especially since many students are unaware that science PhD programs pay you. In my senior year cohort, there were many graduates that did not know that a PhD in science would be paid for. Perhaps if they knew sooner, their career goals and trajectory may have changed. It's well-known that for other disciplines, if you choose to pursue an advanced degree (ex. law school, medical school, liberal arts PhD, etc.), you will need financial options for tuition payment.
For a five-year PhD in the sciences (such as chemistry), graduate students receive a modest, but livable stipend. You receive this stipend from your university employer and will have responsibilities as a research assistant and teaching assistant. There are many resources available online to tell you more about the graduate student experience. Your academic advisor or chemistry professor (yes, they had to go to graduate school as a prerequisite for their job!) would be an excellent resource.
Applying to graduate schools in chemistry is a long and costly (application fees) process but can be worth it. Most applications start and end during the fall semester of your senior year of undergraduate. Decisions are typically sent out the following spring semester of your senior year. Most graduate schools will have visiting weekends in the spring for accepted students to see the campus, program, and meet other prospective students in the program. This trip is reimbursed by the university and is often fun, with many events.
I suggest applying for at least five schools (one "safety" school, two target schools, and two reach schools). Additionally, when searching for your set of schools to apply to, consider these three things:
Location
If location matters to you, can you see yourself thriving where this school is? Are your loved ones close by? Do you dislike cold weather? What's the cost of living in comparison to the stipend?
Research Fit
Are there at least two or three professors and projects you could see yourself working with and on here? Could you do it for five years? Many professors cannot guarantee you a spot in their group even though you are accepted to the program. Projects are sometimes first-come, first-served.
Prestige
How competitive is this school? What is their applicant pool like? How many graduate school students in your program do they accept? How do you match up? This will help you figure out if this is a safety, target, or reach school for you.
F.) The Chemistry of Success: Balance
Learning how to balance equations and conduct experiments in the chemistry lab is important, but it doesn't mean that you need to work all the time. Work hard, but remember to take breaks, be kind to yourself, and enjoy your school years. A successful career as a chemist is best achieved when balanced with personal fulfillment and enjoyment in life.
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