C&EN Washington

The Internet has increased the availability and the amount of job-search and career-planning information available to the point where it can seem overwhelming. Here is a guide to some of the sources of job and career information best suited to scientists, and it also includes some sources of general information. The first part is devoted to Internet resources, the second to books, the third to ACS Career Services, and the fourth to other sources of career information.

The job search has been revolutionized by the Internet. Hundreds of web sites deal with career planning and job openings. Of course, many of these are specific to individual companies, individual cities, and individual fields that have nothing to do with the chemical sciences. But several are useful for people planning a career in chemistry. Following is a sampling of sites that are useful for chemists. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and many of these sites have links to other job web sites.

   http://www.chemcenter.org/profservices.html --This site is maintained by the American Chemical Society and has links to the open positions at ACS headquarters and links to ACS Career Services. See the section titled "ACS Career Services" for detailed information about its functions.

   http://ci.mond.org/chemistry/ home.html --The Chemistry Jobs and News Source, which is maintained by the Society of Chemical Industry, has a database of chemistry and chemistry-related jobs that it claims is "one of the most extensive and frequently updated on the web." This site also offers an e-mail service wherein you are e-mailed notices of all job openings that fit your criteria. In addition, this site offers a guide to online job hunting that lists sources for advice, career resources, and a list of career-related newsgroups.

   http://www.nextwave.org --Science's Next Wave is a weekly online publication that covers scientific training, career development, and the science job market. Access to job listings at this site is free, but articles are accessible with a subscription only. Some universities, government agencies, and other organizations have purchased sitewide licenses; see the list of subscribers at http://www.nextwave.org/misc/info.dtl#sublist. ACS members have free access to Next Wave through http://www.chemcenter.org/register/html/ccplogin.htm. An individual one-year subscription to Science's Next Wave costs $19.95.

   http://www.awise.org/ --This is the new web site of the U.K.-based Association for Women in Science & Engineering (AWiSE). This site contains career information for all scientists as well as specialized information for the issues that women scientists face. Click on "Personal Development" or "Jobs and Careers."

   http://www.jobweb.org --This site is maintained by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE). It includes Job Choices Online, which is an electronic magazine, and a job database. NACE also has several print publications available for job seekers that can be purchased through this site.

   http://www2.nas.edu/cpc/index. html--Titled "A Career Planning Center for Beginning Scientists & Engineers," this site is maintained by the National Academy of Sciences and sponsored by the Sloan Foundation. It has a bulletin board for general advice, a resource center, an advice center where people can request a mentor, links to other career-related sites, and several other useful features.

   http://www.chemistry.com --Called Medzilla, this site allows job seekers to post as well as update their résumés for employers to review. It also features searchable job listings and a list of Internet links.

In addition, many companies have web sites where they advertise job openings, and the newspaper classified ads are often posted on the web in searchable format.

Although the Internet is a useful source, it has not yet rendered books obsolete. The author of the popular job-planning guide, "What Color Is Your Parachute?" for example, claims that more than 20,000 copies of this book are sold each month. Following is a list of books that may be helpful in finding a job and choosing a career.

  "What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers," by Richard Nelson Bolles. The 26th edition of this book was published last month. It is split into two sections: The first has information on finding a job; the second is a workbook and resource guide to help readers "draw a picture" of their ideal job. In addition, this book has its own web site at http://www.washingtonpost.com/parachute, which includes an extensive list of Internet resources. This book is available in bookstores and costs $16.95.

  "Alternative Careers in Science: Leaving the Ivory Tower," edited by Cynthia Robbins-Roth. Twenty-three scientists who work in "alternative careers"--like technical writing, venture capital, patents, and research funding--contributed chapters. This book is available in bookstores and costs $29.95.

  "Current Trends in Chemical Technology, Business, and Employment," the 1998 edition of which is forthcoming from ACS Career Services. This publication, which provides information on technology, business, economic, R&D, and hiring trends in industry, government, and academe, is free from Career Services; phone (800) 227-5558 ext. 6153.

  "Directory of American Research and Technology: Organizations Active in Product Development for Business," published by R. R. Bowker. This is an annually updated directory of all known nongovernment facilities active in commercially relevant basic and applied research. Each listing gives contact information, the number of professional staff employed, the number of employees who hold doctorates and what areas those degrees are in, the amount the company spends on R&D annually, a statement of the facility's major R&D activity, and other useful information. This reference costs $359.95 but is often available in libraries. For ordering information, contact R. R. Bowker, 121 Chanlon Rd., New Providence, N.J. 07974; phone (888) 269-5372, e-mail: info@ bowker.com.

  "Research Centers Directory," published by Gale Research, lists research-focused nonprofit organizations. Each entry includes contact information, web home page, research budget, type of research, type and number of staff at the facility, and several other details. This reference costs $520 but is often available in libraries. For ordering information, contact Gale Research Inc., 835 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit, Mich. 48226-4094; phone (800) 877-4253.

  "Occupational Outlook Handbook," published by the U.S. Department of Labor. This annually updated reference describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects for several occupations. The handbook is free on the Internet at http://stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm. Hardbound ($46), paperbound ($42), and CD-ROM ($28) versions can be ordered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Publications Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, Ill. 60690; phone (312) 353-1880.

  "Job Choices in Science, Engineering, and Technology" is published every September by the National Association of Colleges & Employers. This book includes a variety of indexes to identify employers by type of opportunity, location, and more. It also includes features on the job outlook for technical graduates. The 1999 edition is available from NACE for $16.75; phone (800) 544-5272 to order.

ACS publishes several books that can be useful when looking for a job or choosing a career. Following is list of some of these publications, a short description of each, the most current edition available, and the price. To order, contact Margaret Neville, 1155--16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; phone (202) 872-4376.

  "ACS Directory of Graduate Research" is a listing of master's- and Ph.D.-degree-granting departments of chemistry and allied fields in the U.S. and Canada, with names of faculty, their research interests, and lists of their recent publications. The 1997 print edition costs $65. A fully searchable Internet version is available by subscription. For Internet pricing information, see http://pubs3.acs.org: 8877/dgr97/pricing.html.

  "Chemical Research Faculties: An International Directory" lists institutions and universities that grant advanced degrees in chemistry, chemical engineering, and allied fields. It includes data on the number of postdoctoral appointments and the number of full-time faculty as well as information on chemical societies worldwide; 1996 edition, $199.95.

  "Chemical Sciences Graduate School Finder" lists schools in the U.S. and Canada that offer master's- or Ph.D.-degree programs in chemistry and allied fields, with information on the student body, admission requirements, costs and financial aid, faculty and their research, and the institution's research facilities. This book is also available on the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org/books/direct/ gsf98/index.html. The Internet version is free and searchable by school, area of study, U.S. state or Canadian province, and faculty members; 1997-98 edition, $64.95.

  "College Chemistry Faculties" lists college and university teachers of chemistry and related fields in the U.S. and Canada; 1996 edition, $94.95.

ACS Career Services offers a wide range of employment services to members and student affiliates. For more information on any of the services listed here, contact Career Services, 1155--16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; phone (800) 227-5558 ext. 4432, e-mail: career@acs.org, Internet: http://www.acs.org/careers/welcome.htm.

  Brochures. "Professional Employment Guidelines," "Academic Professional Guidelines," "The Chemist's Code of Conduct," "Coping with Job Loss," "Tips on Résumé Preparation," and "What a B.S. Chemist Should Consider before Accepting a Position" are just a small selection of the brochures available. Many of the brochures are posted on the Internet at http://www.acs.org/careers/empres/pubs01.htm. For copies of brochures, phone (800) 227-5558 ext. 6153, e-mail:k_smith@acs.org.

  Salary information. ACS publishes annual volumes of statistical data about the chemical profession and the salaries paid to its members. "Salaries 1998," $150, which will be available this month, reports on members' salaries by degree, type of employer, and experience. The report also offers data on employment status and demographic characteristics.  "Starting Salaries 1997," $29.95, contains the results of a survey of new graduates in chemistry and chemical engineering. Starting salary information for 1998 is scheduled to be published in the March 1, 1999, issue of C&EN.  For a comprehensive salary survey of ACS members in 1997, see C&EN, July 27, page 17.

  Professional data bank. Nonconfidential computerized service makes résumés available to interested employers. The service is free to ACS members and student and national affiliates.

  Employment Clearing Houses.Operating at national and regional ACS meetings, this service gives job applicants an opportunity to interview with employer representatives. ACS national meeting registration fees can be waived for unemployed members who register as job applicants at the clearinghouse. Unemployed members unable to attend national or regional meetings can submit résumés that will be available to employers at the clearinghouse.

  ACS local sections. Some ACS local sections provide job assistance. For details, contact your local section or Tanya Fogg, phone (202) 872-6191, e-mail:t_fogg@acs.org.

  Job bank. This Internet service for ACS members is a compilation of jobs listed in C&EN, C&EN Internet job ads, and other sources.

  Career consulting program. This service offers career counseling by phone to ACS members at all career stages. Consultants provide assistance with job search strategies, career transitions, interviewing techniques, employment trends, salaries, résumé preparation, and networking.

  Résumé review. ACS career consultants are available at all national and some regional meetings to review résumés and answer general career questions.

  Mock interview sessions. At national meetings, chemists can videotape a practice interview and receive feedback from ACS personnel on ways to improve the interview.

  Workshops, presentations, and videos. Presentations are offered at national and regional meetings on conducting an effective job search and strategies for successful job transition both within and outside chemistry. On request, workshops also are offered at local section meetings, colleges and universities, and industrial work sites. Videos on how to conduct a job search, make a career transition, prepare a résumé, and interview are available; contact Career Services for detailed pricing information.

One of the best ways to determine if a career is a good choice is to experience that career firsthand through an internship, co-op, or similar program. In addition, having related on-the-job experience is an advantage when looking for permanent placement. The ACS Experiential Programs in Chemistry (EPiC) collects and distributes information on internships, co-ops, summer jobs, study/work abroad, and service-learning opportunities. The 1999 "Directory of Experience Opportunities" will be available this month both in print and on the Internet; check the Education links at http://www.chem center.org for updates. The directory is free to ACS student affiliates and $10 to all others. To order a copy of the directory, phone (800) 209-0423 and ask for product No. C40. For more information about EPiC, contact Cecilia Hernandez; phone (202) 227-5558 ext. 6176, e-mail:epic@acs.org.

The ACS Office of Professional Training offers two brochures on career planning. For students planning to go to graduate school, "Planning for Graduate Work in Chemistry: Suggestions for the Student Considering Advanced Study," includes information on choosing a graduate school, how and when to apply, and financial support. For undergraduate students looking for a career in industry, "Planning for a Career in Industry" is available. The full text of both brochures is available on the Internet at http://www.acs.org/cpt/hp.htm under publications.

Classified advertisements are published by many magazines, including C&EN (see page 62 for details on placing an ad); Chemical Engineering Progress,published by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (see http://www. aiche.org/docs/classified/); and The Chemist, by the American Institute of Chemists, phone (703) 836-2090.

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