Careers
Stand out from the Crowd! Employability Event and Fair
Showpiece careers event for EPS Undergraduates
Registration: Via the CareersLink site or directly via the CareersLink Event Profile for this event.
- Want to make yourself more employable?
- Get more involved in a society or sport?
- Looking to boost your CV?
- Want to win an iPod?
Wednesday 15th February 2012, Renold C9 and C floor, 12:30 - 3pm (talk at 1pm)
Find out more by attending this event! Get guidance and support on where to find part time jobs, internships and placements as well as making a difference through volunteering opportunities. Key student societies and sports clubs will be available for you to join as well as other key programmes here at the University (WiSET, Study Abroad, Peer Mentoring). Lunch will be provided too.
By attending, you will also get the chance to win an iPod!
It’s never to late to boost your employability. To register, sign up here: CareersLink and search for ‘stand out’ or go directly to the CareersLink Event Profile for this event.
Chemical engineering careers
When you choose your degree you want to be sure you will have flexibility in the future. You may not be exactly sure what career you want to follow when you graduate. A chemical engineering degree keeps your options open and ensures that you have many opportunities to choose from.
Chemical engineering graduates are in great demand for all kinds of jobs - and not just in the chemical engineering sector. This is because students are encouraged to develop valuable skills on the course.
Jobs in the chemical engineering sector
Chemical engineering jobs are in all kinds of industries - examples are food and drink, pharmaceuticals, energy, oil and gas, water, chemicals, materials such as plastics, metals and ceramics and products such as toiletries, fertilisers and detergents.
They are also involved in assessing health, safety and environmental issues. So you could do anything - from working out how to manufacture life-saving vaccines to creating a revolutionary new type of ice-cream to managing a project for the treatment of wastewater.
Information Technology is also very important. You could be using sophisticated Computer Aided Design and virtual reality software to simulate what will happen, for example, when you design a process to manufacture a product such as toothpaste. The types of jobs within these sectors are varied - design of products; research and development; construction and installation of industrial plant; manufacturing and production; project management; sales and marketing; finance; policy-making and management.
Many chemical engineering graduates reach senior managerial positions and it is not unusual to find them on the boards of large multi-national companies.
See: The IChemE's Whynotchemeng website for more details of chemical engineering careers!
See also: The ResearchGate website - the largest professional network for scientists and researchers ResearchGate Handout (PDF).
Jobs outside the chemical engineering sector
Chemical engineering graduates have easily transferable skills and the ability to take an overview of a situation. For this reason they are in demand in the areas of management, finance, accountancy, marketing, banking, information technology, computing and consultancy.
"I enjoy the breadth of the subject, it spans most disciplines. The scope for future employment also excites me. Chemical engineers are not employed to do small things."
All around the world
There are many opportunities for chemical engineers around the world. For example, you could be located in Africa, working on providing basic facilities for communities, or in the USA contributing to the design and manufacture of advanced materials for spacecraft. Wherever you are based there will be opportunities for travel as part of the job.
So how much are you likely to earn with your chemical engineering degree?
The IChemE 2008 Salary Survey revealed that the average starting salary for a chemical engineer is £26,000 per year (£30,000 for those working in the oil sector). The average wage for chemical engineers aged 25–29 is £33,700/y, rising to £47,500/y for those in their 30s. Chemical engineers in their 40s will earn on average £60,500/y and £68,000/y in their 50s. For those aged between 60–65, who have typically risen to very senior positions, the average salary is £70,500/y.
For more details, read the Cashing in article in the Chemical Engineer by Matt Stalker.