What do Chemists do?

Do ChemE instead.

>Thanksgiving dinner
>ChemE
>Pull up in Mercedes S600
>"So what do you do at your job, anon?"
>"I oversee the production of an ingredient used by pharmaceutical companies to make cancer drugs"
>"Whoa, that's really cool."

>Thanksgiving dinner
>Chemist
>Pull up in Hyundai Sonata
>"So what are you working on, anonymous?"
>"I am trying to develop a way to acetylate the 5 and 6 carbons on triphenyl-4,6-diazido-3,7-yl-carbopropamine by using hexaazyl-3,4,5,6,8-carbosulphanoic acid over Raney Nickel"
>Blank stares

>>9125675
In reality, both of the final responses are going to be "That's cool man, but can you make meth hahaha"

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>>9125675

>caring about what other people think about you

wagecucks gonna wagecuck

All labwork being done by techs is a misconception in my experience. My workday at a small pharma company is usually a combo of QA and research. Characterization involves running HPLC, DSC, XRD, other shit like that. Research comes in from testing different formulations for performance, evaluating pharmacokinetic data from animal/human trials, coming up with new tablet compositions, etc.

I used to work in synthesis and PhD chemists are usually the ones that carry out experiments and do the reactions, techs are more for washing dishes, calibrating balances, lab maintenance, stocking, and instrument upkeep.

>>9125675
both of you studied in a place filled with females and the only thing that you managed to fuck was your hand

>>9125655
Nothing important. You're an idiot if you study basic science without wanting to be a Ph.D. researcher / teacher in academia the rest of your life.

If you want a normalfag job, go for engineering or healthcare.

techs do all the menial shit like making up stock solutions, maintaining/repairing equipment etc

chemists do the original thoughts and experiments

>>9125675
No, don't. This shit sucks. The money isn't worth it.

make shit
analyze shit
optimize shit

>>9127058

>Thanksgiving dinner
>Chemical Engineer
>So what do you do at your job, anon?
>I design systems of tubes and calculate the flow rate through them

>>9125655
PhD synthetic organic chemist here.

Don't believe the ChemE trolls, their job sucks ass. Basic manufacturing bitches. They do make more money then BS Chemists though, only because there's literally no market for BS Chemists.

>>9127577
>>9126904

Is the saying "A Master's in Chemistry is the consolation prize for not completing your PhD" true?

I'm just an undergrad, but based on the chemists and chem grad students there seems to be this philosophy unique to Chemistry where Chemists only have respect for other Chemists who are smarter than they are and look down on everyone less accomplished than they are and are quick to make you feel like a dumbass every time you make a mistake. Maybe my uni just has shit culture, idk.

>>9127690
It means that when you apply for gradschool in chemistry it's always for a PhD unless a company or military is sending you. If you fail your qualifications half way through you typically just leave with a masters. It means you couldn't cut it or didn't want to be a researcher. But could also mean you got fucked over by your advisor or committee.

>>9125655
I am a polymer chemist. I design new materials and do initial experiments in lab then write SOPs if they are successful for techs to repeat. I do a lot of thinking on various other subjects such as electrodes and photochemistry since I have experience there. My day varies wildly depending on what the company needs. Some days I am busier than I was in gradschool, others I sit and thumb my ass all day scrolling 4chan or journal abstracts on line if there's anything interesting.

>>9127690
>>9127776
And it really depends on the departmental culture and even down to individual advisors and gradstudents. There are some students that are just down right ass blasted they joined the wrong group or discovered they HATE their project and shit on others so they feel better.

>>9125675
Really depends on what you focus on in gradschool. There are chemists like in the Green meme text. Then there's others that go into the military research and work on stealth materials or wave guides. I make optoelectronic materials for all forms of devices from batteries to solar to displays.

Also I hate people that are autistic they can't dumb down what they are doing for common people to understand, shows that they really don't understand their science.

I quit the university meme after the bachelor and starting a job in synthesis in october. instead of 6-7 more years for a doctorate in unemployment i'll make cash now.

>>9128216
FYI, you are not unemployed while getting a PhD. Your tuition is covered and you receive a stipend.

>>9128371
ye i know. here in germany u get ~1000€/month after taxes while PhDing. average unemployment time is two years after your done.

>>9128378
What do you mean unemployment after? Do people there just not plan and look for jobs during their last year and a half? Do the advisors there just boot people when they defend instead of keeping them on until they find employment?

>>9127784
This guy is one of the only red pilled chemists on this board.

I came into grad school with a class of ~30 and so many want to do some green computational physical organic bullshit meme focus that will never result in a career. Do your research before joining a lab and getting vital experience that will determine the ease of you kickstarting your career once you graduate.

Organic isn't as bad as people make it sound, but is still oversaturated. My man above mentioned he's in materials. That's god tier. I'm in materials/inorganic and I get to make electrochemical materials and go test them in an engineering lab myself. I get chemistry knowledge of the synthesis and the engineering knowledge of assembling devices. I also take up small side projects involved with super hard materials that the DoD is interested in. I go into work everyday and have a blast. This is the way to go.

Another anon who is already a PhD graduate posted in one of these threads doing something very similar to me and claims he works for Duracell now (or some company I can't remember).

Research where the jobs are. Pick one of those fields you think would be really interesting. Put your heart and soul into it.

>>9127543
succintly put
>>9127690
that is a silly premise, in europe, in order to do a phd program you must do a masters

im still an undergrad but i did an internship during the summer and at least one postdoc was on the verge of getting a job at the biggest cosmetic chemical companies in the world

during my internship however, i read papers, ran experiments and analyzed data

>>9127690
In America, this >>9127776
In yurop, that >>9127776

>>9128727
Oops >>9128640
T. Phone.

>>9128216

This. If you can't even get an internship in your field after a BA going back to school to get another degree won't fix your chances of getting a job in that field. People who get PhDs tend to have their heads so far up their asses that they think what they do is nearly impossible when in reality anyone can do what they do education or not

>>9128749
You are fool if you believe if you can do what a PhD scientist can do. Hell, you're a fool if you even have a PhD and can do what another PhD scientist can do. The levels of specialization are that great and some people accidentally pigeon hole themselves at the start in gradschool.

The trouble lies in people in general, regardless of education level, don't start looking for jobs until they are about to graduate. If you are expecting to graduate in May of 2018, you should have been looking and applying since January 2017. Hell from the time I was told about an opening at Boeing in R&D and applied to when they gave me the offer letter, 9 months elapsed. I've been employed at another company for three years and I still get the autorejection emails from companies I applied to in 2014.

>>9126214
not in chem but from what i've been told meth is actually ridiculously simple and any sophomore that paid attention in orgo could probably find increasingly retarded synthesis processes

What do you all think about chemometrics? Does it have a future, either in Academia or in the industry?

>>9128907
What in the fuck even is that?

I was a lab tech for about 2.5 years. I just ran the experiments the real scientists (and certain engineers) told me to. It was only very occasionally that I ever provided or acted upon an original thought.

Chill gig, though. 40k a year, good benefits, listened to music a lot of the time, and got to learn and perform a bit of statistical data analysis.

Certain labtech type gigs are less scientifically hands on, and washing glassware and ordering supplies could be the bulk of your responsibilities like an anon above mentioned. This workload depends on the industry and the direction of your company, though.

Also, being a lab tech is a bit less secure than being an actual scientists. In leaner times, or when a project is wrapping up, they will often lay off techs much sooner. Techs are more generally employed through a temp agency, too. However, being a tech on the job is a bit less stressfull. You don't have to manage anyone (generally), you don't need to be as smart, and you don't have to deal with office politics or funding. If you can find a stable job, and you don't mind living a simple life, it's perfect for introverts.

>>9129028
sounds comfy