I've already switched majors from mech eng. and I'm about to get an associate in business, aka what fucking retards do just to get a degree. I can either finish the business degree and transfer to university to get 4 year business, or take yet another year to get the science and spend a total of 7 years getting a 4 year degree.

Basically, my time is running out, and I need to figure shit out.

I've always been interested in chemistry, I had the chemistry set as a kid that let you mix stuff and it would fizz, or make invisible ink that would show up when you put it over a candle and lots of cool stuff.

my question is what kind of chemist jobs are out there? I mean besides making pills for drug companies or government research. Does that make up the majority of the jobs and are there plenty of jobs available?

Your not going to get any kind of job in chemistry if all you have is an undergraduate degree.

Maybe in a drug testing lab, testing peoples shit and piss, but you don't need a university degree for that.

there are lots and lots of jobs. there is the usual analytical jobs testing piss/soil/whatever, but usually only the bad chemists end up there.

a few places that i have heard are looking for chemists in my area:
a brick and tile manufacturing place
many brewerys
a biscuit factory
random factories that many anything from steel piping to fertiliser
pharmacueticals

there are shitloads of jobs going, you just have to look for them. there is a problem of people being overqualifed in chemistry though (phd's having to move interstate to find jobs that are suitable to their level).

Well that sounds kind of gay.

then don't do it. no one is forcing you.

Your national research center ;) Here in my countries shit like this is payed very well and you got loads of lab work and "fun" stuff, even as an "apprentice".

https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=255&mode=2

These guys recruit at my university.

https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=255&mode=2

These guys recruit at my university.

:o But yeah its the sort of thing i was talking about :)

Anywhere that makes food or makeup hires chemists, even chemists without Ph.Ds.

I work as a research chemist in the metal finishing industry. Very relaxed atmosphere. Low stress work.

I work as a Chemist here in Northern California. There are shit tons of laboratory jobs here. The only thing is that the competition for these jobs are pretty cut throat. There are a bunch of fuckers that try to change their majors, like you, except go the pre-med route. They get their Biological Sciences/Biochemistry degrees and figure, "Ahhh... fuck it! I don't feel like going to med school anymore. I'll just see what I can get with this degree I got."

The work pays well depending on which company you work in. The opportunities for advancement are better in R&D rather than Production or Quality. But a good percentage of the time, your peers will know jack shit about what you are suppose to be doing. They are there because their initial choice for a major started looking bad and they decided "I'll become a doctor. Those guys play golf all day and make tons of cash." The initiative was there, but the follow through was lacking.

Added - I just saw this thread:
http://www.totse.com/community/showthread.php?t=2153553
That is the exact shit I'm talking about.

Added - I just saw this thread:
http://www.totse.com/community/showthread.php?t=2153553
That is the exact shit I'm talking about.

Don't pay attention to him he is a fucktard.

Wow! This is quite a coinsidence. I followed the exact path you described: I started out as a mechanical engineer major, switched to business to pursue finance, but enjoyed my chemistry class so much I decided to switch over to chemistry. :eek::eek:

My advice is if you really enjoy chemistry, do it! Chemistry is a great career field with a growing demand; and from what I've seen, not enough people studying it now to fill that future demand, which = high salaries. Plus chemistry is way more interesting than business, and (in general) more honest work.

Anywhere that makes food or makeup hires chemists, even chemists without Ph.Ds.
Even mcdonalds employs chemists. Seriously. And I don't mean myself, I mean people working in actual labs FOR McDs.

Even mcdonalds employs chemists. Seriously. And I don't mean myself, I mean people working in actual labs FOR McDs.

I've got a friend who works as a chemist at Diageo (who make Smirnoff, Johnny Walker, Guiness, Red Stripe and Don perignon to name a few) - they get something like ~$200/month allowance for products. I think it's discounted close to cost rather than free, but still booze is booze!

I've got a friend who works as a chemist at Diageo (who make Smirnoff, Johnny Walker, Guiness, Red Stripe and Don perignon to name a few) - they get something like ~$200/month allowance for products. I think it's discounted close to cost rather than free, but still booze is booze!

what chemistry did he major in? im heavily considering an organic chemistry degree but i dont know the full options or potential salaries.

what chemistry did he major in? im heavily considering an organic chemistry degree but i dont know the full options or potential salaries.

Your college will typically have different options. Mine, for example, gives a bare chemistry degree, and then you can tack on emphases such as biochem or professional chem (more calculus), or chemical physics.

As a student(ish) i got to work in the chem lab and help out with the other people :) If your usually ask your uni most of them are looking for people to baby sit reaction or the such :) and it pays not to bad and it is loads of fun and helps you get experience. I was lucky enough to have lots of hand on experience so i helped also some of the older students :) Its all good stuff just ask :) As for work :( Well i don't know right now, we shall see what the future holds but maybe in some pharmaceutical research company ;)