Chemical engineering, which gained popularity after 1890, is a branch of mainstream engineering that applies experimental/ natural sciences (physics and chemistry) and life sciences (biology and biochemistry) together with economics and mathematics to produce, transform, transport and properly use materials, chemicals and energy. Much of chemical engineer’s work involves modeling processes and analyzing how they take place in the preliminary report or on the computer (Zydney, Matsoukas, and Bainbridge 22-23; The Princeton Review n. pag). Some of the career options that somebody with a chemical engineering masters or bachelors’ degree can get are chemical plant engineer, an aerospace engineer, computer systems engineer, mining engineer, a nuclear engineer, oil and natural gas engineers, environmental engineer, food industry engineer and so forth (Helmenstine 1).
The first company one can work for is The Lubrizol Corporation, a pharmaceutical company in Akron, Ohio that needs chemical engineers in developing processes for manufacturing chemically active products. Secondly, the AABBVIe Company, in Greater Chicago area, requires chemical engineers for inventing chemical processes and preparing pharmaceutical ingredients that are active. Nonetheless, Shell Petroleum also seeks candidates with Bachelor of Science degrees in chemical engineering. As oil and gases are booming, chemical engineers are needed to apply fundamentals from their field such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer to recover gases or oil from the reservoir (Linked in n.pag).
This course is becoming popular because, first, the average salary for chemical engineers seems to be rising. Moreover, like other engineers, chemical engineers can function in various positions with little control. Compared to a chemist, a chemical engineer just need to work for few years and become promoted to management positions. In fact, it has been found that worldwide, chemical engineers find their second careers in management. Right now, as one should expect, with the oil boom in the U.S. and Canada, chemical engineers are very much sought. Nonetheless, in daily life, a chemical engineer will always shop smartly and consume efficiently because he believes that a reduction in consumption is better than recycling. Normally, he would have learnt life cycles of most products, determining their impacts on the environment. In shopping wisely, he cannot be duped with products that are just simply labeled “green." However, the most exciting part of this career is that it is challenging; the engineer will always get involved in solving a problem, on how to modify or change processes (Vann para.1-4).
As already noted, due to expanding explorations in natural gases and petroleum, companies are now seeking expertise in chemical engineering to take advantages of the cheap fuels. The salary, therefore, in this respect, has soared to $120,000 per year. According to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the field has experienced a drop in the unemployment rate from 3.8% to 2.1%. This survey shows that employment environment for the chemical engineers is continuously improving, noting that their peers in the Houston-Galveston are being paid up to $144,200 per year, with a median salary of $140,000 per year. The U.S. Bureau of Statistics has established that there is positive job outlook in this field, whereby jobs are expected to grow by 4% each year from 2012 to 2022 (BLS n.pag).
For career requirements, in order to enter into this field, one will need a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. With a degree, he can enroll in a 4 year program of engineering technology. Moreover, a postgraduate degree in engineering and business administration will broaden one’s profession, as he can take up supervisory roles or enter into management, respectively. Apart from engineering schooling, the candidate should be able to write and review reports. Therefore, it is recommended that he attend professional seminars and subscribes to professional publications to learn the theoretical part of his work. In this regard, an English course is much helpful in this career. Since employers view chemical engineering as practical and highly critical, they will require experience to analyze traits of the candidate (BLS n. pag).
Works Cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Chemical Engineers, 2014.
Online, 2014 <http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/chemical-engineers.htm>
Helmenstine, Anne M. Chemical Engineering Jobs: What Are Jobs in Chemical Engineering?.
About.com, 2014. Online, 2014 <http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemicalengineering/a/chemical-
engineering-jobs.htm>
Linked in. Top Companies for Chemical Engineer Jobs, 2014. Online, 2014
<http://www.linkedin.com/job/q-chemical-engineer-jobs>
The Princeton Review. Career: Chemical Engineer, 2014. Online, 2014
<http://www.princetonreview.com/careers.aspx?cid=33>
Vann, T.S. Why I Chose Chemical Engineering over Chemistry. Yahoo voices, 2014. Online,
2014 <http://voices.yahoo.com/why-chose-chemical-engineering-over-chemistry-12557511.html?cat=4>
Zydney, Andrew, Matsoukas, Themis and Bainbridge, Ellen. Department of Chemical
Engineering Advising Book. Pennsylvania State University, 2013.
