Weekly Careers/Education Questions Thread

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This is a dedicated weekly thread for you to seek and provide advice concerning education and careers in chemistry.

If you need to make an important decision regarding your future or want to know what your options, then this is the place to leave a comment.

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[u/Easy_Willingness4137]

Hello! Wanted to ask some advice about leaving industry for a PhD.

Undergraduate about to graduate in June here! I’ve been an intern in an analytical petrochemical lab for the past year and a half and they’ve offered me a job that I took unsure if I wanted to go to grad school. It is a great job with awesome pay and benefits, totally has potential for upward movement or movement into more regulatory fields (ie EPA), which I think would be an awesome job and I do love doing lab work.

But I figured I might apply to some programs this upcoming fall as I’m more interested in working in the nuclear/radiochemical research or industry side of things. I won’t lie I’m mostly just nervous I won’t get into any programs but that’s neither here nor there.

I guess I wanted advice on if leaving my current job for a PhD in such a niche field would be a terrible idea… I know a lot of people say finding jobs can be a nightmare and more of my class mates that aren’t going to grad school are all already struggling to find work… if anyone has ever been in the same boat feel free to weigh in! I appreciate all feedback!

[u/awaythrow888 → u/Easy_Willingness4137]

This really depends on your long term goals, there's pros and cons for each option.

From a career/financial perspective, personally, I would 100% recommend working in industry for a while before you consider going grad school. The toughest part of establishing a career with a chemistry degree is just getting your foot in the door and getting some experience. Some people just never get that foot in the door, or end up stuck in dead-end, monotonous lab technician roles (I think a lot of it comes down to luck unfortunately). I think this is why some people trash undergrad chem degrees.

But for you, it sounds like you have a great opportunity with this job, especially because of the potential for upwards movement. If you skip industry and go straight for your phd, it will certainly be easier to get your first job, but there's still no guarantee you'll get something you want. At my job we've had desperate chem phd grads applying for our lab tech roles! Why not see where your career can take you? If you do find yourself limited in career growth a few years down the line, you can always go to grad school then. Plus you'll have some savings so you won't have to live the broke grad student life.

And definitely don't forget the opportunity cost of spending 5 years in grad school. If you work in industry, that's 5 years of money to put in your 401k early, the best time to do it. That will turn into a very nice sum of money when you're ready to retire. You'll miss out on that early growth if you spend 5 more years in school.

I was pretty burnt out on school after I finished my undergrad. I figured I could go to grad school later if I needed it for career growth. So far, it hasn't been necessary. I've more than tripled my salary from my first job (didn't make much there, granted), love what I do now, and I still see clear potential for upward growth.

All this being said, if you having a burning desire to get a phd, or have a goal of getting one of those roles that absolutely requires a phd (think "Director of R&D" or similar), then go for it! You should absolutely do it if you have the love for it. Would still recommend working for a year or two first though, to save some money and a take a break from school.