The many paths to a thriving science career beyond the lab

When you imagine a career as a chemist, do you envision being in a lab wearing a white coat and goggles or in an office setting wearing business attire? Most aspiring scientists and professionals would respond to a job with a lab coat and goggles. While that would be fair to say, we are at a crossroads of significant change in both our field and our world. Professors and graduate students whose research has been disrupted because of terminated research grants may risk not finding a laboratory job these days. Maintaining their passion for a chemistry career, they will need alternative jobs in science—in marketing, communications, or analysis, for example.

During my term as ACS president, one of my initiatives was to create programs and have conversations around building chemistry careers for both students and professionals in the chemistry enterprise. The focus is for more chemists to use their strengths and talents to have not just a job but a sustainable and thriving career path and future. A variety of opportunities and career paths are available beyond the laboratory.

My Comment will highlight ways you can build a fulfilling career in chemistry beyond the lab. I will address how focusing on your own passion, strengths, and values can help you identify the right career path for you. Personally, my career as an industrial chemist began in research and development as a laboratory scientist with a goal of reaching the level of director of R&D. Later, at Waters, I moved from R&D to marketing, thus leaving the laboratory. Taken together, the roles gave me a fulfilling career as a chemist and the opportunity to retire as a director in marketing.

Let’s explore some of the jobs outside the laboratory. During the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) conference in September, ACS organized a three-person panel of people who have unmistakably had an impact outside the lab on the chemistry enterprise, each in their own way. Their inspiring stories show how identifying their strengths, values, and skills intersected to create a thriving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career. The NOBCChE panelists were Teri Quinn Gray, Michael Early, and Racquel Jemison.

Gray’s career started as a PhD research chemist and advanced to chief operating officer. Throughout her career she has held to a strategy she developed during her graduate studies in chemistry, with a focus on love of learning and outputs and impacts—both in the lab and the boardroom. Other key points during Gray’s journey: opting for excellence instead of perfection, having an affinity for chaos and unwieldy problems, and living boldly while taking prudent risks.

Early, with education in chemistry and business, moved to product management and then business development. In the panel, he emphasized that “chemists trained at the bench thrive in global sales and marketing roles by leveraging their technical depth, curiosity, and problem-solving mindset. When you can speak the language of science and the language of business, you become an indispensable bridge between customers and innovation.”

Racquel Jemison learned while still pursuing her PhD that a people-focused position, not a laboratory job, was her interest. Today she is an assistant director at ACS. Jemison gives this advice from the lessons that worked for her: “Pursuing a career away from the bench starts with internal reflection and self-awareness. First, take note of where your attention is drawn, balance those interests with your strengths (both technical and qualitative), and then work to translate those into a language that works best for your potential new career sector. Do not discount the extracurricular activities that contribute to sharpening those strengths and interests—it all counts!”

There are many unique nonlaboratory jobs for chemists. For example, a science communicator position is suited for a scientist with a deep enthusiasm for science and a commitment to increasing public engagement with scientific issues. A communicator is also highly skilled at writing and speaking. With experience, a science communicator can advance to a leadership position, such as an editor for scientific publications like those in the ACS Publications division.

The current negative impact on grants or funding research will hopefully turn around without lasting effects. Regardless, you have many options for following your passion to achieve a successful chemistry career outside the laboratory. Yes, my platform is building successful chemistry careers! Hopefully, this Comment will help you decide your path to a fulfilling career as a chemist or in one of the STEM fields.

Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.