Careers

in Chemistry
Workshop

Session 1
Workshop Objectives

Provide Perspective and Awareness on:

• Careers in Industry
• Effective Job Search
• Value added Skills and
How to Develop them.
Workshop Roadmap

 Careers in Chemistry….What should you Expect? Feb 11

• Job Search Process(Resume, Interviews) Feb 25

• Skill Session 1 Mar 11

• Skill Session 2 Mar 25

Today’s Content

Careers in Chemistry….What should you Expect?

• Gauging your Perspective • 15 min

• Three Career Examples • 45 min
• P&G
• Dow
• GE
• Panel Discussion • 20 min
• Intro to the Next Session • 5 min
Perspective

Most Advanced Degrees Lead to Positions in Industry

The Career Perspective of Most Students is based on

University Experiences and Mentors
Influences on the Perspective of Students

University Influence Individual’s Experience

• Mission of the Department
• Mission of the University
• Location
• Applied Sciences Departments
• Advisors Connective-ness
• Consortiums
• Industrial Experience
• Coops, Summer jobs
• Research Topic
• Parental Heritage
• Personal Experience
Science in Academia and Business

Science in the Public Interest Science For Commercial Value

Common Values
• Intelligence
• Ambition to Succeed
• Scientific Creativity
• Passion for Science
• Selling your Ideas
• Competition
Science in Academia and Business

Science in the Public Interest Science For Commercial Value

Commercial Value Drives some Unique Skills/Values

• Cross Functional Interfaces
• Accountability…Safety, Financial, Timing
• Intellectual Property
• Business Skills
• Communication to Non-Scientists

Explore Further these Values/Skills Today

Education and Career
Academics
Undergrad Grad Student Post Doc
Industry

Perception
Education Career
Education and Career
Academics
Undergrad Grad Student Post Doc
Industry

New Science
Reality Skills

Education Learning Patents

Business
Interpersonal

Learning Accelerates and Diversifies

Education and Career
Academics
Undergrad Grad Student Post Doc
Industry

Reality

Career

Your Career Starts Earlier than You May Think…

Need to be Career Minded Early
Understanding the Goal Allows you to take Action
Corporate Culture Plays a Significant Role
• Values are Similar between Companies, but
Corporate Culture and Market will Influence
• Stated Corporate Objectives
• Big vs Small
• Market and Product Maturity
• Global vs Domestic

Today we have 3 Different Perspectives/Cultures

• DowAgro…Chemicals
• P&G…Consumer Goods
• GE……Materials
3 Perspectives from Kevin, Katherine and Todd

• Career Background
• Transition to Industry Experience
• Skills/Values of Their Business
• What would have done differently
Kevin Meyer-Dow AgroSciences Senior Research Chemist
Education Background
• B.S. Chem, Truman State Univ.,
Kirksville, MO (1994)
• Ph.D. Organic, IU (1999)
Total Synthesis of (+)-Amphidinolide K
Professor David R. Williams
What Kind of Chemistry?
• Natural Product derivatization
• Heterocyclic chemistry
•new methodologies
• Field Sample Preparation
•(100+ gram scale)
• Combinatorial chemistry
Job Responsibilities
• Synthesize molecules
• Interact with Biologists
• Write/Provide Tech support
to Patents
• Area Safety Focal Point
What do Other Chemists do?
• Prepare Field Samples
• Radiolabeling
• Biochemistry (assays/metabolic fate)
• Formulation Chemists
• Computational Chemists
• Analytical Support
•Environmental fate/purity determination
Kevin Meyer-Dow AgroSciences Senior Research Chemist

Surprises I Found in my Transition to DAS

• Emphasis on Safety
•Company is liable
•Peer review for larger scales
•Bioactive Chemistry!!
•Professional responsibility
• Chemistry Surprises
•Cheaper to purchase reagents
•Stereochemistry=$$
•Yield doesn’t matter (discovery)
•Super-pure, super-dry reagents
not needed

Challenges I had to Overcome in My Transition to DAS

•Meetings, meetings and, oh yeah, more meetings (time management)

• Realize you are looked as an expert in your field/area of chemistry by

others
Kevin Meyer-Dow AgroSciences Senior Research Chemist

What Skills or Values does A Skill I had to Learn

DAS Value
In a Professional Chemist •Being a Team Player

•Looking out for #1

•Ability to work with others

•Decision making abilities

•Productivity
What Less Successful Chemists
•Able to see ‘The Big Picture’
Generally Lack at DAS
•Self-motivated
• Interpersonal Skills
•Question dogma • Motivation
• Unable to make good, timely
decisions
Kevin Meyer-Dow AgroSciences Senior Research Chemist

Things I wish I had Understood about Careers while I was at IU

• You don’t get promoted, you promote yourself through good work.
• Leadership isn’t about dictating the work of others, it’s about influencing others
with your credibility
• You are not just a chemist making molecules, you are a scientist in your field of
work.

What I would have done Differently to be better Prepared

• Time management—work on being organized.

• Emphasize communication skills—(writing/presenting work).

• Be more of a resource for the group to develop leadership skills.

Katherine Glasgow-GEAM Product Developer
Education Background
• B.S. Chem, UNC-Chapel Hill (1995)
Oxidative cleavage of DNA by TM complexes
Professor Holden Thorp
• Ph.D. Inorganic, IUB (2000)
Organometallic synthesis, catalysis
Professor Malcolm Chisholm
Chemistry I Currently Practice
• Polymer Chemistry
• Stabilization (hydrolysis, etc.)
• Biological interactions (proteins)
Career Path
• BPA Process Chemist (2000-2001)
• Lexan Process Chemist (2001-2002)
• Lexan Product Developer (2002-)
“Non Chemistry” Responsibilities
• Application Development
• Implementation of New Products
and Processes (scale-up)
• Patent activities
• Recruiting
• Prioritizing work for others
Katherine Glasgow-GEAM Product Developer

Surprises I Found in my Transition to GEAM

• Scale increases the difficulty • Problem solving is half anticipation

• Your work depends much more • Office work can still be data-based
on other peoples’ help

Challenges I had to Overcome in My Transition to GEAM

• Laws of Thermodynamics hold, but everything else is different!

• To be successful, you have to convince other people to help you.

Influencing peers is an important skill.
Katherine Glasgow-GEAM Product Developer

What Skills or Values does A Skill I had to Learn

GEAM Value
In a Professional Chemist • The right questions to ask

•Communication

•Analytical nature

•Decisiveness What Less Successful Chemists

Generally Lack at GEAM
•Creativity
• Initiative
•Productivity • Confidence
• Ability to work in a team
Katherine Glasgow-GEAM Product Developer

Things I wish I had Understood about Careers while I was at IU

• The things you learn along the way, not the thesis content, form the foundation
upon which your career and future research will be built.
• Leadership shown outside the lab is also relevant in the interviewing process.
• The most distinguishing feature of a graduate career is not just the number of
publications, but what creative and original ideas you bring to your group.

What I would have done Differently to be better Prepared

• I would have done more research on the companies with whom I
interviewed.

• I would have talked to former group members to:

(i) Better understand industrial chemistry & careers
(ii) Know what to look for (and what to avoid) in a job.
Todd A. Brugel – Senior Scientist, P&G Pharmaceuticals
Education Background
• Ph.D. Organic, Indiana (2000)
(Prof. David R. Williams)
Efforts towards the total synthesis of
Zoanthamine alkaloids
• Post-Doc., CSU (2000-01)
(Prof. Lou S. Hegedus)
Chromium carbene photochemistry
for the synthesis of dioxocyclams
Chemistry I Currently Practice
• Multi-Step Organic Synthesis
• Heterocyclic Chemistry
• Peptide Chemistry
Career Path
• Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry
P&G Pharmaceuticals (2001-2003)
• Senior Scientist, Medicinal Chem
P&G Pharmaceuticals (2003- )
“Non Chemistry” Responsibilities
• Managing Others
• New Project Development
• Organize Departmental Seminar
Series
• On-Campus Recruiting
• Core Function Communication
Todd A. Brugel – Senior Scientist, P&G Pharmaceuticals

Surprises I Found in my Transition to P&GP

• Medicinal chemistry very different • Patents more important than

from Natural Product chemistry publications

• Intellectual property drives project • Personal Conduct as important

direction as scientific output

Challenges I had to Overcome in My Transition to P&GP

• Turnover of final compounds, more important than efficiency of

individual steps

• Balancing importance of maintaining corporate line with pursuit of

scientific achievement
Todd A. Brugel – Senior Scientist, P&G Pharmaceuticals

A Skill I had to Learn

What Skills or Values does
P&G Value In a • Principles of Pharmaceutical
Professional Chemist Science
Biological Assays
Pharmacokinetics
•Leadership Efficacy
•Diversity/Collaboration

•Decisiveness
What Less Successful Chemists
•Innovation Generally Lack at P&G
•Communication • Focus
• Sense of Team
•Technical Mastery • Ability to adapt to change
Todd A. Brugel – Senior Scientist, P&G Pharmaceuticals

Things I wish I had Understood about Careers while I was at IU

• Not enough to just be a good scientist, must embrace corporate values and
principles
• You don’t have to be industry experienced to be an industry leader
• Will be asked often to evaluate your peers – for performance evaluations as
well as recognitions

What I would have done Differently to be better Prepared

• Worked more with individuals in other areas (Analytical, Biology, Molecular
Modeling) to become more complete scientist

• Balanced research with more community activities

Panel Discussion
Common Values/Skills for an Industrial Career
Values Skills
• Communication…Up, down, sideways • Communication
• Interpersonal Ability • Patents
Team Work, Collaboration • Implications of Scale
Influencing Skills…Peers, Functions • Recruiting
Motivating Others • Safety
• Decision Making…Self Confidence • Technical Mastery
• Ability to Change
• Self Motivated
• Responsibility
• Productive….Time Management
• See the Big Picture…Vision
• Prioritization/Planning
Common Values/Skills for an Industrial Career
Values Skills
• Communication…Up, down, sideways • Communication
• Interpersonal Ability • Patents
Team Work, Collaboration • Implications of Scale
Influencing Skills…Peers, Functions • Recruiting
Motivating Others • Safety
• Decision Making…Self Confidence • Technical Mastery
• Ability to Change
• Self Motivated
• Responsibility
• Productive….Time Management
• See the Big Picture…Vision
• Prioritization/Planning/Focus

What Holds People back is Their Values more than

Their Technical Skills
Few Key Take Away Concepts

• Industry/Business Careers Require a Large Set

Of Values and Skills to be Successful
• The Emphasis is Probably Different than your Experience
• These Skills need to be developed early in your Career
• Your Career has already started as a Graduate Student
Next Step

• You are working on this Product called You

• Technical Credentials
• Professional Credentials

• Next Step will be to talk about How you Sell this Product
• Resume
• Initial Interview
• Site Interview
Workshop Roadmap

 Careers in Chemistry….What should you Expect? Feb 11

• Job Search Process(Resume, Interviews) Feb 25

• Skill Session 1 Mar 11

• Skill Session 2 Mar 25