Science - Chemistry & Physics

Areas & Employers For Work:

Chemistry (A Bachelor's Degree will qualify for entry-level positions as: lab coordinator, research assistant, product testing or analysis, technical sales, or service representative. Higher level education will allow for more opportunities in the Chemistry field.)

• Analytical: research, development, analysis & testing, consulting, environmental, forensics (Federal/State/Local Government; Manufacturing Firms (Textile, Petroleum, Food, Electronics, Glass, Paper, Packaging, Machinery, Cosmetics, Paint, Drug, & Chemical); Industrial Production & Inspection Agencies; Research Labs & Organizations; Environmental Protection Organizations; Universities)
• Biochemical: research, development, analysis & testing, consulting, quality control, medical, environmental, industrial health & safety, hospital administration (Research Labs & Organizations; Pharmaceutical & Medical Research Firms; Biotechnology Firms; Plant & Animal Breeders & Growers; Federal/State/Local Government; Universities)
• Organic: research, development, analysis & testing, quality control, consulting (Manufacturing Firms; Research Organizations; Federal/State Government; Universities)
• Geochemistry: environmental remediation, research & development, analysis & testing (Research Labs & Organizations; Industries (Mining, Electronics, & Synthetic Materials); Federal/State Government; Universities)
• Inorganic: research, analysis & testing, quality control, consulting (Environmental Organizations; Water Processing Plants; Natural Resources Organizations)
• Polymer Chemistry: analysis & testing, research, development (Industries involving Textiles & Plastics)
• Physical: research, development, analysis & testing, quality control, consulting (Research Labs & Organizations; Industries (Electrical, Nuclear, Gas, Heat, Light Energy); Federal Government; Universities)
• Education: teaching, research, administration (Secondary Schools; Universities)
• Business: technical sales/marketing, pharmaceutical sales, management, consulting, industrial quality control, research & development (Manufacturing Firms; Drug Stores; Medical/Pharmaceutical Supply Companies; Agricultural Product Companies; Environmental Management Organizations; Waste Management Firms)
• Technical Writing: writing, editing (Research Product Development; Publishing Firms; Internet Sites)
• Law: patent law, legislation & lobbying (Manufacturing Firms; Research & Development Firms; Law Firms; Private Practice; Environmental Agencies)

Physics (A Bachelor's Degree will qualify for these positions: research assistants, high-level technicians, computer specialists, & nontechnical work in sales or publishing. Pursuing graduate and higher education will allow for specialization in the various Physics fields.)

• Acoustical Physics: development, testing, consulting, administration, education (Universities; Military; Government Labs; Nonprofit Research Centers; Industry (Electronics, Building Design, Medical Instrumentation, Communications, Engineering, Noise Pollution, Petroleum, Sound Recording, Film Production))
• Astronomy: research, consulting, writing, public relations, education (Observatories; Labs; Planetariums; Science Museums; Nonprofit Foundations; Universities; Industry (Aerospace, Scientific Supply, Computer Software, Remote Sensing, Communications); Federal Government (NASA, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, US Naval Observatory, US Naval Research Laboratory))
• Astrophysics: consulting, administration, research (Research Centers; Universities; Observatories; Planetariums; Aerospace Industry; Scientific Supply Industry; Federal Government (Military, NASA, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, FAA); Airports)
• Biophysics: basic & applied research, development, consulting, administration (Universities; Medical & Dental Schools; Government Labs; Nonprofit Research Centers; Industry (Biotechnology, Environment, Pharmaceuticals, Food Science, Toxicology); Hospitals)
• Chemical Physics: basic & applied research, administration (Universities; Government Labs & Agencies; Industry)
• Condensed Matter: basic & applied research, development, consulting, administration (Government Labs; Nonprofit Research Centers; Universities; Electronics Industry; Federal Government (NASA, Department of Defense, Department of Energy)
• Engineering Physics: engineering (process & testing), quality control, research, development, instrumentation, consulting (Universities; Government Labs; Federal Government (Department of Commerce, Department of Defense); Engineering Firms; Manufacturing & Processing Firms; Industry (High Technology, Chemical, Aerospace, Agriculture, Energy, Fuel, Computer, Transportation); Hospitals)
• Geophysics: basic & applied research, development, environmental consulting, law, administration (Universities; Nonprofit Research Centers; Federal Government (US Geological Survey, Naval Oceanographic Office); Government Labs; Military; Industry (Petroleum, Mining, Hydrogeology); Consulting Firms; Law Firms)
• Medical/Health Physics: basic & applied research, development, clinical service, consulting, administration, monitoring, enforcement (Universities; Government Labs; Federal Government (Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Health & Human Services); Nonprofit Research Centers; Industry (Medical Instrumentation, Nuclear Power, Nuclear Accelerator, Food Sterilization, Petroleum); Environmental Firms; Hospitals/Clinics/Medical Centers)
• Nuclear Physics: basic & applied research, development, consulting, instrumentation, administration, law, quality control, operations & maintenance (Universities; Military; Industry (Security/Weapons, Nuclear Accelerators/Reactors/Instrumentation, Transportation, Healthcare, Environmental Protection); Government Labs & Research Centers; Federal Government (Department of Defense, Department of Energy))
• Optical Physics: basic & applied research, development, consulting, administration (Universities; Government Labs; Nonprofit Research Centers; Industry (Medical Scanners, Eyeglasses, Microscopes, Lasers, X-Ray, Fiber Optics); Federal Government (NASA, Department of Energy, Department of Defense))
• Particle/High Energy Physics: basic & applied research, development, consulting, instrumentation, administration, operations & maintenance (Government Labs; Nonprofit Research Centers; Universities)
• Science Education: teaching, computer software development, educational research, writing & editing, library & information sciences (K-12 Schools; Publishing Companies; Software Developers; Libraries)

Professional Associations & Job Search Sites:

General

• American Association for the Advancement of Science http://www.aaas.org
• Association for Women in Science http://www.awis.org
• Environmental Careers Organization http://www.eco.org
• Making the Difference (Physical Sciences) http://www.makingthedifference.org/federalcareers/physicalsciences.shtml (federal government careers)
• National Science Foundation http://www.nsf.org
• New Scientist Jobs http://www.newscientistjobs.com/jobs/default.aspx
• Science Jobs http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org
• Sciencejobs.org http://www.sciencejobs.org
• Student Conservation Association http://www.thesca.org
• USA Jobs http://www.usajobs.opm.gov (official site for federal government jobs)

Chemistry

• American Academy of Forensic Sciences http://www.aafs.org
• American Association for Clinical Chemistry http://www.aacc.org
• American Chemical Council http://www.americanchemistry.com
• American Chemical Society http://www.acs.org
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers http://www.aiche.org
• American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors http://www.ascld.org
• Biochemical Society http://www.biochemistry.org
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention http://www.cdc.gov
• Chemical Heritage Foundation http://www.chemheritage.org
• Chemical Week Magazine http://www.chemweek.com
• Chemistry Web Index http://www.yahoo.com/Science/Chemistry
• ChemJobs http://www.chemjobs.net/chemjobs.html
• Computational Chemistry List http://www.ccl.net/chemistry/announcements/jobs
• Environmental Career Opportunities http://www.ecojobs.com
• HireRx http://www.hirerx.com (pharmaceutical jobs)
• Journal of Chemical Education http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu
• Journal of Young Investigators Science Career Center http://www.jyi.org/SCC/Index.php
• LabSupport http://www.oalabsupport.com/oalab/lab-opportunities/job-search.html
• NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) http://www.nasa.gov
• Nature Jobs http://www.nature.com/naturejobs
• Organic Chemistry, Industry-Related Jobs http://www.organic-chemistry.org/jobs/northamerica.htm
• Organic Chemistry Resources Worldwide http://www.organicworldwide.net
• Royal Society of Chemistry http://www.rsc.org
• Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry http://www.setac.org/htdocs/careercenter.html
• Younger Chemists Committee (American Chemical Society) http://ycc.sites.acs.org

Physics

• American Astronomical Society http://aas.org
• American Institute of Physics http://www.aip.org
• American Meteorological Society http://www.ametsoc.org
• American Physical Society http://www.aps.org/careers
• Association of Science-Technology Centers http://www.astc.org
• Bright Recruits http://brightrecruits.com (physics & engineering)
• Department of Commerce http://www.commerce.gov
• Department of Defense http://www.defense.gov
• Department of Energy http://www.energy.gov
• Department of Health & Human Services http://www.hhs.gov
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) http://www.faa.gov
• Health Physics Society http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/hpcareers.html  
• Institute of Physics http://www.iop.org/activity/careers
• Jobs in Optics http://optics.org
• NASA (National Aeronautical & Space Administration) http://www.nasa.gov
• National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) http://www.noaa.gov
• Naval Oceanographic Office http://www.usno.navy.mil/NAVO
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission http://www.nrc.gov
• Physics.org (Institute of Physics) http://www.physics.org/careers
• Physics & Astronomy Online http://www.physlink.com
• Physics Jobs http://www.physicstoday.org/jobs  
• Physics Today Jobs http://www.physicstoday.org/jobs
• Physics World http://physicsworld.com
• Southwest Research Institute http://www.swri.org
• US Geological Survey http://www.usgs.gov
• US Naval Observatory http://www.usno.navy.mil
• US Naval Research Laboratory http://www.nrl.navy.mil

Information compiled from:

• University of Delaware Career Services Center:
  http://www.udel.edu/CSC/chem.html
  http://www.udel.edu/CSC/physics.html
• University of North Carolina-Wilmington Career Services:
  http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/chemistry.htm
  http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/physics.htm
• University of Pennsylvania Career Services:
  http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/undergrad/resourcesbyfield/main.html
• University of Tennessee-Knoxville Career Services:
  http://career.utk.edu/wcidwtm/pdf/chemistry.pdf
  http://career.utk.edu/wcidwtm/pdf/physics.pdf

Disclosure: Please take note that while this is a sampling of some of our favorite resources for job hunting and career research, inclusion does not represent an endorsement by UWW Career & Leadership Development.

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