Recently, Jake Ward (Lab Technician) and John Rippetoe (Biochemist, Strategic Accounts) of CORECHEM spoke to a group of students at the University of Tennessee about ‘Careers in Chemistry’. Jake, who is currently also a student at UTK seeking a degree in Environmental Soil Science (with a concentration on Biosystems Engineering), addressed key questions with the students, such as: What can I do with a chemistry degree? How do I get a job in the chemical industry? What does a day in the life of a lab technician look like? He also spoke about his work in R&D for the OCP (Open Compute Project, by Meta), and the critical nature of quality control for a chemical distributor such as CORECHEM. Here, we cover some of the highlights of the talk.
>> Watch the full video here!! <<
What Can I Do With a Chemistry Degree?
As surprising as it may seem, CORECHEM works with chemical engineers and other degree holders in a variety of roles. Besides the obvious roles (i.e. Quality Assurance and Lab Technician roles), degree holders that we work with are also in positions such as Purchasing / Supply Chain, Process Engineering… even Finance. Degree holders may hold positions in a wide range of industries, including: Pulp and paper, paints & coatings, water and wastewater treatment, environmental remediation, primary chemical manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, antifreeze/HTF, and/or agriculture. Chemical engineers use their knowledge in real world applications, solving problems for the companies and industries that employ them.
How Do I Get a Job in the Chemical Industry?
Jake addressed this question to the students from his own experience! While acknowledging that the field is competitive, his advice is to “…start somewhere. The quicker you can get experience, the better. Don’t be intimidated (by the competitive nature of the field) … You don’t truly know until you get your foot in the door.” While talking about what it’s like balancing student life & work life, while also trying to develop your career, he said, “It’s not easy… a lot of people have the mindset when you get out of college, you’re going to get your dream job right away… what matters is doing something you care about, and doing something that you’re learning and gaining experience from and building yourself up from.”
Jake originally started at CORECHEM in the Customer Service department, then later transferred into his current role, following his professional ambitions.
“Don’t be afraid to take a job that might seem ‘out there’,” he advised the students. “Don’t be afraid to put your foot somewhere & start fresh when you get out of college. Opportunities come to those who are willing to work for them.”
From our side, we have to say that Jake has truly worked for the position he holds! Many of our customers would have gotten to know him, in the time he spent as a valued member of our CSR team.
What Does a ‘Day In The Life’ of a Lab Technician Look Like?
Jake also shared what his day-to-day routine as a lab technician looks like. His first advice? “Start loving calibrations!”
Calibrating all of his equipment is the first thing Jake does every morning. Then, he confirms his batching schedule. CORECHEM blends different chemical formulas every day, so there are a lot of QC tasks that come with that. Quality testing must be performed on every batch, and COA’s (Certificates of Analysis) must be issued.
His work with our heat transfer fluids, as well as his Research & Development work, fill out his day.
Why Does Quality Control Matter?
Finally… “Why Does Quality Control Matter?” Jake addresses the critical question!
Quality Control is the backbone of a company, and critical to a company’s success and reputation. “You’re acting as a safety net for the company,” Jake explains. “You carry the reputation (of the company) … working in Quality Control.” If products fail a quality control test, they must go through a correction process. “You’re not just simply looking at, is this the right label, is this the right product, is this the right name… you’re also testing the chemical formulation of that product to ensure you’re actually selling that chemical.”
In Conclusion…
His feelings about his work? “…As an ESS major, I want the best for the world… I want the most clean, everything like that,” he recognizes. “But the reality is, stuff’s still going to get made. So, if we’re going to make it… let’s make it in the best, clean way possible.”
Jake, we at CORECHEM (and the students at UTK) so appreciate these insights into the career side of the chemical industry! Thank you for sharing, and all of the contributions you’ve made at CORECHEM since you’ve been with us! We appreciate you!
Written by: Renae Holt, Marketing Coordinator
**If you’re a degree holder looking for a job in the chemical industry, and are interested in working at CORECHEM, feel free to get in touch!**
