Qualities of a Good Chemist
This is a guest author post
These days, people are interested in all different types of disciplines. More and more students realize that the economic environment can vary significantly by the time they graduate from college, so it’s becoming common to pursue fields in which they are most interested. Many people still major in the likes of engineering just so that they can have a stable future, whether or not they’re passionate about the field, but one discipline that draws people both for love and for money is chemistry. If you’ve been considering the field, here are some qualities you should probably exhibit or attain.
Advanced Degrees
Of course, you could earn an undergraduate degree in chemistry and stop your study there; but it is always wise to take your skills to as high of a level as possible, depending upon what it is that you want to do. For example, working to procure a graduate or doctoral degree will certainly help to make you a stronger candidate for various programs. On top of that, you will have had the opportunity to gain more experience in the field - which will also sharpen your skills.
An Open Mind
In the field of science, new advancements and ideas are coming into fruition on almost a daily basis. If you’re going to work in the field of chemistry, you need to be open-minded to these changes. Expecting that everything is just going to stay status-quo is not the best attitude to have. For those who suspect this may be a problem, visit some labs in your community to get an idea of what goes on - those who can adapt and innovate will go the farthest and make the biggest difference.
Practical Experience
Yes, in quite a number of fields, including chemistry, it’s important to have obtained an education in the particular subject area. Additionally, it’s wise to have the right personality for the right. Still though, you also want to have as much practical experience as possible. It’s really hard to beat the value of practical experience, because people with these skills have what it takes to succeed in the field. They know how working in an actual lab or other chemistry environment can play out, and they also understand what it is and is not appropriate to do in the workplace. Even if your experience is only washing lab dishes, it’ll count for something.
Flexibility
As you may already know, not all chemists work in the same types of places. Some of them will spend the majority of their working lives in labs, and others will work in high schools. Still other chemists are going to teach at colleges or universities, while many will work for large corporations. When you opt for a degree in chemistry, you might have a particular career path that you want to follow. However, it’s wise for you to stay aware of the other possibilities. After all, you might not be able to get a job in your specific field right out of college, so you should be open to some of the other possibilities.
Good chemists come in all different shapes, sizes and forms, and you might wind up developing your own definition of a “good chemist” along the way. However, another major component of this process is understanding the qualities that really do make up a good chemist. Work on forming connections within the chemistry community ASAP, and you will learn some of this information along the way.
Ryan Barten writes about careers in the sciences. His recent work is about finding the Best Online Engineering Degree.
