CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AS CAREER

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AS CAREER

A chemical engineer is involved in the design, development, construction and operation of industrial processes for the production of a diverse range of products, as well as in commodity and specialty chemicals. Relevant industries include oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, energy, water treatment, food and drink, plastics and toiletries. Modern chemical engineering is also concerned with pioneering valuable new materials and techniques, such as nanotechnology, fuel cells and biomedical engineering.

The role may focus on one or more of the following: researching new products from trial through to commercialisation; managing scale-up processes from plant to full industrial-scale manufacturing; improving product lines; modifying the processing plant that produces the products; and designing and commissioning new plants.

Elementary Requirement

You are required to have at least 5ive credit passes in Eng, Math, Physics, Chemistry and
any other Science subject(s) in your O’Level. Likewise you should site for Eng, Math, Physics, and Chemistry in UTME Exam (for Student in Nigeria).

Careers in Chemical Engineer

Chemical engineering is all about turning raw materials into useful, everyday products. The clothes we wear, the food and drink we consume and the energy we use all depend upon chemical engineering. Chemical engineers work out the processes to make all these products, while also helping to manage the world's resources, protect the environment and ensure health and safety standards are met.

Most jobs in the sector fall into one of two groups: the design, manufacture, and operation of plants and machinery, or the development of new or adapted substances and materials.

The number of students studying chemical engineering at university is rising. Intake figures are up 4% this year, despite an overall decline in university applications in recent years across all subjects.

Starting out and career progression

Opting to study chemical engineering can open up a range of employment avenues. There is no typical first job for a graduate, although careers in the energy, water, food and pharmaceutical sectors are all commonplace. The transferable skills taught at university, such as project management and understanding process flow, also make students highly sought after among employers beyond the world of engineering and it's not uncommon to find chemical engineering graduates in the finance sector.

Graduates who stay in the industry usually start their career as a junior/graduate process engineer. Day-to-day duties for graduates include product development, plant design, risk analysis, and using simulation tools.

With some experience, you can progress to roles in areas such as project management, risk assessment or consultancy and many become specialists in a particular area, such as safety or environmental regulation.

Most chemical engineers work towards attaining chartered status. To get this qualification, you must demonstrate experience and expertise, but it's a registration worth having. Most senior posts in industry consider chartered status to be a prerequisite and it's an internationally recognised qualification. What's more, a chartered chemical engineer in their 30s typically out-earns a non-chartered counterpart by £10,000 a year.

How to get started

If you're thinking about a career in chemical engineering, you'll need to be good at maths. Don't be misled by the chemical bit of the title – maths and science are actually more important. The most common A-levels studied by chemical engineering students are maths, physics and chemistry. So if you're analytical and enjoy solving problems, chemical engineering could be the career for you.

Most universities offer a choice of either a bachelor of engineering (BEng) or a master of engineering (MEng) degree course. Some universities offer a foundation course if you don't have the required grades or subjects needed for entry, and it's possible (but less common) to enter chemical engineering via the BTec route(aka HND). Some universities offer a broad range of additional options such as energy, biotechnology, business management and foreign languages, in conjunction with the core compulsory subjects.

Work experience

Getting work experience either before you start studying chemical engineering or during your studies is recommended. This is where Industrial Training(IT) comes to work. You'll get a better understanding of what the industry is all about and it's not uncommon for students who make a good impression on placements to be offered a full-time job at the same company upon graduation.

Some universities include a work placement as part of the course and those that don't will support work experience and try to assist students in finding a position.

Possible Jobs in Chemical Engineering

Interested in what types of jobs you could get with a degree in chemical engineering? Here are some employment options you could get with a bachelors or masters college degree in chemical engineering.

·         Aerospace Engineer

·         Biotechnology

·         Chemical Plant

·         Civil Engineer

·         Computer Systems

·         Electrical Engineering

·         Environmental Engineer

·         Food Industries

·         Mechanical Engineer

·         Mining Engineer

·         Nuclear Engineer

·         Oil and Natural Gas Industry

·         Paper Manufacture

·         Petrochemical Engineer

·         Pharmaceuticals

·         Plant Design

·         Plastic and Polymer Manufacture

·         Technical Sales

·         Waste Treatment

Reference:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemicalengineering/a/chemical-engineering-jobs.htm

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/chemical_engineer_job_description.htm

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/what-chemical-engineer-does

Note: This Article was composed from Internet content