<p>Son graduated with a degree in ChemE and has had a very difficult time landing a job. Has had several internships and graduated with a 3.5 GPA, applies to all the entry-level jobs available but had very few responses (a few phone interviews). </p>
<p>There doesn't seem to be many entry-level positions and most ask for 3+ years experience. The school's placement office is no help. Are people hiring? Or is there a glut of Chemical Engineers?</p>
<p>What school did he attend? Us he willing to leave the area?</p>
<p>Yes, he is willing to relocate. He has applied for positions across the country. Many of his classmates went to grad school instead of the job search. During graduation, it was mentioned there had been a 72% increase in the number of students majoring in ChemE. I’m thinking there is a glut of ChemE’s graduating and the number of entry-level positions not keeping pace with the increase.</p>
<p>interesting, can you post here if you find anything more about this?</p>
<p>I talk to one of my professor and he said that it was a hard job to find, yet I think if he goes to big companies and tries environmental agencies he might be able to find something.</p>
<p>Wow I’m a sophomore chem E student!! Now you guys are starting to get me worry hopefully it changes for the better in two years!!!</p>
<p>Well BeanTown12 I guest the prospects as indicated by the Bureau of Statistics is not the best, yet you got to remember the Major that you are in. Chemical Engineering is a very diverse Major that it can be apply to more than Petroleum related job, you might be able to find jobs in Leadership positions, or in medical positions. I am going for ChemicalE and I have made my research since I have been really concern with the economy, but I got to remember that something you are passionate about it should be what you do in life. I am just exploring all the options with this degree. May I ask how yours is doing I would love to get inside from someone that is actually studying it!
:)</p>
<p>I go to Iowa State and its going good! Then again I just started taking materials balance and chem thermo this fall, which are more Chem E classes than your normal chemistry and ochems so I’m pretty excited to learn more about it!</p>
<p>Ran into a friend of ours, a young man who just graduated from Tulane in chem eng. Very bright young man. He actually has a JOB! Not at Shell or one of the major companies, but a consulting company. But he was actually able to get a job in New Orleans, not in Houston, which is where most of Louisiana’s best and brightest land. In fact, the oil/chemical industry is doing pretty well right now, judging from the amount of oil field litigation I’ve been working in lately. I would definitely look in the Texas area, and rather than trying for the Big Oil companies, start out small in a consulting firm.</p>
<p>Jobs are hard to find; don’t forget that we just had a recession that we haven’t fully recovered from. Just keep looking.</p>
<p>Also, take a look at jobs that just require general engineering expertise and at jobs for other majors that a ChemE can do (ex: a ChemE can do MechE fluid mechanics jobs because they both have experience there).</p>
<p>ChemE has been sitting at the top of “highest paid undergrad majors” lists for a while now. I would expect that students are flooding to the major.</p>
<p>
A little bit; more people are flocking to Petroleum.
Of course, the ChemE average is probably high because of petroleum in the first place.</p>
<p>According to the BLS [Chemical</a> Engineers : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](<a href=“http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/chemical-engineers.htm]Chemical”>http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/chemical-engineers.htm) the outlook for ChemE is below average.</p>
<p>It’s definitely tough to get a job as a chemical engineer, but a chemical engineering degree can be applied to many different fields. It is consider a “universal engineering” for a reason. </p>
<p>Has he checked out the renewable energy sector? Biofuel is getting popular among chemical engineers, and it looks like this industry is going to grow as energy demands increase.</p>