<p>I am wondering if any of you have any feedback as to whether or not chemical engineering is a good career choice. I am sorta late to be thinking about this as I am due to graduate with a B.S.ChE from Purdue University in December of 2013. However, I can make some arrangements to switch into a field like ME. I am just very concerned that ChE's are not getting hired and that I will not find a job after college. I looked at BLS for stats on ChE and employement, and well the field is only going to grow by 5% in the next 6 years. On another side note: why is it that 1 in every 10,000 people are chemical engineers. Why do so very few people go into the field? I am starting to second guess my choice, and think that it may not have been the greatest major to have gotten into. Any ideas?</p>
<p>There is no need to second-guess yourself; just enjoy the rest of college. Chemical engineering provides just as many job opportunities, if not more, as MechE. I believe that nanotechnology especially is an area you might want to look into if you’re looking to maximize employment prospects.</p>
<p>If you’re able to switch to MechE now, then you’ll definitely be able to switch for grad school, so don’t stress out about it. :)</p>
<p>Job prospects cycle through every few years.
There are few ChemEs because less are interested in and needed for ChemE work, although that doesn’t necessarily affect job prospects. If you’re worried about jobs, see how successful the internship hunt is. But don’t assume the grass is greener on the other side without good reason.
If you could easily pull strings to switch majors, you could always apply for internships as a MechE junior/senior, and see if that nets you some good results.</p>