Petri plates and labs have been your side of things in your school time? If your appetite for experiment is still on and you are curious to bring some amazing production on the go, you can be the next chemical engineer.

Chemical engineers are the ninjas of new production, planning and implementing resources properly to get sorted with the normal activities. They work with stuff like petrochemicals, rubber, plastic, gas, oil and biochemicals! They make and do things that are simply magic!

Chemical engineering is an innovative branch of engineering enhancing life quality and educates students in designing and processing of manufacturing in industries that utilize chemical compositions.

Chemical engineers work in diverse sectors ranging from apparel, manufacturing, biotechnology-based products, particularly in downstream processing, new strategies in separations, nanotechnology, product engineering, formulation engineering, chiral engineering, utilization of renewable raw materials, CO2 removal on large-scale, and artificial intelligence.

If you have already thought about this and find yourself confused it is time to think and rethink why you are confused. With more options in hand we feel confused, and the best way to solve this is by ticking off the things that make us confused.

Choosing a career is never easy, but we must say, it is not an impossible job either! We just need to bring up all the options on the table, match with our likings, think wisely and tune our hearts into the final decision.

When it comes to deciding about chemical engineering or any other job profile, we have to have some aptitudes. Knowing them will make it easier for us to know, if chemical engineering is for us or not!
Chemical Engineering

What do you say?

What does it take to be a chemical engineer?

It just takes some:

1. Listening

If you find it too difficult to listen to instruction, then you might end up facing difficulties in the project completion. Willing to get better with time?

But if you feel you are all good then let us help and clear the clutter Chemical engineering is not for you.
Listening

2. Presentation

Do you have a good flair in presenting your results to support your findings /cause?

Because if you do then you can certainly get better ways of presenting the results obtained at the end of a chemical engineering experiment/project.
Presentation

3. Strong analytical and mathematics skills

Analysis is an important aspect of any job skill. But what if we combine analytical thought processes with the strong mathematical skills to bring the best solutions on the table?
Strong analytical and mathematics skills

4. Industry skill and Commercial Awareness

None of the job profiles would go without demanding you to be aware about the trends. Along with your technical and experimental side, do you have a good flair in knowing the necessities of the trends and the inputs the industry should bring in?

If yes then come on in!
Industry skill and Commercial Awareness

5. Research Skills

Working with chemicals is never out of fashion, and so we cannot rely on old methods of research. You got to stick with finding new research results.
Research Skills

6. Design Skills

Do you like to think and make plans and are more than ready to design and make plans for the workplace set up?

Do you plan, design and construct to execute things from time to time. If yes then you can plan your Chemical Engineering well and take them unto accomplishments!
Design Skills

7. Visualization

You would need to visualize things with a better business and chemical sciences perspective. Result is kept in check to see if it is matching the trends and needs of the society.

A chemical engineer needs to visualize things well!
Visualization

8. Patience

Results won’t come that easy! And so, patience is a greater virtue here. To reach a result that would be sustainable would need time and ultimately patience.

Ready to get yourself tested on the patience-O-meter?
Patience

9. Decision making and Analytical

Keeping all the perspectives in front is a good habit that helps well to make the right decision.

With the right view or the right analytical approach, making decisions is not only easy but effective too.

Do you practice this way often?
Decision making and Analytical

10. Attention to Details

You take every smaller or bigger detail in consideration? While working on one solution, you are very careful in noticing that some other problem is not given birth.

If this is you then this is a great aptitude for a career in chemical engineering.

If these aptitudes don’t define your work culture, you still have multiple options to choose from. But if this is you, here is a little more below for you!
Attention to Details

How do I get through?

  • Score well in 10th and 12th (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) from a recognized board. 
  • Pass the entrance exam prescribed by the colleges. (Like JEE Mains, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, MAH CET, WBJEE, VITEEE, etc.)
And ta da! You are through to start your college life!

Please repeat the skills that I should have!

  • Analytical skills: analyze the situation of the company and prepare for the next level.
  • Problem-solving: find solutions for a better scale of operations of the company.
  • Reasoning skills: to research on the development of the production.
  • Interpersonal skills: explain your research and get approved.
  • Teamwork:  essential to be employed in any organization.
  • Math skills: Calculus and other advanced techniques to write models.

Once I am in, what would I do?

  • Ensuring sustainability with health, safety, and environmental regulations.
  • Researching optimum manufacturing techniques.
  • Designing and planning the production layout.
  • Instructing safety procedures to work safely with dangerous chemicals.
  • Monitoring and optimizing the performance of production processes.
  • Reducing production costs.

How much will I earn?

And here are the details:
  • Less than 1-year experience (Fresher):  ₹410,643
  • 1-4 years of experience: ₹399,087
  • 5-9 years of experience (A mid-career): ₹618,242
  • 10-19 years of experience (Experienced): ₹1,006,429
  • 20 years and higher (late-career): ₹1,618,072.

Where can I apply for jobs?

  • Schlumberger Limited
  • Indian Oil Corporation
  • Reliance Industries Ltd.
  • Johnson Matthey
  • Essar Oil Limited
  • Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd
  • Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemicals Corp. Ltd
  • Arofine Polymers Ltd

Who will help me?

If you opt in one of these below, the professors are so warm and cheerfully helpful:
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
  • Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai
  • Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai
  • National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi

Endnotes

A chemical engineer focuses on the economy as well as on sustainable development. The problems of climate change, resource limitation, and global population growth can be resolved by innovative methods only!

And you can take the lead being a chemical engineer to create a sustainable future with zero waste and minimum energy consumption.

But if all this does not bring a chill to you, we can all be relaxed knowing, we don’t have to be everything at all times!

But if you feel deep within, you can make things possible and it’s just sort of fear, we would love to help!
Endnotes

Do you need some help?

Chemical engineering’s multi-layered approach.

The inner layer: fundamental principles and their application (thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and transport phenomena.)

The middle layer: amalgamation of science and technology developing sustainable technologies.

The outer layer: knowledge integration and collaboration with other disciplines accomplishing a sustainable society.

What’s so exciting here?

Richard Davis: a pizza guy from Detroit, created a bulletproof vest from Kevlar – an innovative device that has saved millions of soldiers’ lives. This was his magic bullet to dodge shoot-out while delivering pizzas during warfighting.

A marvel invented under the rigorous process of chemical engineering. You can also be an innovator, one who ensures a better future by shouldering a champion’s responsibility!

Want to aim big?

You can be unique in everything you do! In Chemical Engineering, one way is to be associated with AIChE: a professional society of 60,000+ chemical engineers in 110 countries.

Members are employed in corporations, universities, and government. Practicing their chemical processes to fashion safe and useful products for society’s well-being.

Hey Girls!

“Young Women in STEM”: is in collaboration with mentors from Harvard Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (HGWISE). The workshop was focused on careers in STEM for women.

Provided 32 young girl high school (India) students, outstanding opportunity: First such initiative across the globe!

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