Chemical Engineer
(Female, Age 26) from West Columbia, SC
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 26 who works as a Chemical Engineer in West Columbia, SC. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Chemical Engineer |
|---|---|
| Salary | $75,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | West Columbia, SC |
| Years Experience | 3.5 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for a large and well know chemical production company. This company has locations worldwide and over 10,000 employees.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
As a chemical engineer, I support daily production. I provide technical assistance as well as implement innovation projects. I network with manufacturing as well as our customer base.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
2 weeks of vacation, full health insurance, 401k
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well compensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I absolutely work with others on a daily basis, and this is a positive aspect of my job.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in an office and enjoy the ability to network with others easily.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 6
Hours: 4
Co-Workers: 1
Supervisors: 3
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 5
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Commute to work. |
| 8am to 9am | Caught up on any significant changes in the production area over night. Spoke with the operators and other engineers about the plans for the day. Reviewed process data collected over night. |
| 9am to 10am | Attended our daily morning meeting with various members of management. Provided status updates on the production areas. Learned of any changes to the production schedule. Gave a presentation to the group about a safety improvement. |
| 10am to 11am | Worked on responding to emails. Corresponded with a vendor to purchase a new piece of equipment. |
| 11am to 12pm | Completed a training course and information manual for safe operation of the new piece of equipment. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Had lunch. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Attended a 2-hour project workshop meeting. The meeting included brainstorming by all parties to troubleshoot a persistent process problem. Discussed all the cost, pros, and cons, and timeline of each option. Narrowed down the choices to focus on the most reasonable solutions. Put together a schedule to monitor our improvement. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Continued with the project workshop meeting. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Made phone calls to other employees regarding the workshop meeting. Setup future meetings to discuss our progress and any problems that might be encountered. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Compiled instructions for operation over night. Checked in with operations before leaving. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Commute home. |
| 6pm to 7pm | Home |
| 7pm to 8pm | Home |
| 8pm to 9pm | Home |
| 9pm to 10pm | Home |
| 10pm to 11pm | Home |
| 11pm to 12am | Home |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I found my job through a career fair at college.
What was the application process?
I submitted my resume to apply for this job.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, I had multiple (5 or 6) individual interviews with human relations as well as management and coworkers.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
I was asked to provide examples of my engineering capability, problem solving, and leadership skills using real past experiences.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, my mentor was highly capable in preparing my for my job.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, I was provided a mentor for the first few months at my job. The mentor familiarized me with all aspects of my job and introduced me to key resource contacts.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
My chemical engineering degree definitely prepared me for this exact position.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes, my internship experience allowed me to confirm this was the right job for me. It allowed me to become comfortable with the company before committing to be a full time employee.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
It is necessary to first obtain a chemical engineering degree. I would also recommend participating in an internship or co-op term.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Technical skills are highly important as a chemical engineer to develop understanding of manufacturing processes. Good communication with coworkers, operators, and upper management is necessary. Leadership skills are needed to advance a chemical engineering career.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, B.S. in Chemical Engineering
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
It is valuable to develop strong professional relationships with management and coworkers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions upfront to better understand the processes.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, this company allows for advancement opportunities.
What are your current career goals?
I plan to continue to advance to management in this field.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
This chemical engineering position is a good mix of desk work and field work.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Intern | 3 months | Served as an intern with the same chemical company I later became a full time employee with this company. | |
| Prior Job 2 |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.9
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.9 | University | Chemical Engineering |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
Ask a Question of this Mentor
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