[Bublik]

Hi, I live in Canada and I have heard of many stories of people that get PhDs and don't end up working in their desired field, simply because there are no jobs. I know someone who got a PhD in Chemical Physics and ended up doing a job related to financial math.
Anyway, that's not what I wanted to ask, I just wanted to put that out there.

Do you have to be prepared to teach if you are willing to do research? The opportunities are scarce, and it seems like the only way that a research job is possible is if you are a professor at a university (but then again, I speak from little experience).

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this - or any relevant input.

Thanks.

[OC pro]

Research is also carried out in industry or in academia-related institutes where you don´t have to give lectures. I prefer industrial research now since the money and opportunities are bigger. Depends also a bit on your personal future plans. Fundamental research - academia (money can be burned, no one will care if you get a load of publications). Applied research more in industry (at the end people have to make money!).

[zoork34]

Even the tenure-track professor jobs are extremely competitive and hard to get these days.  It is true that there is beginning to be a glut of PhD's, which makes it hart to get a job in the chemical sciences because there are like 500-1000 people with similar resumes applying for every open position.  However, my advice would be that if you find that you really enjoy research and really love science, go for it.  A lot of the PhD's from the last few years are people who just got the degree because they thought it would guarantee them big $$$, but now they are stuck in post-doc positions making 35K/year and being really unhappy about it.  DO NOT get a PhD just because you think it will make you a lot of cash when you get done.  But, again, if you really love science and research, that will show in your body of work, so stick with it and something will work out.