[Schweini]

I have seen a couple of similar questions posed here. I really do not know who or where else to ask and I just feel like I am at the end of my rope here.

I graduated a year ago with a BS Chemistry (Analytical Organic) from a reputable American university. I have done two summer internships in my field one of which was abroad in Europe. Unfortunately after countless applications and absolutely zero replies, I have been basically working for free as a research assistant and taking whatever hourly lab technician jobs I could find. I have been searching for a year now for an entry-level salaried position, but there just seems to be almost none which do not require a specialized doctorate or relevant specialized experience.

It appears as if graduate education and only in the right field can get you a job in chemistry these days? I am seriously considering just going to some other professional school or finance. Any advice would really be appreciated.

[crosemeyer]

Going to take a few years of experience to move on to salaried positions... Should be able to get a decent hourly analyst job, though.

/BS in Molecular Bio, working as an organic/inorganic analyst
//started 5 years ago @$10/hr

[Fleaker]

Move.

In my city, Craigslist shows 5 or so different chemistry jobs, most of them paying $14/h + without a Bachelors, and more money commensurate with experience.

I'm also in a heavily industrialized state. When I was in undergraduate, job offers came almost daily to the chemistry department.

[jeffrey.struss]

Yep. When I lived in Lexington, KY there were VERY few jobs that came up that were not your PhD level jobs. Maybe one every three months. End result essentially 2 yrs of unemployment. Talk about hard on your soul. When I moved to San Diego, California its VERY different. New jobs pop up on craigslists it seems daily. Many are entry level where you just need to have had some experience with techniques (ie familiar with running gels or protein purification). Some requrie 2 yrs experience. My particular job that I got requested someone with air-free chemistry experience and a materials science experience. It just so happens I had both, albeit much more air sensitive chem experience than materials science. Now I am in a job where I am salary (equiv to about $20/hr) which I got with no previous industrial experience in a great company (at least I really like working there). I will be finishing up my first year in April.

Also, on craigslist it is often a good idea to search for both chemist AND chemistry. Chemist search shows 12 jobs, chemistry shows 55.

Lastly, don't over restrict your field. My field was almost entirely pure inorganic synthesis (namely main block inorganics). I just did a bit of undergrad work in materials science and dabbled a bit in the lab with it. Now I make CdSe nanocrystals aka Quantum Dots in a biotech company where my boss and I are the only ones who do true chemistry.

[JGK]

Unfortunately, the days of a BS being "something special" are long gone. the ever expanding Higher education system has seen to that.

From personal experience: I graduated in the UK in the mid-80s, my first postion (entry level Hospital lab) was intended for a high school leaver but all applicants were BS qualified. 

After a year I got a BS entry level job in my chosen area (Anal. Chem) with a company. In my years there I saw the average qualification level of applicants, for the same entry level job, rise from BS (1985) to MS (early to mid 90s) and then to PhD (~2000).

[Schweini]

Thanks for the responses so far. Just to address some of the posts; I realize a bachelor's is not worth as much as before, but I did not expect the job market to be as bleak as it is now. I did not get a degree in basket-weaving or English or go to some unaccredited community college.

That being said I am absolutely open to relocation and working in any field of chemistry even remotely related to chemistry even sales as long as I can live off of the job and have some prospect of advancement. I am even open to contract-to-hire positions, but have zero responses from them. I don't have any absurd demands and can live fine off of minimum-wage if I was already within commuting distance. Right now I live in the Northeast, and again have no problem about moving as long as a job is there, but the only listings I have seen on Craigslist are for SAT tutors who ridiculously need to have a Masters/Doctorate degree or for jobs with very specific certifications or degrees to which I applied anyway.

@Fleaker

Can you PM me your state/location? I would be interested to know.