• Question: What skills or qualities do you find most important for chemical scientists to develop in order to succeed in their careers, and how do you help them cultivate those?

    Asked by MufaroN to tiasalter, Lauren G, Catherine P on 19 Dec 2024.
    • Photo: Tia Salter

      Tia Salter answered on 19 Dec 2024:

      To be a scientist, you need to be resilient. Experiments will go wrong more often than not, and you’ll need to pick yourself up and try again… and again. The best way to build this is to make sure you have a supportive network. You need critical thinking skills, and school subjects like English and History really help with this. Finally, good note-taking and organisation, which comes with practice.

    • Photo: Catherine Perry

      Catherine Perry answered on 19 Dec 2024:

      That’s a great question – we’ve actually published some research on this! We have put together an interim report on Future Workforce and Educational Pathways which looks at the top skills that chemical science employers will be looking for in future jobs. This includes digital skills, sustainability, communication, health and safety and knowledge of scientific equipment. Employers look for scientific skills but also transferrable skills. We support our members to undertake continuous professional development (CPD), but also gaining a professional award like Registered Science Technician or Registered Scientist allows someone to demonstrate that they have developed all those skills that employers are looking for, to add to their employability.

Comments