My Son Wants A Career In Chemical Engineering, Any Suggestions?

Q: My son is graduating from high school in 1999. He loves chemistry, physics and sciences in general. Does anyone know if we can receive subsidized education in lieu of gainful employment to said firm after graduating?

A: -I participated in the co-op program at the University of Florida. My experiences are much the same as the others who responded. The company I worked for recognizes the year I worked with them as far as eligibilty for 401K, dental, health, vacation, etc. So, when I graduate in May and begin working for them I will immediately have all of my benefits. They also tend to reward the co-ops they hire with bonuses that the general pool of new hires will not recieve. There are also several companies that tend to only hire new graduates who have been through their co-op or intern programs, so it may be your only way of getting your foot in the door of these companies as a new graduate. If your son is serious about becoming an chemical engineer and is willing to put the time and effort into his studies he should do fine. I think its important that students that want to go into chemical engineering know beforehand what will be expected of them. I encourage your son to talk to someone who has gone through chemical engineering so he gets a feel for the dedication required. With that being said, I've yet to talk to anybody who regrets sticking it out. We find time for fun as well, and the education opens many doors of opportunity. -Have you son take a Strong Vocational aptitude test to determine if he has the "right stuff." Chemical engineering as a long term career in the United States is a very rough ride by way of stunted income growth which for chemical engineers has been exceptionally poor since 1983 and job security. The aptitude test results may indicate that your son has interests and aptitudes that would serve him well in succeeding in a career that could offer him a much higher degree of job security and income growth. You job as a Dad is to help your son make an informed education selection that will serve him well for his lifetime. BTW...all the chemical engineers who graduated with me in my class have long since had to abandon their careers in order to survive economically. Out of a class of 12 graduates 6 were high school valedictorians and could've chosen ANY profession and university to attend but they chose chemical engineering and today more than 20 yrs later all admit that chemical engineering was a great ride for the first few years out of college but when the industry died during the early 1980s has been TERRIBLE. Hence they have quit the business and gone onto graduate school or other professions.

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