Letters
to
the
More on preparing for an industrial career After having read "Preparing Analytical Chemists for Industry" by Thomas Thorpe and Alan Ullman (Anal. Chem. 1996, 68, ill A-480 A)) , Iame eway in agreement. There are many major differences in approach between academia and industry that [the authors] covered well. They touched only occasionally, however, on nonscience issues, such as in the section on team-building a diverse group for a project. A chemist coming fresh out of graduate school makes the most adaptations in dealing with people- and company-related issues such as budgets and supervising. Unlike grad school, financial concerns are an everyday issue in industry. Most analytical chemists are in a service role in their companies, and if your results don't pay for your time and efforts, you will be out on the streets. This is especially true in our current era of corporate downsizing, rightsizing, and alignment. Understanding some accounting being a salesand having some entrepreneurial skill is key Your work m3v be of potential value to your company but you must work in order to keep it coming in This is especially true in far-flung national or multinational corporations Supervising comes into play early, too. Most chemists with advanced degrees supervise a technician or two (or more). After a little time, this often includes supervising other M.S. or Ph.D. employees. Supervising involves many issues other than just getting along with employees as co-workers or fellow project team members. A employee's outside life becomes an issue in scheduling work, keeping track of illnesses and absences and other areas If you are a supervisor, their sonality problems become yours to deal with Handling praise or reprimands becomes a necessary skill but it is usually learned through trial and error Many companies offer internal courses or hire external consultants to provide training in these areas; a new employee must make the time to take these courses and learn what there is in them 590 A
Editor
These issues are critically important lists, and introductions to eight laboratory both to die companies and to the employanalytical chemistry water-methods manuee's success, and a chemist's attitude als published by EPA between 1988 and about these can help or hurt him/her. 1995. The especially helpful cross-referChemists who cannot be bothered with ence lists contain alphabetical lists of all these nontechnical issues will notfitin, substances found in each manual and the and they will either become "lone wolf" corresponding methods that may be used researchers working only on their own for those substances. Although most focused area (and vulnerable in a cutback methods are for water, there are a few unless they do stellar work) or realize the methods that apply to fish tissue and sedisituation and go elsewhere. ments. Many of these methods have been John Fetzer incorporated by reference into regulations Senior Research Chemistpromulgated under the Clean Water Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act and are Chevron Research and Technology the officially approved test methods. The specific manuals that are deEPA w a t e r methods scribed on the EPA home (1) revisited Methods for the Determination of OrI read witii interest the news story on EPA's initiative on flexible methods (Anal. ganic Compounds in Drinking Water 1988 and Supplements I II and III of Chem. .996, 68,403 A). I Iould like to 199o' 1992 and 1995 respectively (2) point out that many EPA analytical methMethodsforthe Determination of Metals ods, particularly those published in the last eight years for the drinking-water reg- in Environmental Samples 1991 and Supplement 1 1994; ft) Methods for the Deulatory program, are already quite flexitermination of Inormnir Substances in ble. For example, users are generally not Environmental Samnles 1993;and (4) restricted to the specific chromatography Methods for the Determination of Chemicolumns that were used to develop the cal Substances in Marine and Estuanne methods, but they may use any columns Environmental Samples, 1992. that satisfy the quality-control requirements of the method. Unfortunately, some William L. Budde other EPA methods have not been upSenior Scientist dated for many years and have the rigidity Human Exposure Research Division problem discussed in the news story I U.S. Environmental Protection Agency know these differences are confusing for Budde. William@epamail. epa.gov many people but many EPA water methods have been tailored for different purposes over the years and have been manLetters to the Editor aged differently in some EPA offices We welcome your comments rePerhaps readers would be interested garding published articles or othei in getting more information from an EPA topics of interest to analytical Web site (http://www.epa.gov/nerlcwww/methmans.html), where I have chemists. Letters may be submitposted a document that may be helpful in ted by e-mail (
[email protected]), understanding some of the EPA waterfax (202-872-4574), or regular methods issues. At this site, anyone can mail (Analytical Chemistry, retrieve the Manual ofManuall from the ACS, 1155 16th St, N.W., Washformer Chemistry Research Division of ington, DC 20036). Please the Environmental Monitoring Systems include your full address, signaLaboratory-Cincinnati (EMSL-Cincinture, and daytime phone number. nati) This document includes the titles Letters should be brief and may publication numbers, dates of publication, ordering information abstracts tables of be edited for clarity or space. contents analyte-method cross-reference
Analytical Chemistry News & Features, October 1, 1996
