If you are a chemistry student graduating this Summer, you may have started to think about (or possibly even starting applying for) jobs to start your career. You may know those who have landed an internship in finance, others have ventured into pharmaceuticals, and some be looking at further study. There is of course another option which doesn’t always get the attention it deserves, and that is a career in the Coatings & Chemicals industry.

As a specialist recruitment agency in the Chemical, Coatings and Polymer industry, Whitehall have been helping graduates with their first forays in the jobs market for 40 years. With an excellent reputation among the big players in the market, we are often the first name that employers come to when they have a position to fill, and have recently been labelled “best recruiter we have ever worked with” by a global paints manufacturer.

Whilst it is not always thought of by chemistry graduates, the Coatings industry is an essential part of UK manufacturing and innovation, worth almost £3.5 billion to the UK economy, servicing sectors such as construction, decorative, printing, automotive and aerospace (figures from BCF). The UK is also net exporter of paints, and three quarters of paint sold in the UK, are made in the UK.  Paints and coatings play a crucial and visible role in our day -to- days lives, so it is a great industry to work in if you want to see your own products on the shelf! As someone who is still a relative newcomer to the industry, at just under five years, I know that once you are involved, you are sure to bump into familiar faces and develop long term relationships. It is a great industry to be part of.

The jobs market entered an unprecedented period in 2020 – huge swathes of the economy were shut down almost overnight, resulting in around 10 million jobs being furloughed and a sharp rise in unemployment. However, the bounce back has been almost as steep as restrictions eased, and unemployment returned to pre-pandemic levels by the beginning of 2022, resulting in a hiring spree. This, combined with a shrinking candidate pool has resulted in many employers struggling to fill vacancies. Furthermore, this effect has been compounded by employers showing more willing to increase wages to convince staff to stay, making it more difficult to hire new staff, as many chemical industry bosses will testify.

Although recent downbeat economic forecasts are starting to make some employers a little more cautious before starting the recruitment process, recent graduates will still find they have many options when beginning to climb the careers ladder, with plenty of vacancies to fill in a variety of different roles, and not just as an R&D paints chemist. If after 3 or 4 years of studying chemistry you have concluded that lab work is not for you, there is no need to panic, as there are plenty of graduate opportunities within the Coatings and Chemical industry, but outside of the laboratory, from careers in Sales, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain or even Recruitment. Many careers also start in the lab before progressing into a commercial setting later on.

Employers are also increasingly looking to take on students for an industrial placement year as a way of developing future generations. Speaking from my own experience, a year in industry is an invaluable way of gaining a foothold into the world of work while also picking up essential skills and knowledge. I was fortune to work for an automotive paints manufacturer during my own placement year, gaining industry insight which made my CV stand out after graduating and which has stayed with me since. Finding one is not always straightforward however; in the past students have  complained that that they received limited support in applying for them, or were not even made aware of them, although this will of course depend on different universities. In my case I speculatively applied by sending my CV to the British Coatings Federation, the industry trade body, who then forwarded to various members to generate interest, so my advice is to be proactive in looking.

If you are completing your studies this Summer and unsure of your next step, Whitehall have positions aimed specifically at fresh graduates, such as a Graduate Technical Sales Manager role and an R&D Polymer Chemist. If you are interested or if you know someone else who is, visit our website https://www.whitehall.uk.com/.

The Coatings industry is both a vibrant and resilient sector to work in, so whether you want to get stuck into R&D projects, act as a key decision maker in sales, or help coordinate some of the UK’s most important supply chains, it’s a brilliant place to kick start a successful career in.

Published in: Surface Coatings International (SCI) Vol. 105.4, Jul-Aug 2022, Page 323.