Cool Talks

Central Texas ACS Meeting

Tuesday, November 9th, 6:30-8:30 PM (Dinner 7:00, Talk 7:30)

Nontraditional Careers for Chemists: New Formulas for Chemistry Careers

Dr. Lisa M. Balbes

Balbes Consultants

Cannoli Joe's - Fine Italian Restaurant
4715 US290 West
Austin, TX 78745
(on south side of eastbound Hwy 290 West access road just west of Burger Center)
Dinner is $10 for members/adults, $5 for students
RSVP to JD Lewis by November 5 by email at acs2010@stedwards.edu or call (512) 448-8461

Abstract
A chemistry background prepares you for much more than just a laboratory career. The broad science education, analytical thinking, research methods, and other skills learned are of value to a wide variety of types of employers, and essential for a plethora of types of positions. By understanding your own personal values and interests, you can make informed decisions about what career paths to explore, and identify positions that match your needs. This talk will discuss a variety of nontraditional careers for chemists, such as chemical information, patent work, technical writing, education, human resources, sales and marketing, and much more. We will discuss typical tasks, education or training requirements, and personal characteristics that make for a successful career in each field, illustrated with specific examples. Valuable tips and advice about planning career transitions will also be provided.

Dr. Lisa M. Balbes
Dr. Lisa M. Balbes founded Balbes Consultants (formerly Osiris Consultants) in 1992. Balbes Consultants provides scientific writing services, including documentation, grants, proposals and more for over 50 client companies. She was chair of the St Louis Section of the American Chemical Society in 2002, receiving an Outstanding Local Section Achievement Award and a Salute to Excellence Award for her work there. She is also very involved in career development for chemists, have been a volunteer career consultant for ACS since 1993, presenter since 2002, and is the author of Nontraditional Careers for Chemists, published by Oxford University Press in 2006. Dr. Balbes obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her undergraduate degrees in chemistry and psychology from Washington University in St Louis.

For more information, see www.balbes.com, or contact her at lisa@balbes.com
Cannoli Joe's - Fine Italian Restaurant
(on south side of eastbound Hwy 290 West access road just west of Burger Center)
4715 US290 West, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 892-4444