Career consultations

The Royal Society of Chemistry is here to support you at every stage – and in every situation – of your career.

We work in partnership with you to help you succeed, whether you’re an early career, mid-career or established professional, currently employed or not. That’s why we offer personalised, one-to-one career consultations to all our professional members.

These consultations offer a confidential space to discuss your professional situation and give you the confidence to take the next step in your career. Our career and professional development advice is centred around your circumstances and career situation and is delivered by experienced, qualified advisers rooted in a professional body of chemical scientists.

I have spoken to just about everyone in the Careers and Professional Development team and they really know what they’re talking about. Whenever I’m thinking about making a career decision, they are one of the first groups I turn to for advice and support.

Nessa Carson, MRSC
Senior Automation Scientist, Syngenta

How do I book a consultation

Consultations are available to members online, by email and face-to-face at selected events.

1. Check your membership

You will need to be an Associate member (AMRSC), Member (MRSC) or Fellow (FRSC) to book. RSci and RSciTech affiliates are also eligible and you can be referred from the Chemists’ Community Fund. If you are unsure about your membership category and what support is available, please contact the Career Management team.

If you’re currently an undergraduate, we recommend accessing your university careers service and using the online tools available in the membership area.

For school-aged students, talk to your careers adviser at school for further information about career routes into the chemical sciences. We also recommend A Future in Chemistry – where you can explore real-life stories of chemical scientists who are making a difference to the world.

2. Book your session

You can book online or contact the careers team. Please quote your membership number when contacting us. We offer slots on most weekdays.

We also offer e-consultations such as CV reviews and application advice over email, which do not need to be booked. Please contact us with your query and one of the team will get back to you within five working days.

3. Follow the joining instructions

Once your booking is confirmed, you’ll receive joining details and a short questionnaire to help you clarify your aims for the session. We will also ask you to send us a copy of your CV (which does not need to be up to date). This helps us prepare beforehand so you can get more from the meeting.

What do career consultations cover?

The session doesn’t necessarily need to focus on a career or educational transition. Some members have a specific goal, while others want support in generating career ideas or are seeking clarity about deciding what they want to do next. 

The session also offers a useful opportunity to talk through a sensitive work situation, appraisal feedback or similar.

Examples of topics discussed:

• Ongoing career management and planning
• Professional development advice and guidance
• Effectively marketing yourself, your skills and expertise to others
• Redundancy advice and support
• Returning to work after a break
• Job searching and unemployment support, including navigating the job market and Applicant Tracking Systems
• Exploring career options when thinking about making a career change
• CV and application guidance to effectively highlight potential
• Interview practice to gain tools and confidence
• Starting your own business
• Planning for retirement

After the session, you will receive a summary and any further information or links mentioned during the consultation shortly after we meet.

What outcomes can I expect from a consultation?

Clarity about your career options

We have an excellent track record. According to our 2021 survey, 82% of members felt ready to take the next step in their career after a consultation with an RSC adviser. 

Our 2021 survey features some more insights about the benefits of taking part in a session with one of our advisers: 

• 57% felt more confident to move forward
• 40% felt they could recognise their own skills, interests and values
• 47% felt they had a better CV
• 57% felt that had identified some more realistic options

Confidential, impartial advice tailored to you

You will have a confidential space to discuss your professional situation and receive advice shaped around your values and aims. Your 45-minute consultation will support you to recognise your skills and opportunities for professional development as well as challenge your assumptions and any self-limiting career barriers you have. We use a non-directive approach to understand what is important to you professionally and support you to make effective decisions about your career. 

Support from qualified, experienced professionals

Our independent careers and professional development advisers are qualified to help you with a confidential, unbiased consultation about any aspect of your career. Each of the team has a different area of expertise and over 25 years of combined experience in careers advice, guidance and development for professionals working in science. 

As the staff of the Royal Society of Chemistry, we draw on a broad range of sources, including informal discussions with employers, policy research and the Pay and Reward Report – our member-wide survey of chemical scientists’ salaries, pensions, benefits, job security, skills and more. 

All advisers are trained mental health first-aiders. 

Our team are also all members of the Career Development Institute (CDI) and adheres to its code of ethics.