• addie@feddit.uk
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    3 months ago

    In which case, the job becomes transferring the bottled samples into sample tubes in trays so that the machine can process them, and usually adding a barcode to each sample tube. The sample tubes need to be kept immaculate as well - some of the things that we test water for, like pesticides, are only present in miniscule concentrations. Might not actually save a great deal of time, and you need to buy and maintain a very expensive automated sampler.

    When I used to work in the water industry, we were usually able to get PhD-qualified research chemists to do all this mind-numbing laboratory work. There’s a bit of a surplus of qualified chemists compared to the number of chemist jobs available, so you got absurdly over-qualified people applying for these roles.

    • Frostbeard@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I specifically did not specialize in analytical chemistry because of this. It’s relatively easy to get a job, but it’s mind numbingly boring to do the same tests over and over and over.

      I did physical chemistry. No jobs but at least no one knows what the fuck you can do.

      (Incidentally I managed to get a job with energetic materials where my education is occasionally relevant)