The pharmaceutical and chemical industries often seem a bit nerdy and not very glamorous. But graduates who manage to gain a foothold here can often look forward to lots of international experience, exciting tasks and good money.
I recently visited a friend in a major German city where he showed me his campus. “This is where the pill-pushers are,” he said, pointing to a rather unprepossessing building made of glass and steel. A sign announced that the Institutes of Pharmacy and Pharmacology were located in this building. Pill-pushers, nerdy scientists in white coats who only leave one high-tech, sterile laboratory to carry Erlenmeyer flasks and Petri dishes to another. Or chemists, who often smell something strange from their last experiment in the corridors of the institute. When it comes to appearance, one often automatically imagines the image of the “absent-minded professor” or the “slightly insane scientist” from films and novels. Ingenious characters who mix different substances together, heat them over a Bunsen burner or put them in an incubator and the next day have in their hands either a blessing for humanity à la penicillin or a deadly weapon à la anthrax. Students of this science are quickly ridiculed – or even greatly envied. Because pharmaceutical sciences and chemistry are some of the most demanding things a university can offer. For generations, for example, quite a few medical students have failed such basic courses. This is why it is not uncommon for fellow students to be jealous of those who understand chemistry. They have access to a global industry that offers comparatively high starting salaries, high-tech research and development, and many other areas of work.
Wanted: Highly qualified specialists
The chemical-pharmaceutical industry is the third largest sector in Germany. A billion-dollar market, in demand and networked worldwide. The companies that work in this sector research, sell, produce and develop everything in their laboratories and chemical parks: from sulfuric acid and fertilizers to paints and plastics to vaccines, cough syrups and care creams. The companies are just as diverse as the products. Almost everyone knows the global corporations listed on the stock exchange such as Bayer, BASF, Fresenius, Henkel and Merck. But of the more than 2,000 chemical companies in Germany, the majority are medium-sized. According to the Association of the Chemical Industry e. V., over 90 percent of chemical companies have fewer than 500 employees. They are often suppliers or producers in certain niches and are often world market leaders in their field.
Economically, the chemical-pharmaceutical industry is doing very well - and, in order for it to stay that way, it is particularly dependent on highly qualified, technically and scientifically trained specialists: scientists, engineers, IT specialists, technicians and skilled workers. According to figures from the Chemical Industry Association, one in ten employees is. V. active in research and development. For example, although according to the industry association there is still no shortage of young chemists because the number of new chemistry students at universities has developed positively overall in recent years, there is a noticeable fear of an impending shortage of skilled workers. In 2014, the number of newly enrolled chemistry students increased by three percent to around 7,000 (2013: 6,800 new students). More and more chemistry students are also doing doctorates. Many universities have set specific technical focuses and accents in their master's degree programs, tailored precisely to the needs of the industries. Nevertheless, one of the loudest complaints from the industry is that many students and graduates are having difficulty in the STEM field. However, those who successfully complete their studies can look forward to good employment opportunities.
Working - across national borders
Anna Katzenmeier studied chemical engineering at the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, completed her studies as a qualified engineer and got around a lot while at university. She completed two internship semesters in the pharmaceutical and food industries and wrote her diploma thesis at a service provider for nuclear power plants. After completing her studies, Anna Katzenmeier found a job as an asset manager at BASF. »BASF enjoys a very good reputation and is a renowned employer in the Rhine-Neckar region. I work in production and am jointly responsible for the technical support of a plant for producing plastics. For example, I could also work in the planning of chemical plants or in marketing - and for very different products and industries. BASF has everything from plastics for the construction and automotive industries to pigments for the electrical industry and oil and gas for the energy sector,” says the 33-year-old, who was involved in a trainee program at the beginning of her career at BASF before she got a permanent job . She is particularly enthusiastic about the diversity in the company and the variety of her work: "I work with colleagues from production, purchasing, human resources and even finance - across national borders." The large German pharmaceutical and chemical companies have many international branches and subsidiaries . BASF alone in more than 80 countries. You should therefore be confident in English.
Entry via trainee program
The internationality is also reflected in the area of human resources. The chemical-pharmaceutical industry is no longer limited to Germany, but is now also recruiting heavily from other European countries. Chiara Strano, for example, came to Germany from Milan to complete a two-year trainee program in purchasing at the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. »It has always been my wish to work in the pharmaceutical industry. Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the 20 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and has a very international position - that fascinated me. “I also wanted to move to Germany so that I could finally use my German skills,” says the 27-year-old, who has a Master of Science in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology.
»As a rule, we fill our trainee positions with master's or diploma graduates. In the natural sciences, our trainees have often already completed a doctorate in their field, but this is not a requirement for an application," explains Silke Rauber-Reichert, Head of People Development at Boehringer Ingelheim.
The team in which trainee Chiara Strano works changes every six months. This should provide insights into many different projects and activities. Like more and more companies, Boehringer Ingelheim has to come up with something to further motivate and retain its employees. A canteen with healthy lunches, sports activities on the factory premises and a wide range of health services are part of the Rhineland-Palatinate family business.
do this, for example. Chiara Strano likes this: »It's great to work here - not only because of its internationality, but also because the company is very committed to its employees. Anyone who works here can expand their knowledge and get to know great people from different cultures. I would really like to stay here – hopefully it works out.«
Top salaries - even for career starters
Competition in the international pharmaceutical and chemical industry has become tougher in recent years. The time when top sellers were churned out is over. Research in companies today has to be much more targeted and success-oriented. While it used to be enough for two or three of the products and substances to be successful in research, today often only one thing is researched and worked on - but it has to work or there is a risk of billions in losses.
Companies therefore value the best minds they can find. It is not uncommon for headhunting to arise around certain personal details. We're not just looking for chemists and pharmacologists. Today, no company in the industry can afford to do without IT specialists, business economists, controllers, engineers, HR or communications professionals.
And the starting salaries are already impressive, as the large chemical and pharmaceutical companies are among the top payers among German employers. A life scientist in the pharmaceutical industry can expect to earn a good €57,000 annually, while a graduate who goes into sales can still expect to earn €51,000. A doctorate is rewarded with an average of €68,000 per year. As professional experience increases, the salary also increases noticeably: IT project managers in pharmaceutical companies, for example, receive around €94,000 per year, and top-earning chemists in the private sector receive around €100,000. For comparison: the University of Hamburg employs chemists for an annual salary of around €54,000.
When I finally entered the Pharmacy and Pharmacology building while touring the campus with my friend, after a few meters in the hallway we came across a table - full of information flyers. Without exception, they came from large companies that were looking for applicants for a wide variety of positions. All paid. My friend and I, both humanities majors, looked at each other. »There is also a table like this in our institute. “Sometimes there are two or three flyers on there advertising an unpaid internship,” my friend whispered to me. The word envy wasn't mentioned at that moment, but it was in the room. The damn pill-pushers, the lucky ones.
In the pharmaceutical and chemical industry you can look forward to a lot of international experience, exciting tasks and good money.
