How I Ended Up In Chemical Engineering

A Promdi Blogger’s take on life in the Philippine countryside.

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9 November 2008

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Congratulations to my new colleagues in the profession, the passers of the 2008 Chemical Engineering Licensure Examination. Come to think of it, I graduated Chemical Engineering last 1998 and passed the Chemical Engineering Licensure Examination the same year. That was a decade ago, how time flies.

I enrolled in Chemical Engineering because of a scholarship I received. However, I did not end up working in a manufacturing plant or anything directly related to Chemical Engineering. My current job is into small business consultancy. Well, sometimes I get to use a little of my educational background and I find it easy learning technical stuff. But no more dealing with chemicals for me except for the Chemistry subject I teach.

Why in the world did I labor five years of my life in college but follow a different career path? I find work in the processing plant quite routine, lacking in human interaction.

Maybe I just love life in the province. Maybe I wasn’t just destined to be a practicing Chemical Engineer. I don’t even use the label anymore and I haven’t renewed my license since 1998. I still keep my license in my wallet for bragging rights.

I still keep myself updated with the current trends and developments in the profession by maintaining my membership with the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers and subscribing to Chemical Processing Magazine (which is free, by the way). I have no regrets taking up Chemical Engineering and I love my job too. Sometimes, we take a different path from what we have planned and what others expect us to take. How we lived it, I think, is what matters most.

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8 Comments »

kaith said:

pareho kamo gali sang tita ko, chem eng. she works in the science lab of one of the more popular schools there in bacolod. then she just passed the nursing board exam this june.

kaiths last blog post..Just to End the BlogFast

# 10 November 2008 at 1:58 pm

jessie said:

gladits,

aba fren, chem eng ka pala. ngayon ko lang nalaman. congrats sa mga katropa mong chem eng na pumasa ng board.
jessies last blog post..Where to Stay in Baguio City for Vacation, Nursing Review or Board Exam

# 14 November 2008 at 3:19 pm

PromdiBlogger (author) said:

Hehehe… Yup, kung pwede nga lang ibenta tong license ko eh.

# 14 November 2008 at 8:40 pm

noi1919 said:

hi fellow engineer! licensed ECE here.

# 15 November 2008 at 6:06 pm

Neil said:

Hi, fellow Augustinian. :wave: I am proud of you.

Neils last blog post..Jess Dureza’s Prayer

# 19 November 2008 at 5:43 pm

PromdiBlogger (author) said:

Naks… thanks gid. purdoy ko ya galing. hehehe…

# 20 November 2008 at 11:13 pm

Raquel said:

Hi Glady,

I am a registered chemical engineer as well. It seems that most chem engg are not practising the profession. Why? THis is something I want to address. For the mean time, I created the chemical engineer’s weblog in wordpress to somehow reverse this trend.

It is said that chemical engineering are the most flexible engineering profession. Chemical Engineers get into many different field but still revolve around chemical engineering. And this goes with what you have –in the teaching and small business consultancy.

I also hope we can finally earn big money out of our licenses

Hear from you.

Raquel

Raquels last blog post..Chemical Engineering Next Directions

# 23 November 2008 at 10:34 pm

PromdiBlogger (author) said:

Aside from ChEs not practicing the profession, I think there’s also been a steady decline in the number of students taking up ChE. Here’s my take on the issue.

1. There just aren’t enough opportunities for ChEs in the country unless we relocate to Luzon. Overseas employment is the better option.

2. Most local companies don’t pay well. When I started working for the government, my first job, I was earning way more than my classmates who are working in processing plants in Luzon. Well, they probably earn more than I do now.

3. Is our license and signature worth as much as the Civil Engineers and Architects? A building cannot be constructed without licenses/permits that require the signatures of CE, ME, Sanitary Engineer, etc. Where are we in the picture?

These issued have also been discussed the last time I attended the national convention in Iloilo four years ago. I think the efforts of the PIChE are starting to gain grounds with the ChE Law and the declaration of a ChE week. Maybe we need a ChE in the Congress. I voted for Obet Pagdanganan for Senator before hoping he can help the profession.

Your blog is a good start. Hope it can be a good venue for our colleagues to discuss the issues affecting the profession.

# 24 November 2008 at 1:46 am