Chemical Engineer
A Chemical Engineer which is also known as a Chemical & Process Engineer or even Process Engineer (depending on the type of industry providing employment) has several valuable roles in most major Industrial Firms and even Research Institutes. On a typical process plant or industrial plant such as a Refinery or Petrochemical plant, the Chemical Engineer would be responsible for monitoring the entire process operation to ensure that it is producing efficiently, safely and making the maximum profit, also known as operating at the "Nameplate" capacity.
The Chemical Engineer would also be required to troubleshoot and solve process related problems for example if the temperatures exiting a heat exchanger are too high for a particular process stream, he would perform an evaluation and provide recommendations to rectify the problem. Also he would ensure that the product being produced is within specification based on analyzing lab results and also that target quantities are being produced. The Chemical Engineer would also be responsible for monitoring catalyst performance (in all units containing catalyst) and performing evaluations on all process equipment based on a schedule.
If a Chemical Engineer works in a Project Environment for example a process plant in the construction phase, he would be responsible for performing potential plant simulations, designing various pieces of equipment, sizing pumps & compressors, pipeline sizing, vessel & equipment inspections and many other tasks. We can see here that a requirement of a Chemical Engineer needs to be that he should be able to use a computer professionally. He should be able to use all Microsoft Office applications at an acceptable level, in addition to simulation software programs such as Aspen HYSYS and other tools to aid with process calculations. In a Research based institution, a Chemical Engineer would be involved in Chemistry related research depending on the topic being researched and would be required to produce research reports, analyze lab results and provide recommendations where applicable.
The basis for most other professions are also based on Chemical Engineering such as Petroleum Engineering, Drilling Engineering, Reservoir Engineering, Project Engineers or even Technical Managers. All these professions are usually complimented by or required to possess a Chemical Engineering background. Therefore a Chemical Engineer can be classified as a very versatile engineer who can branch off into many career paths, contributing significantly to any organization. Hence I recommend that any individual who has a passion for performing activities that a Chemical Engineer does, pursue it career wise!
