Depending on your role, you could be:

• inventing and developing new medicines and products
• investigating environmental issues
• diagnosing and treating illness and disease
• analysing forensic evidence
• teaching, lecturing and carrying out academic research

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

• designing and conducting laboratory experiments
• making observations and noting results
• writing reports and presenting your findings
• supervising the work of support staff such as laboratory technicians
• carrying out other administrative work

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work at a research facility or in a laboratory.

You'll usually be able to find work with a wide range of employers including the NHS, public health laboratories, research institutes and government agencies.

As a chemist working in industry, you could be involved in research and development, patent work, health and safety or forensic science.

You could also move into teaching or a career in the media.

As an experienced chemist you could work towardschartered status like Chartered Chemist (CChem) and Chartered Scientist (CSci).