Are there any people in the chemical engineering field who have switched to trading stocks or foreign exchange?
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I have been working in the chemical industry for almost five years now, and I’ve realized that it isn’t something I’m really interested in. I’ve always been more interested in foreign exchange trading, and I’d like to engage in that area on my own. Does anyone have similar experience?
Fainting? The jump is quite large there; really.........
Reply to 2# Crazy Teen: There are several possible outcomes: 1. Continue working in the chemical industry; after five or ten years, the monthly salary after taxes will be over 10,000, which is stable enough to allow for a basic standard of living. Being fortunate enough to join the leadership team, with a salary of over 20,000 (based on current economic standards), one can lead a fairly comfortable life. But after working in the financial industry for five or ten years without achieving anything, one’s wife and children suffer as well; one is looked down upon by family members and despised by friends. Or do the work you love, with no income ceiling, a monthly salary of tens of thousands, and financial freedom. If it were you, which one would you choose?
Not necessarily. I’ve been working in the chemical industry for 8 years; my monthly salary after taxes is over 20,000, and there’s room for it to increase in the future. I also feel quite free in my work. Is the financial industry really that free? Not necessarily. It’s mainly a personal interest; if you really don’t want to work in the chemical industry anymore, just ignore what I said. I just think your career shift is quite significant, so you should be cautious. There probably aren’t many people who switch careers across such a wide range of fields; at any rate, I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before, so it’s hard for me to give any advice. But your determination shows that you have a lot of courage; I support you!
Reply to 4# Crazy Teen: May I ask in which area of work does the expert specialize? Is it about technology? Your income is really quite good, and you also have a high degree of freedom.
I used to work in chemical process engineering; now I am involved in project management and technical management
Is the OP GG? Still MM?
Well, 8 years, project management, technical management – quite impressive! 8 years may seem like a long time, but it passes in the blink of an eye.
Senior mentor, project manager: May I ask in which sector of the chemical industry you work? What kind of position is it, roughly? What does project and technical management mainly entail? As far as I know, the CEO of our previous company earned an annual salary of just over 300,000 yuan. It was a state-owned enterprise, and the CEO was also quite old; therefore he felt that there was little hope for him, as even if he managed to reach that position, his annual salary would still be only 300,000 yuan. Moreover, it was very difficult to advance to that position in the first place. That’s why I’ve always thought that in the chemical industry, there’s **very little money**. Seeing your income, I feel that we chemical industry workers have a direction to strive for. To be more specific, do we also have a goal to work towards?
I am in the polysilicon industry now. Currently, I am the manager of the client’s project team as well as the person in charge of the plant’s manufacturing processes. I'm lucky to have caught a good opportunity. Personally, I think it’s normal to reach 40 with a successful career path – there’s no problem with that, and everyone can achieve such a level. Personally, I don’t think the industry really matters. At the project management level, there isn’t much difference among industries; the principles and tasks are similar. As for technology, in terms of processes, although there are significant differences among various industries, the theories of chemical engineering processes and the unit operations involved are universal. With a sufficient theoretical foundation, there should be no major issues with adaptability. The key is to appropriately consider one’s career development path when technology reaches a certain level, and to think about whether a transition is necessary. Specifically, should one continue to study technology to become an expert, or shift towards a management career? The management here is not administrative management, but project management and technical management. To be honest, from what I know, in domestic chemical engineering design firms, those who reach the age of 40 often hold positions such as design manager or project manager. It’s too easy to earn 300,000 or 400,000 in a year. And it’s not necessary to be in Beijing or Shanghai.