10 replies to this topic

[romeoracz]

Dear Colleagues,

I want to work in the US as a chemical engineer but I graduated in Europe and I don't know if my BSChE is valid
in the US !
What do I have to do in order to work in the US ?
Do i have to pass an exam ?
Do i have to "convert" my diploma ?

Any help would be awesome,
Waiting for your kind reply,

Thanks in advance,

[latexman]

I work for a large, international chemical company. Where you got your BSChE is probably not important. I have worked with folks from many, many countries. All work for my company. Some are located in the U.S. and some in their and other countries. I have worked and lived in three countries in my 30 years with my company. My advice is to join a large, international company. Do an outstanding job, and then request an assignment in the U.S.

[romeoracz]

Dear Latexman !

Your reply did not answer to my question, maybe because I have to rephrase it.
I've just got my BSChE in chemical engineering in a european university (in July 2009).
I'm aiming for an entry level chemical engineering job in the US.
During my University courses I studied everything in the metric system wich is different from the US system, this
rises question marks for me regarding the need to be certified especially to work in the US.
As an engineer I heard that I have to pass some exams in order to be able to practice.

Thanks,
Hope this is a little bit more clear,

[latexman]

Metric to American English units is just a conversion. None of the folks I mentioned had to be certified on conversions to work in the US, and they did not have to pass any exams. Are you getting confused with the process to be a Registered Professional Engineer we have in the U.S.? That is not a requirement to work for most chemical companies. Just a BSChE is fine. A Registered Professional Engineer usually is a requirement if you are going to work for an Engineering Contractor that interfaces with government requirements like environmental permits and public works. However, I know, that some of them will hire an engineer wwith the condition that they become a Registered Professional Engineer by a certain time.

You will need a green card and possibly a visa, but that is government requirements. If you join an international company there, and then get transferred to the U.S., they will push and pay for that process for you. If you aim to have an entry level chemical engineering job in the US, you should probably move here first, because no one is going to pay an international air fare to interview you if they can have 100 people already in the U.S. drive to the interview at no cost to them. What you want to do is going to be REALLY hard at this current time, because of the poor economy and so many people and graduates looking for jobs. Yes, you probably need to move here first just to be on equal ground.

[djack77494]

I agree with latexman's assessment of the difficulties you will face. You definitely do NOT need to be "certified" in any way to do conversions. As a competent engineering professional, it is assumed that you are able to handle conversions with little difficulty. I daresay that after a bit of exposure to the conversions that are important to whatever industry you work in, you will find converting to be "second nature"; it's no big deal. A second, independent issue is that of becoming licensed. Since the purpose of the licensing process is to have you demonstrate that you are a competent chemical engineer, you will need the skills to pass the tests. Only infrequently have I seen licensing to be a requirement for USA engineering positions, so I'd advise you not to worry about that. The main obstacles you are likely to face will be political and commercial. By the former I mean getting a work visa and later a green card which give you permission to live and work in the USA indefinitely. By the latter I mean getting a job-no mean feat in rough economic times like right now. If practical, follow latexman's advice and get a job locally with a company that has branches in the USA. Requesting a transfer is a lot easier than many of the other paths.

Edited by djack77494, 26 August 2009 - 04:32 PM.

[romeoracz]

Dear Sir,

Your reply was the most objective answer I could get on this important topic. Thank you very much. Since you have a great international work experience, can you tell any information about working in the united arab emirates or asia as an entry level chemical engineer. Do I have to worrie about any special certification in order to work, except work permit and visa?
I really apprecaite your fast and clear reply,
Thank you in advance,
Romeo R

[djack77494]

Romeo,
You give me too much credit. I do not have "great international work experience". In fact, I have only worked abroad once in my long career, and that was 35 years ago. I really don't know what challenges you would face in trying to work in the UAE or Asia. Good luck.

[demank]

I work in Engineeing Indonesian company now.
My english is too bad people said like that.
Is it possible for me to work abroad? in Uerope or US maybe.?

[gvdlans]

Since you have a great international work experience, can you tell any information about working in the united arab emirates or asia as an entry level chemical engineer. Do I have to worrie about any special certification in order to work, except work permit and visa?

My company has offices in Romania (including in your hometown Cluj Napoca) as well as in Asia (a.o. UAE, Oman, India, China, Vietnam), see http://www.tebodin.c...s/homepage.aspx I have no idea whether we have entry level positions available for chemical engineers, but if you are interested you can send me a message and we'll find out.

Edited by gvdlans, 27 August 2009 - 03:28 AM.

[gvdlans]

I work in Engineeing Indonesian company now.
My english is too bad people said like that.
Is it possible for me to work abroad? in Uerope or US maybe.?

I don't say it is not possible, but it will be extremely difficult. There are not a lot of companies outside Indonesia where communication will be in Bahasa Indonesia... And being able to communicate is probably the most important requirement.

[romeoracz]

Romeo,
You give me too much credit. I do not have "great international work experience". In fact, I have only worked abroad once in my long career, and that was 35 years ago. I really don't know what challenges you would face in trying to work in the UAE or Asia. Good luck.

I was giving credit to Latexman's reply. Thanks for your reply as well !
Regards,