From Chris Callaghan
Working for many years as a senior product development chemist for a major international corporation, I always took off my white lab coat whenever I attended board meetings. My bosses used to question this. I always responded that the commercial managers regarded the white coat as a badge of low office and that I preferred to leave that status back in the laboratory when allowed to emerge, blinking, into the “real world”.
Youngsters gravitate towards careers in areas that have older people enthusing about the fun, respect, kudos, earnings, promotion or other incentives they have received. Contrast this with science’s unsocial hours, rubbish conditions, poor salary and few chances of advancement, and you will understand why I discourage my sons from following in my footsteps.
Faversham, Kent, UK
