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Chances are good that one or more of your friends have lost their jobs in chemistry. You may have even lost your job yourself. If you're still in school, you may be aware that industrial chemistry positions are getting harder to come by.

If you're like me, the last thing you want to be spending neurons on is 'career management' and 'networking'. You'd much rather work on becoming a better chemist, solving tough problems, and helping others do the same. Yet these things are only part of the process of finding a job. You also need to show the world you're doing them, but opportunities for doing so are limited. What's a chemist to do?

What LinkedIn Can't Do For You

The problem with dedicated networking sites like LinkedIn is that they have nothing to do with chemistry itself. For the most part, LinkedIn and its cousins are services that people start using a lot when they're out of work or looking, but abandon soon after they find a job. LinkedIn can't help you become a better chemist, and it can do little to distinguish you from other job seekers.

What is Chempedia Lab?

Chempedia Lab is a question and answer site for experimental chemistry. No question is too 'newbie' and no subject is too niche. As long as the question relates to experimental chemistry, it's welcome on Chempedia Lab.

Chempedia Lab combines powerful ideas from peer-review, social media and real-time information flow. All questions, answers, and comments, can be voted on by other users. Voting changes both the score of the content and the rating of the person who created it. Every new contribution or edit is associated with its author or editor. Active and well-reviewed material gets preferential placement.

But what about finding a job?

Seven Ways to Help Your Job Search

The best time to prepare for finding your next job is when you're in your current job. Still, it's never too late to prepare. Of course, no online service by itself can get you a job - there are many other things you'll need to do as well. But Chempedia Lab offers several unique opportunities to increase your chances, including:

• Get Noticed. Users who like your content will want to find out more about you. They'll turn to your user profile. Complete your user profile, especially the field called "Website." You don't need a website of your own to do this. If you've created accounts with LinkedIn or other job search sites, feel free to link to them. If you run a blog or other website, use it. If you have a job, you can link to your employer's website. In the field marked "About Me", add anything about yourself that a prospective employer might find useful, for example, whether or not you're currently looking for a job.
• Show Your Knowledge. When you find a Chempedia Lab question you know something about, answer it. If you find a question in an area you aren't familiar with, do some research and post what you find. Even if you know little about the subject matter, you can demonstrate your ability to make connections by combining material from other answers to make a better answer.
• Show Your Humility. Few things turn off a prospective employer more than arrogance. And being able to formulate questions is an essential component of all research positions. Asking good questions on Chempedia Lab shows that you know you don't have all of the answers, but you do have the skills to find them.
• Show How You Collaborate. Arriving at the answer to a question on Chempedia Lab is a collaborative process. For example, you may not initially post a question with enough information. A commenter might ask for clarification. Your response shows a lot about your likely ability to work in the team-centric environment of industrial research.
• Show Your Interest. Employers look for motivated candidates. Participating in Chempedia Lab demonstrates your interest in chemistry beyond a source of income.
• Learn from Others. Reading questions and answers is an excellent way to not only find solutions to common problems, but to keep up with current topics in chemistry.
• Introduce Yourself. Helping answer someone else's question is a great way to introduce yourself to people who are in a position to put your resumee at the top of the pile.