Biochemical Engineers

Join science clubs and participate in other extracurricular activities while in high school. Get involved in professional associations for engineering and science, for access to mentoring programs, science contests, and career development resources. Read publications such as the American Chemical Society's ChemMatters, which is geared to high school students. Visit https://www.acs.org/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters.html to access the publication. The society's Explore Chemistry section of its Web site (https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry.html) will also be useful.

Participate in engineering- and science-related summer exploration programs that are offered by colleges and universities, high schools, companies, and professional associations. For example, the National Student Leadership Conference offers summer exploration programs in biotechnology, engineering, and other areas. Learn more at https://www.nslcleaders.org.

College students learn more about the science field through student affiliate memberships to associations such as the American Chemical Society (ACS), American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and SME. Explore the Web sites of these organizations for articles, publications, and industry news.

Another way to get direct insight into biochemical engineering as a career is to conduct an information interview with someone working in the job. Your school's career services office can help you with your search for potential interviewees.

A mentor can also offer helpful information and guidance. The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has a mentor program that matches students with SWE member mentors located in their area.