Have you ever wondered what the benefits of applying to become a Chartered Chemist are? Or what the process is? Here, some RSC members share their experiences of working towards this designation.

A Chartered Chemist Experience

Having been a member of the RSC for a number of years I was intrigued by the idea of becoming a Chartered Chemist.  When I looked into the scheme I realised that I was able to apply for the award through the Direct Programme rather than the 2 year Professional Development Programme (PDP) route.  This meant that as I had 10 years experience in the Chemistry field I could submit a portfolio of evidence as soon as I had been approved for the scheme. 
 
One of the first obstacles I came across was that my primary degree was not listed as an accredited course by the RSC.  As my degree was not accredited I immediately thought I was not eligible for the CChem scheme.  However, I thought I would contact the membership department and seek their advice.  They asked me to submit a transcript of my primary degree and the abstract from my PhD thesis.  My application was assessed and I was delighted to find out I had been given approval to proceed with the next stage of putting my portfolio together. 
Putting together my portfolio of evidence was a more involved process than I initially thought it would be.  It involved taking the 12 criteria and identifying key pieces of evidence for each of them.  Not only did this really make me think about my job and the skills and abilities I have developed to date, but it also allowed me to identify areas where I would benefit from more CPD.  Overall it took me about a month to prepare my portfolio.  When my portfolio was first submitted it was initially screened by the membership department before being passed to the assessment panel.  At this stage it was returned to me as I had too much information in it!  In hindsight this initial screening was beneficial as it allowed changes to be made at an early stage and also increased the chances of being passed by the panel.  Kim from the membership department was extremely helpful and provided lots of guidance on what was in there that would satisfy the assessors and what I should considering taking out. 
 
From my employer’s point of view, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the CChem programme was not something that was pushed or even well known about.  In order to facilitate the introduction of the RSC into my workplace and highlight the benefits of membership to other colleagues I became a workplace RSC representative and took the opportunity to organise a visit from RSC staff to meet and talk with staff within our Chemistry Group.  It provided an opportunity to promote membership and the benefits of becoming a Chartered Chemist.  The day was extremely successful, in that it gave other members of staff the chance to be ‘introduced’ to the RSC and the benefits available to them. 
 
So what do I think are the main benefits of the CChem scheme?
In a nutshell, the CChem programme allowed me to obtain a professional qualification directly related to my job and essentially a mark of excellence for what I do professionally.  It is recognition of my professional development since obtaining my degree.
In the future I think it will be useful when applying for jobs and also as a talking point for interviews.  Working in the civil service one of the key competencies is the ability to develop your professional and technical knowledge and skills, and the CChem programme has allowed me to do this.  I have been able to draw upon the experience in one or two of my interviews so far!!
 
Would I recommend the CChem Programme?
Most definitely!
To anyone who is considering applying for the award I would highly recommend it.  The RSC Membership department are always on hand to provide advice and guidance.
Posted by Trudy McMurray on Aug 24, 2012 3:23 PM Europe/London

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