Company side: This is a hyper specialized work world where simple chemical product manufacturing is but extinct. Progressing from hands on operations to a hybrid operations-engineering role then to a management-engineering role no longer exists but in small cases. Large companies have macro defined roles of every specialized position and its growth pattern. Say you as a junior engineer may go through a professional development plan (knowledge work, leadership,problem solving, customer focus) as an operator goes through operations enhancement programs (licenses, safety focus, continued improvement etc.). HR side: You are viewed, treated and have a role only in operation not in project or "optimization" decisions. You will not get the tasks to prove/ improve your engineering expertise learned from school. Hence you will be pigeon holed. Management side: You are very hard to train ("a tough nut") and take through continuous improvements due to the fact that you are overqualified. Chances of your dissatisfaction of the job and position down the line are imminent. Once your current problems regarding unemployment are solved you will have issues doing day to day operations duties as opposed to the critical calculus chemical engineers are used to. There is a big chance you will dump the job. Your presumed path of "growth" might conflict with your superiors as you will have to tank through their positions in becoming a fully fledged engineer. Economy side: Oil and gas downturn and stagnant growth of overall "chemical" jobs has made the operator position harder to nail with experience in a hyper specialized role and a plethora of licenses, training required for consideration