Hey guys!
So this week we wanted to talk about some common misconceptions in our fields and since I want to go into forensic chemistry, I decided to talk about Abby from NCIS.
Ok. I literally LOVE Abby on this show. Everything about her personality and her job made me want to do forensics work. But, here's the thing...in reality Abby's job is really a job for multiple TEAMS of people. There isn't one person that does computer work, lab work, reports, etc. that person would be a superhuman because there's literally not enough hours in the day for all of that.
Either way what Abby does sheds light on what actually goes on in a federal lab. People get cases and evidence and have to find the story. It's a puzzle that you have to search for the pieces to put it completely together.
There are tons of different fields to go into for forensics. You could go into DNA profiling, pathology, psychology, chemistry, data analysis, firearms, just to name a few. Either way there are a lot of opportunities in this field for you to find something you like this kind of stuff.
I know you all already know that you have to take what you see on tv with a grain of salt so I won't say that. I will say that the best way to figure out what you want to be when you grow up is to talk to people with the career that you want to have. Networking is key. You never know who you'll connect with that may be able to give you an internship to get your feet wet. Plus, it's always good to find these connections so they can give you advice on how to go about getting to where you want to go. They'll be honest and that's what you need as you're trying to figure out your life.
-The Chemist
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