About CSci

Submitted by dario on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 12:44
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Image: 
Name: 
Mick Casey
Featured Profile: 
No
At A Glance
Licensed Body: 
RSC
Scientist Type: 
Entrepreneur
Region: 
London
First Degree: 
Environmental Science
Job: 
Industrial Water Treatment Chemist
Age: 
43
Works For: 
Deep Water Blue Limited
Pet Hates: 
Call centres
Burning Ambition: 
To always reach further
Superpower: 
The power to see into the future and affect fate
Links: 
www.deepwaterblue.co.uk
Big Picture
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 
A racing driver!
Who or what inspired you to become a scientist? 
My Father bought me a chemistry set, when I was about 6 and I loved the “bangs” that I could make! I never looked back from there!
What do you love about your job and being a “scientist”? 
I love the variety of my work, each day is different and so is each application that I visit. One day I could be looking at a food processing issue and the next day it could be, sand temperature control, for roof slate production. I also really like being able to walk into a site and “make a difference”. I specialise in real world “impact chemistry”.
What would you change? 
The perception, by the general public, of what I do. If I say that I am a chemist, most people consider that I sell paracetomol, in my local pharmacy. People do not “connect” chemistry, with, for example, their M and S ready meal, which they ate the evening before.
Education
What qualifications did you take at school? 
10 “O” levels, 2 “A/O” levels, 3 “A” levels and one “S” level.
Why did you choose your first degree subject? 
Environmental Science at Sussex University. I chose it, as it had a strong chemistry bias, but with an environmental flavour.At the time, it was “cutting edge”, as there were only five Environmental Science degree courses in the UK and I took it to try and make a difference, as I felt that environmental issues, needed to be pushed to the forefront and that the best way to effect change, was from within.
Do you have a Masters or PhD? If not, was it difficult to demonstrate Masters-level equivalence in order to achieve CSci? 
I do not have a Masters or PhD, as having had my parents’ pay for my education. I needed to get out and get a job. I did not find achieving CSci too difficult, since I felt that my 22 years practical experience, from site engineer, up to company director, was more than equivalent
Job
How do you describe your job when you meet people at a party? 
I say that I am a water treatment chemist-this usually deals with the first query, of why cough linctuses, have got so expensive recently! I then usually give the enquirer an example of how water treatment actually has touched their lives.
What is ‘cutting-edge’ about your work? 
I come up with product ideas and designs to fit bespoke applications- a lot of these are “original thought”.
What are the biggest implications your work will/could have in the future? 
The increased use of low toxicity products in Steam Boiler Treatment.
Describe some of the highlights of your average day. 
I love practically helping people, to improve their own systems.
Describe briefly how your career has progressed to date. 
I started off as a Water Hygiene Engineer, then on to a Water Treatment Service Engineer, then Sales/Service Engineer, Environmental Services Manager, District Manager and finally company owner/Director, to date.
How is your job cross-disciplinary? 
Easy! Every client I got to, is completely different from the last .I could have been with a carpet manufacturer in the morning and a flavourings manufacturer, in the afternoon.
How well is your job compensated? What is the starting salary for your field, and how much can this be expected to rise? 
A novice engineer would expect to start on around £15-18K plus benefits, a service engineer around £25K plus benefits, a sales and service engineer £40K to £150K plus benefits. A District/Business Manager would be on circa £60K plus bonus and benefits and company director £100K plus. All positions would have performance based packages and would include the usual benefits, plus car.
How do you see your field developing over the next 5-10 years? 
I can see a movement towards low toxicity “greener” chemicals and that is where we are going right now
What’s the most unexpected thing about your job? 
The number of people who continue to ask me “which is the best bottled water to drink then?”
What’s the biggest achievement of your career so far? 
Becoming a Fellow of The Royal Society-it tells me that other people, more intelligent than I, rate what I have achieved. I also was quite humbled to read my colleagues’ references, about me. I felt very “valued”.
Life
Would you say you have a good standard of living/ work-life balance? 
Yes. I work from home and that enables me to see more of my family, than if I had a traditional office or lab type job. There are lots of my peers , that I know, leave for work at 7AM and return at 7PM , never seeing their families during the week and being too exhausted to do anything at the weekends.
What do your friends and family think about your job? 
My friends think that it is pretty complex and yet “quirky”. My family thinks that I do a very responsible job, but that it is very interesting, as it affords me the chance to experience areas of life that most people have never seen and probably will not ever see. For example, I have walked above the spent fuel rods (contained in water) in a disused nuclear reactor.
What kind of hobbies or extracurricular activities do you do to relax? 
I like to go and watch Arsenal-I have had a season ticket there for over 20 years. I also like to get out in the fresh air and do some local walking or perhaps a bit of impromptu gardening with my family!
CSci
Why did you choose to apply for CSci and what do you value most about being a Chartered Scientist? 
I chose to apply for CSci as I thought that it “extended” the professional status that I already had through CChem , across all boundaries of science and hence was a broader professional qualification. I value the fact that the CSci qualification has to be validated and revalidated-it gives it kudos.
What is the value of professional bodies? 
I think that they have great value. Amongst other things, they offer people like me , who never took the full academic route (Masters/PhD etc.) the opportunity to attain , what could be argued is a more relevant , time served qualification. They also offer a focal point for like minded professionals, to continue their progression and possibly even sow the seeds for some succession planning-something that I think, science in general has suffered from in recent years?
How important is CPD? What do you think of the revalidation process in ensuring that CSci is a mark of current competence? 
As I have intimated, I think that CPD is very important in a professional scientist’s career and I fully support the revalidation process. It gives the title “value”.
Advice & Reflection
What words of wisdom would you give someone interested in getting into your field? 
Be a self-starter. Set no limits on yourself-everything is achievable, no matter what your background.
How important is the mentoring process in your field and to you personally? 
Very important. My industry is so “unique” , that there are no formal qualifications for entry. Most of the knowledge imparted is given on the job.
How would you define “professionalism”? 
Setting yourself and those around you a set of standards and a code of ethics, which impart themselves to people that you meet.
What would you do differently if you were starting out in your career now? 
Nothing. It has all been really worthwhile and rewarding
What would you like people to remember about your life as a scientist? 
I made a difference.
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