Another anonymous graduate student who recently completed a Ph.D. in physical chemistry, specializing in nanotechnology, tells C&EN: “I’ve sent out a total of about 60 applications to various companies that either listed nanotech-related Ph.D.-level positions or where my skill set could be applicable in other ways. I have yet to hear back about a single application.”

The student believes that the hype around nanotech isn’t matched by jobs. “I got stuck holding the bag with a Ph.D. that qualifies me for academic research and not much else,” he says. “Basically, my options at the moment seem to be to postdoc forever or to quit science, neither of which is very appealing.”