Your a chemist?
Well, if I were you, I would at least explore the nano-technology field. You might be a good fit somewhere within the chemical branches. As of now there is a considerable vacuum in the skills base required to adequately support the projected growth rate of this industry in all of it's divisions. If you fancy a career shift to electronics, you might be set up better than you think in a chemical nano-tech position, even if it is a "lowly" lab job, because the delivery systems are often heavily electronic in nature and these two branches work closely together...often *very* closely.
The Dark Side. The chemical and bio-medical sectors of nanotech are significant fields of opportunity because there are large amounts of money waiting to be made here...which is not to say that this makes it all good. Corporate greed and the race to be first to finish will encourage products to be pushed to market before what might be considered a "responsible" "safe" trial and testing period. One may have to keep a close eye on one's moral compass in order to sleep at night. This industry is going to need real close supervision or there are going to be some spectacular cock ups. Its kinda like running with scissors. I can be done safely, but...
I don't know how young you are, but if I were doing it again, nano-tech would be where I would throw my energy. Fascinating...and scary.
Google is your friend. My hobby is mathematical statistics...which is quite disturbing, really. There are gobs of data out there to explore and I would encourage you to make use of it. You'll be surprised at the percentage of small firms in the nano-tech field...roughly 80% in my country. Can't hurt to have a look. You might like what you see.
By the way, if Dave keeps this blog thing of his going, and here's hoping he does, it will be only a matter of time, I expect, before there will be a forum dedicated to nano-electronics. Bring it on.