gbeagle

I'm a recent college grad whose somewhat uncertain about the future and looking for some advice.

My original plan was to go to grad school and get a PhD in physics. However, during my senior year I came to the conclusion that graduate school in physics was not for me. So this left me with a BS in physics and no real plans for the future.

The two main options that I see are to get some kind of job or more school in another discipline. A job is my first choice (somewhat burned out on school right now), but I have been having some difficulties.

I've sent my resume to lots of places (high tech companies, defense contractors, etc.) and have gotten some interviews, however, they all wanted people whose physics background was more towardsthe materials science or electrical engineering side of things. Most of my research background was in high energy (particle accelerator experiements), and therefore not what they were looking for. This made me think that it might be useful to go back to school for electrical engineering, but I'm not sure.

So I was wondering if any posters had any advice, such as what type of companies to look into and when I find them how to sell a physics background to potential employers? I'd rather do something of a technical/scientific nature than not, but I'm open to other suggestions. Any advice from people who have been in a similar situation or have hired physics people before would be greatly appreciated.

Cynthetiq

Employers are always going to be asking for more knowledge in specific sectors, and will continue to ask that you either retrain yourself, get more training in specific technologies or procedures, certifications etc.

What kind of jobs are you applying?

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gbeagle

Sorry it took a bit for me to respond. Most of the jobs I've applied for have been with computer electronics manufactures (ram, harddrives, etc), which is what I want to end up doing. I'll likely have to go back to school to do that.

So I think that I'll just find a job for the year to get some additional experience and save up some money, and apply to electrical/computer engineering masters programs for next fall (did some research and it looks like at least for the programs that I looked at that I'd only have to make up two to three undergraduate courses to be up to speed).

Hopefully I can find something, but if not I can fall back on retail jobs for the year (parents are letting me stay with them so my costs aren't too high).

Average_Joe

I work in high tech, and the only co-workers I know that have a BS in Physics also have an MS or PhD in something as well. Not to mention, it seems like anybody with no work experience being hired by High Tech is required to have a graduate degree. That's just the nature of the high tech job market right now.

I was like you are right now, but ~15 years ago. I graduated with an engineering degree in a tough job market, but I was sick of school and had no desire to go to grad school. I must have sent out my resume to 200 companies, but got maybe 5 interviews, and all of them said I was competing with people with experience and graduate degrees.

Finally, I just went to work at a local factory working in a testing lab (this time I was competing against associates degrees with my BS degree and got hired). While there, I met the right people, and within a couple of years I was working in one of the most elite departments in the company, and I have been there ever since.

My advice would be to either bite the bullet and go to grad school (I wish I had done that now), or do what I did and start small, get known, and move up gradually.

water_bug

I am in the same place. I thought about going to grad school, but I got offered a decent paying job after I got my bachelor's. I am so sick og being in school and being a poor student that part of me wants to hold onto the job that I have, even thought it is not the job that I want.

I can't offer much advice since I am still working this out myself, but it seems that you have come to a desiscion. Good luck in the future, and now you can maybe help me lol