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Physics jobs

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  • 06-07-2004 5:16pm
    #1
    dgarrad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭


    I just finished my Experimental Physics degree,and have now realised just how unqualified I am for anything.Anybody else here in the same boat?If any of you have been in this position where did you end up working etc.And if anybody knows of any physics related jobs PLEASE tell me!!!!


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    #2
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,519 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    Welcome to my world 4 years ago. I was interviewed and offered jobs by ericsson, meteor and eircom. A friend of mine from the same degree (Physics at UCC) took a job with eircom, but not in any real technical capacity.

    I decided to pursue a PhD, but now that I'm nearing the end, I'm realising that I'm just as spectacularly unqualified as before.

    I know people from my degree have ended up working for accountancy firms. consultancy firms, one is a professional hacker, lots of network and system administrators (lots of people gain high levels of unix networks in college).


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    #3
    ApeXaviour
    Registered Users Posts: 5,523 ✭✭✭ApeXaviour


    I can kinda see where your coming from, open up the paper and you never see jobs advertised for physicists. Whereas there are RAKES of them for the chemistry/pharmacutical grads and post-grads. I woulda done chem for my degree if I didn't find it so insanely dull when compared to physics.

    Kind of a bum deal isn't it... In school I was lead to believe physics grads were being head-hunted by many screaming anonymous physics companys who payed them ridiculus amount of money to do physics.

    I recommend going to one of your college guidance counsellors, they should still be available to graduates. For an idea on what physicists go into I plucked up these stats from my own college:

    http://www.tcd.ie/Careers/student/pdphys00.htm

    http://www.tcd.ie/Careers/student/pdphys01.htm

    http://www.tcd.ie/Careers/student/pdphys02.htm

    Many go into further study of which (if you plough through the site) you find about 70% of them went straight into employment.

    Another good site is the IOP www.iop.org and go to careers.

    No offense intended whatsoever but I find it difficult to understand how you could spend 4 years studying one subject with little idea of what you were going into afterwards. What kept you going!? Am I alone with my 10 year plan with it's many contingincies? When talking to friends in my course it seems I am for the most-part.

    I wish you the very best and hope you are satisfied in your final job both intellectually and fiscally..


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    #4
    dgarrad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭dgarrad


    I had originally intended on doing a postgrad straight after college, but I got a 2:2, and the PhD. courses I applied for required a 2:1 or better. So now it looks like I'll be working for at least a year, and then I'll have to decide if I want to do a Masters or something like that.


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    #5
    ApeXaviour
    Registered Users Posts: 5,523 ✭✭✭ApeXaviour


    That a kick in the teeth.. And it's my biggest fear. Gotta study so bloody hard but I'll probably end up with a 2:2 also. If I get a 2:1 I will die of the post-results celebration..


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    #6
    shirley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭shirley


    Well i was always one of these don't go to lectures and get by on pure luck people.
    In forth year I got a first in my thesis project but a 3rd over all cause I hedged my bets in the exams.

    I then did a higher diploma in applied physics. Got top of my class and I'm now half way through my masters in cluster physics.

    There is always a back door.

    I have lots of programming and interfacing skills. And my masters provideds me with vacuum and detector experience so I'm hopping that it will be enough to give me an edge as a junior tech in itel or wyeth or something.

    Shirls


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    #7
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    The stocks/futures/finance industry is crying out for theoretical physicists at the moment. Mostly it's got to do with finance models and stock evaluation, but also as traders. It's very interesting stuff, and very well paid, if very stressful. I'm not sure how much use that is to you though, where did you do your degree, did you do much maths or applied maths in it?


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