How Can a PhD Physicist Find Better Paying Jobs in North East England?

[GCarty]

I have a 1st class Physics degree and a PhD, but I'm only earning £18,900 per year in my current computer programming job even though I've been in the job for 4 years (possible due to the company having cash flow problems last year).

Does anyone know how I could find better paid work in North East England, preferably more appropriate to my academic background? I don't want to relocate unless I have absolutely no alternative.

For more information, you can view my CV at gcarty (dot) awardspace (dot) com (slash) cv (slash) CV (dot) html .

 

[turbo]

What options have you explored? Chances are that you can make more money (if that is your main goal) in another position, but chasing that goal might not be best for you in the long term.

Career is more important than job, IMO. The problem is that it can be hard to differentiate them. I jumped from one job to another over the years but ended up with a pretty lucrative career (overall). Luckily, I have a wife who was always willing to roll with punches and stick with me. We always did pretty well, and years of making 6-figure incomes fattened up our retirement funds pretty well.

If you want more income and expect to spend it as you earn it, you'll be no better off, overall. Just my opinion.

 

[meldraft]

What was your PhD on? Your link does not work for some reason I am an engineer, but from my experience physicists can get paid quite handsomely for some types of lab/experimental experience. Also, physical modelling skills can land you a decent job as well. I am moving to England this year, so I do not yet know very much about the north part, but I have read that you can land pretty decent incomes in the industries in the south (but you probably know that already).

Regardless, it seriously depends on what you know, and what you want to be doing in your life. For example, I have been 2 years in a pretty bad-paying job, just to beef up my CV, and now I'll be doing a PhD, so income will be low for the next 4 years. I plan to cash my PhD in gold once i finish though

 

[ParticleGrl]

I plan to cash my PhD in gold once i finish though

Good luck with that. I don't many physics phds who even got to keep doing physics- let alone actually make a decent income doing it.

To the original poster- you have programming and mathematical experience, look into data mining. There are lots of job postings, and currently openings seems to be growing faster than job seekers, so opportunities are good once you have a foot in the door.

 

[meldraft]

Good luck with that. I don't many physics phds who even got to keep doing physics- let alone actually make a decent income doing it.

Indeed, but I am not a physicist

To the original poster- you have programming and mathematical experience, look into data mining. There are lots of job postings, and currently openings seems to be growing faster than job seekers, so opportunities are good once you have a foot in the door.

Good suggestion. PhDs are also becoming increasingly popular in managerial tasks because they are considered to be adaptable and naturally oriented towards solving problems not encountered before. As far as I know, pure programming does not usually pay well anymore, since there is vast amount of cheap labor from India, China etc. Without looking at your CV I can't really say, but you probably know much more than a programmer, so try to make use of this. You could search for a job in an R&D department (where having a PhD is becoming the norm), or do simulations in the industry. Since you didn't mention it you are probably not interested, but post-docs in England can earn about 22,000-33,000 pounds a year, or in some cases more, depending on the project (at least in London, where I know some examples).

I have been employed in several different (Mechanical, Industrial Design, Chemical) engineering faculties, so my 3 cents is this: don't stick to physics jobs just because you have a physics degree. Check jobs that are advertised for other disciplines as well, if you think you have the qualifications

 

[StatGuy2000]

What was your PhD on? Your link does not work for some reason I am an engineer, but from my experience physicists can get paid quite handsomely for some types of lab/experimental experience. Also, physical modelling skills can land you a decent job as well. I am moving to England this year, so I do not yet know very much about the north part, but I have read that you can land pretty decent incomes in the industries in the south (but you probably know that already).

Regardless, it seriously depends on what you know, and what you want to be doing in your life. For example, I have been 2 years in a pretty bad-paying job, just to beef up my CV, and now I'll be doing a PhD, so income will be low for the next 4 years. I plan to cash my PhD in gold once i finish though

meldraft, I have just manually entered the OP's link and was able to view his CV without any problems, and his PhD was in physics (GCarty, from the title of your thesis, it sounds like you had focused your research in condensed-matter physics -- correct me if I'm mistaken, as I'm not a physicist).

 

[StatGuy2000]

GCarty, besides your current employer, are there many other technology companies in the North East of England? I have read elsewhere that many technology firms in England are heavily concentrated in London and the immediate surrounding areas, with sizable clusters also in university towns such as Oxford or Cambridge (with emerging hubs in Bristol and Liverpool) -- am I correct about this?

I'm also curious about whether you contacted any of your past colleagues in graduate school about possible opportunities. Perhaps networking with them might provide some other opportunities that you can explore.

I would also suggest that you explore opportunities with LinkedIn and other online job sites and see if there are technology companies out there that might provide you with the option of telecommuting (the previous firm I worked for had a large IT department based in Maidenhead, England, but with employees from across the UK, with many working from home).

 

[meldraft]

Ah yes, the link was case sensitive, I can see the CV now You have a really cool job, I'm a little shocked that you get paid so little for this, but I guess that this confirms what I have been reading about competition from India, China etc.

If you want to remain in the video game industry, maybe London and the surrounding area is a better choice, as StatGuy suggested. I think Eidos and Square Enix are based in London and there are also developer studios in Essex, Luton and Shefield. The larger the studio, the larger the budget and, of course, the fees (usually).

In your line of work you probably already know where the big players are, but just in case check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_publishers

Given your background though, if you are interested in a career shift, you could really try to capitalize on your studies. I would bet that there are many more people who know about graphics engines than about modelling superconductors. People with your profile often find great positions in software companies that develop simulation/scientific software, such as ANSYS, Solidworks, or even Mathematica. With institutions such as Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial, chances are that there is a big (or elite) developer in England.

The last thing that comes to mind is, again universities. With so many universities in England, you can probably find a better paying job even as a post-doc. I would bet that you would be very welcome in a computer science faculty, or any engineering faculty that deals with graphics. In my previous faculty, we were using NVIDIA SLI to run code for aircraft optimization, and we could have really used someone who knows the API. This is a very promising and developing field in numerical optimization, so check it out . Try checking engineering faculties and see their research subjects. Maybe this is your best chance of finding something in North England.

 

[GCarty]

Since you didn't mention it you are probably not interested, but post-docs in England can earn about 22,000-33,000 pounds a year, or in some cases more, depending on the project (at least in London, where I know some examples).

The main reason I focused my job-hunting (starting at the beginning of 2007) on IT was because I though my chances of finding scientific work or post-doc opportunities in North-East England were virtually nil. Durham University -- where I did my PhD -- is the only local university to even have a physics department for example. Is my lack of geographical mobility THE main stumbling block to me getting a better job in your view?

My parents STILL don't want me to leave them even though I'm now 32, and they depend on me to get their groceries anyway, as since January I've been the only driver in the house (my dad had a stroke which left him unable to drive).

meldraft, I have just manually entered the OP's link and was able to view his CV without any problems, and his PhD was in physics (GCarty, from the title of your thesis, it sounds like you had focused your research in condensed-matter physics -- correct me if I'm mistaken, as I'm not a physicist).

To be exact, I was running computer simulations of superconductors -- different from the rest of my research group who experimented on the real thing :p

GCarty, besides your current employer, are there many other technology companies in the North East of England? I have read elsewhere that many technology firms in England are heavily concentrated in London and the immediate surrounding areas, with sizable clusters also in university towns such as Oxford or Cambridge (with emerging hubs in Bristol and Liverpool) -- am I correct about this?

I know Ubi Soft has an operation in the North East, and Sage (which does financial software) is also based in Newcastle, but you're right that the majority of UK technology companies are based in London, Cambridge or the M4 corridor -- at least that's the impression I get from the recruiters who have phoned me up after seeing my CV online...

I would also suggest that you explore opportunities with LinkedIn and other online job sites and see if there are technology companies out there that might provide you with the option of telecommuting (the previous firm I worked for had a large IT department based in Maidenhead, England, but with employees from across the UK, with many working from home).

Yes, I've registered with LinkedIn (as well as putting my CV on Monster and JobSite).

 

[Choppy]

My parents STILL don't want me to leave them even though I'm now 32, and they depend on me to get their groceries anyway, as since January I've been the only driver in the house (my dad had a stroke which left him unable to drive).

It's tough to be a caregiver, or at least the one person who is generally depended upon. But you also have a right to your own life. If this is the only thing that's stopping you, one option might be to move your entire family. First find a job you're happy with. Then find a place that's close to it. If your parents need/want your help, they can move with you.

I've registered with LinkedIn (as well as putting my CV on Monster and JobSite).

As another tip, it's important to remember that this is passive job-hunting. There are much more active methods of job hunting that are likely to generate more desirable results faster. These include job-shadowing, attending conferences, volunteering, even cold-calling.

 

[twofish-quant]

Does anyone know how I could find better paid work in North East England, preferably more appropriate to my academic background? I don't want to relocate unless I have absolutely no alternative.

Something that I found to be true is that high paying Ph.D. jobs tend to be clustered in certain areas. In England, there are a ton of jobs in London.

How is the commute between London and NE England. One thing that I found out was that it was feasible (and in fact cheaper than moving there) to commute between Texas and NYC.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Something that I found to be true is that high paying Ph.D. jobs tend to be clustered in certain areas. In England, there are a ton of jobs in London.

How is the commute between London and NE England. One thing that I found out was that it was feasible (and in fact cheaper than moving there) to commute between Texas and NYC.

I may be mistaken about this, but from what I understand, it is very rare for people who live cities/towns in the northern England (geographically and to a certain extent culturally closer to Scotland than to London or the rest of southern England) to commute to London for work.

I have always had the impression that the English have very deeply rooted cultural ties to the particular city/town/region they are born in, to a far greater extent than Americans or Canadians (in fact, it is more common for people from England to emigrate to the US, Canada, Australia, or elsewhere than to move to different cities within England).

 

[Rika]

Is my lack of geographical mobility THE main stumbling block to me getting a better job in your view?

Isn't it obvious? C'mon dude - you earn only 30% more than pizza delivery man and you are a programmer. Programmers are gods of job market nowadays so your situation is kinda pitful. Do you need to starve in order to move on?

And why did u choose gamedev in a first place if you have no passion for that? You could earn much more money with web/business programming.

 

[meldraft]

I would suggest you starting your own company but you don't have guts for this anyway.

Your post makes a point, but this (and other things) are uncalled for. Love for one's parents is nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Isn't it obvious? C'mon dude - you earn only 30% more than pizza delivery man and you are a programmer. Programmers are gods of job market nowadays so your situation is kinda pitful. Do you need to starve in order to move on?

And why did u choose gamedev in a first place if you have no passion for that? You could earn much more money with web/business programming.

Rika, your post is both rude and uncalled for. A close friend of mine has elderly parents with health problems and being an only child she feels that she has a responsibility to help care for them, so I understand the OP's desire to live close to his parents and look after them.

 

[turbo]

Rika, your post is both rude and uncalled for. A close friend of mine has elderly parents with health problems and being an only child she feels that she has a responsibility to help care for them, so I understand the OP's desire to live close to his parents and look after them.

I never moved from here in part because I love Maine, and in part because my father is a widower in his mid-80s and my wife's mother is alone and in her mid-90s. We have to attend to family. The social "safety-net" that that the right (in the US) wants to eliminate really doesn't tend to the poor and the elderly like it should. They earned the help, and they are not getting it.

 

[meldraft]

They earned the help, and they are not getting it.

I really like this sentence . I don't think we are helping the OP any more though

 

[gravenewworld]

Welcome to the world of science. You're lucky you have a full time job. Many companies in industry now only higher temp workers. That way they never have to pay for health insurance or retirement benefits, meanwhile you have to roam around like a nomad from job to job every six months to a year.

 

[meldraft]

This is pretty grim. Even now, there are a lot of opportunities for permanent employment, especially for people with a PhD (hell, you can be employed for life if you are tenured).

 

[GCarty]

Rika, your post is both rude and uncalled for. A close friend of mine has elderly parents with health problems and being an only child she feels that she has a responsibility to help care for them, so I understand the OP's desire to live close to his parents and look after them.

Your post makes a point, but this (and other things) are uncalled for. Love for one's parents is nothing to be ashamed of.

It's extremely difficult to overstate how utterly hellish my mother's life is! I have an autistic sister (now 24), and my father hasn't worked for 20 years. He was reluctant to look for work initially because he felt he was needed to take my sister for hospital appointments etc, and ended up making himself unemployable!

On the one hand I feel an inordinate yearning to get my own place and escape from the madness of my home life, but on the other I feel that to do so would be in effect to knife my mother in the back. She had no part in my father's fecklessness (including that which led to his brain haemorrhage -- both she and I sensed something was wrong and were begging him to go to the doctor) and she always spends money on myself and my sister to the near-limit of her ability. She'd probably think "I've done everything I could for you, and now you want to run away when it's time to give something back in return?? How dare you!"

If I got my own place but stayed in the North East I'd still be willing to take her for groceries, but she's started dreaming about nice houses and I know I almost certainly couldn't find a well-paid enough job locally to buy her a house and pay for (either mortgage or rent) a place of my own!

If this is the only thing that's stopping you, one option might be to move your entire family.

Given what houses cost down south, how could I possibly afford this? My dad's been unemployed for 20 years (see above). Anyway, I wish I could get away from my family. I looked at some houses in Peterlee (nearest town) thinking that if I could buy them a house there (within walking distance of shops) they wouldn't need me anymore to take them shopping and I would be free to find my own place. However, I printed a list of about 60 properties within my budget and my mother said none of them was big enough! She also suggested that if I left they couldn't afford to even maintain the house even if I bought it outright for them, and that they didn't think I'd be capable of living independently anyway (probably because of various mental health issues I have -- nervous behaviours such as biting fingers being one of the main ones...)

One thing that I found out was that it was feasible (and in fact cheaper than moving there) to commute between Texas and NYC.

I'm no environmentalist (check out some of my posts in the pro-nuclear power blogosphere) but even I would shudder at the carbon footprint left by a Texas-NYC commuter!

I have always had the impression that the English have very deeply rooted cultural ties to the particular city/town/region they are born in, to a far greater extent than Americans or Canadians (in fact, it is more common for people from England to emigrate to the US, Canada, Australia, or elsewhere than to move to different cities within England).

True, and nowhere more so than the North East!

Isn't it obvious? C'mon dude - you earn only 30% more than pizza delivery man and you are a programmer. Programmers are gods of job market nowadays so your situation is kinda pitiful. Do you need to starve in order to move on?

My mother has often taunted me by saying that I'm barely better off than my cousin (who's in a minimum wage job) once my commuting costs (25 miles each way, more or less) are taken into account. And back in last July, when I put my CV back online as I was expecting to be made redundant -- I got phone calls from recruiters saying "you could be making over £30k/year down south"...

And why did u choose gamedev in a first place if you have no passion for that? You could earn much more money with web/business programming.

I didn't really "choose gamedev" per se.

My first attempt at getting a job after my viva (that's "thesis defense" for you Yanks) was at Scott Logic Ltd, which writes financial web applications. I was there for two months on trial at the end of 2006, but failed to keep the job. Perhaps it's because even back then Lehman Brothers -- then Scott Logic's main client -- was in trouble. Perhaps it's because banks were increasingly moving development in-house, or perhaps my own soft skills weren't up to scratch. I'm not sure which was the most important factor...

In 2007 I got about half a dozen interviews for IT jobs, in various fields. I think my hobby of developing freeware instrument panels for Microsoft Flight Simulator (in the portfolio linked from my online CV, you'll see some screenshots of these -- alternatively google "Historic Jetliners Group" for samples of my work) may have helped me get my foot in the door with a games developer.

 

[StatGuy2000]

It's extremely difficult to overstate how utterly hellish my mother's life is! I have an autistic sister (now 24), and my father hasn't worked for 20 years. He was reluctant to look for work initially because he felt he was needed to take my sister for hospital appointments etc, and ended up making himself unemployable!

On the one hand I feel an inordinate yearning to get my own place and escape from the madness of my home life, but on the other I feel that to do so would be in effect to knife my mother in the back. She had no part in my father's fecklessness (including that which led to his brain haemorrhage -- both she and I sensed something was wrong and were begging him to go to the doctor) and she always spends money on myself and my sister to the near-limit of her ability. She'd probably think "I've done everything I could for you, and now you want to run away when it's time to give something back in return?? How dare you!"

If I got my own place but stayed in the North East I'd still be willing to take her for groceries, but she's started dreaming about nice houses and I know I almost certainly couldn't find a well-paid enough job locally to buy her a house and pay for (either mortgage or rent) a place of my own!
Given what houses cost down south, how could I possibly afford this? My dad's been unemployed for 20 years (see above). Anyway, I wish I could get away from my family. I looked at some houses in Peterlee (nearest town) thinking that if I could buy them a house there (within walking distance of shops) they wouldn't need me anymore to take them shopping and I would be free to find my own place. However, I printed a list of about 60 properties within my budget and my mother said none of them was big enough! She also suggested that if I left they couldn't afford to even maintain the house even if I bought it outright for them, and that they didn't think I'd be capable of living independently anyway (probably because of various mental health issues I have -- nervous behaviours such as biting fingers being one of the main ones...)
I'm no environmentalist (check out some of my posts in the pro-nuclear power blogosphere) but even I would shudder at the carbon footprint left by a Texas-NYC commuter!
True, and nowhere more so than the North East!
My mother has often taunted me by saying that I'm barely better off than my cousin (who's in a minimum wage job) once my commuting costs (25 miles each way, more or less) are taken into account. And back in last July, when I put my CV back online as I was expecting to be made redundant -- I got phone calls from recruiters saying "you could be making over £30k/year down south"...
I didn't really "choose gamedev" per se.

My first attempt at getting a job after my viva (that's "thesis defense" for you Yanks) was at Scott Logic Ltd, which writes financial web applications. I was there for two months on trial at the end of 2006, but failed to keep the job. Perhaps it's because even back then Lehman Brothers -- then Scott Logic's main client -- was in trouble. Perhaps it's because banks were increasingly moving development in-house, or perhaps my own soft skills weren't up to scratch. I'm not sure which was the most important factor...

In 2007 I got about half a dozen interviews for IT jobs, in various fields. I think my hobby of developing freeware instrument panels for Microsoft Flight Simulator (in the portfolio linked from my online CV, you'll see some screenshots of these -- alternatively google "Historic Jetliners Group" for samples of my work) may have helped me get my foot in the door with a games developer.

If it is not practical for you to relocate away from the North East England, then perhaps seeking telecommuting positions may be your best option (telecommuting is quite common in the IT sector and is increasingly common in both Canada and the US, and as I've indicated earlier, it is becoming more common in the UK as well). Speak to recruiters and inquire about such opportunities.

Of course, another option would be to seek positions in and emigrate from the UK, bringing your entire family with you, to places like Canada, Australia or New Zealand (all countries that are doing relatively well given the current economic climate, and with a long-standing history since the colonial period of absorbing immigrants).

 

[meldraft]

There is really no need to defend your position, your reasons are your own and well-respected. I really feel that it's not my (or anyone's for that matter) place to tell you what to do in your life, but since you are stating your problem to us, I would like to share my experience with the hope that you will find it helpful.

The one useful point that Rika's post made was (although very badly stated) that at some point you will have to make a choice. It may not be today, or in 5 years, but if at some point you want a family and a life that is truly your own, you will have to satisfy your yearning. And it will be even harder to leave home as more years pass, because your parents will grow older.

I come from a country that is slowly being destroyed, and I can tell you first hand that leaving your parents back home while things are going crazy is not easy, and you never really stop worrying about what might happen. My mother told me however to go, since I cannot make my life based on what they might need, but based on what will make me happy. So I left the country for a place with more hope. I wish that my decision had been whether I should move to a different city or not. I do not just let them fend for themselves, and if they ever truly need me more, I will either return to help them out, or move them abroad with me.

I am certain that your mother loves you and wants you to be happy, so she is very unlikely to think that you are stabbing her in the back. You can still help and provide financial and moral support, even if you are living further away. The only thing you are truly risking in my opinion is the chance that you might turn bitter in a few years, thinking you were held back and spent some of the best years of your life in something you didn't really want. Besides, setting up a career and getting better salaries would help you ensure a much better life for your parents and that is your goal, isn't it?

In any case, this is the end of my little rant, I would just like to give you an advice: Discuss your problem with your parents, see what they think. You might be surprised at what they tell you

 

[GCarty]

I've also asked about these problems of mine on WrongPlanet.net (it's in The Haven, and the thread title is "Is there anything I can do about my mother's life of hell?"), in case anyone wants to cross-reference the threads.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the council will be ripping the house apart sometime in the next month to upgrade the heating! (And given how tightly packed the upstairs rooms in particular are with stuff, I don't see how we can cope at all!)

My mother gets angry with me because I don't want to spend time with her! (But that's because I have a feeling that she just wants to use me as an emotional punching bag...) She often says "why do you think you can put things right by throwing money at them -- money which you HAVEN'T EVEN WORKED FOR! It's TIME and AFFECTION which I want!"

 

[StatGuy2000]

I've also asked about these problems of mine on WrongPlanet.net (it's in The Haven, and the thread title is "Is there anything I can do about my mother's life of hell?"), in case anyone wants to cross-reference the threads.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the council will be ripping the house apart sometime in the next month to upgrade the heating! (And given how tightly packed the upstairs rooms in particular are with stuff, I don't see how we can cope at all!)

My mother gets angry with me because I don't want to spend time with her! (But that's because I have a feeling that she just wants to use me as an emotional punching bag...)

meldraft said it best that at some point you have to make a choice as to whether you want to give up all your ambitions for the sake of your parents, or start to make some ambitions for yourself and live your own life. After all, you are still able to support your parents financially even if you don't live with them.

If your mother does not understand your need to do this at this stage, then I'm afraid she may never will, but you cannot let that hold you back. Obviously, if you can find better employment close to where you currently live in the North East of England (which might be difficult given the current UK economy), then all is good. However, if you have no other choice but to relocate for a better work and life for yourself, you should not hesitate.

 

[GCarty]

meldraft said it best that at some point you have to make a choice as to whether you want to give up all your ambitions for the sake of your parents, or start to make some ambitions for yourself and live your own life. After all, you are still able to support your parents financially even if you don't live with them.

Is there anything I could do before I got my own place to ensure that my mother would still have someone to talk to (other than my dad with all his mental problems resulting from the brain haemorrhage)? Her parents are both dead, her brother and my dad's parents want nothing to do with us, and she has no friends...

 

[StatGuy2000]

Is there anything I could do before I got my own place to ensure that my mother would still have someone to talk to (other than my dad with all his mental problems resulting from the brain haemorrhage)? Her parents are both dead, her brother and her dad's parents want nothing to do with us, and she has no friends...

What does your mother do in her spare time? Does your mother have any hobbies that she enjoys doing for herself? My mother enjoys knitting and sewing; she even knitted me the winter hat which I wear during the cold Canadian winters to this day! :-)

I would kindly suggest you discuss with her about taking up such hobbies, if she doesn't do so already, as this would give her some activity that could engage her, and make her feel less lonely. I'm positive there are also knitting classes available that she could join (the English are famous for their yarn, so there should be no shortage of places to study knitting), and this could give her an opportunity to make new friends.

 

[GCarty]

I'm positive there are also knitting classes available that she could join (the English are famous for their yarn, so there should be no shortage of places to study knitting), and this could give her an opportunity to make new friends.

That could be a problem as I live in a former mining village with very few amenities, and if I left home there'd be no-one there who could drive, and she's unwilling or unable to pay to travel by bus...

 

[ParticleGrl]

Honestly, it sounds like the stress of the situation isn't doing much to help anything. You and your mother both should maybe try to find some sort of outlet from your stress (outside of each other). Personally, I've always found too much stress keeps me from functioning well enough to deal with problems of any kind.

As for work, look for telecommuting options, as some others have suggested- if you can't move, do whatever you can to raise your income without leaving home. The money will give you more flexibility in dealing with the other problems.

 

[meldraft]

To quote something from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, when you help someone, you often deprive them of the opportunity to grow and become able to fend for themselves. As much as you love someone, you sometimes need to take a step back and let them learn how to deal with life's difficulties without your help. Just because you are younger and you may always be there, it doesn't mean that you should. That is not the role of children

 

[mayonaise]

I used to be a racing game dev, too. We would envy you British people because you have all those good studios such as Codemasters, SMS, Black Rock and Bizarre Creations (now Playground?) We never knew how much you guys were paid, though, until I read your story. Anyway, I'm just another gamedev coming to say hi.

 

[GCarty]

As if things couldn't get any worse, the council will be ripping the house apart sometime in the next month to upgrade the heating! (And given how tightly packed the upstairs rooms in particular are with stuff, I don't see how we can cope at all!)

At least that's been canceled now, thank goodness!

(When the housing officers came on Monday to have a look at our situation, it probably helped a great deal that one of them himself had a 14-year old autistic son.)

 

[phylotree]

An apparent case people experience is after they could land on some kind of jobs, they would need work to do; so, if they are assigned with too many tasks, they'll be buried and complain that they are probably being ill-treated; but if they have nothing to do, they may become bored of their current jobs. Oh well, I have met an accountant who was asked to create a payment request in a single page of MS Word, and it took her the whole day to do just that.
In daily routine at the company, there are tasks/works we never want to do because they are dumb and boring but that only happens when we work for others.

 

[turbo]

As suggested earlier, GCarty, is there any way you can can telecommute so you can stay physically close, yet earn more money? One of my neighbors is a programmer who has lots of clients in the Boston area, yet he can stay in Maine for much of the time and do upgrades, etc from here. I wish his wife could do the same because my wife and I like them both and would love to have them as permanent neighbors, not part-timers. Some jobs are not amenable to telecommuting, but you may be able to work into a position that is. Good luck.

 

[mal4mac]

I have a 1st class Physics degree and a PhD, but I'm only earning £18,900 per year in my current computer programming job even though I've been in the job for 4 years (possible due to the company having cash flow problems last year).

Does anyone know how I could find better paid work in North East England, preferably more appropriate to my academic background? I don't want to relocate unless I have absolutely no alternative.

For more information, you can view my CV at gcarty (dot) awardspace (dot) com (slash) cv (slash) CV (dot) html .

See if the local universities are offering any programming jobs. You should be able to (at least!) start on what you are earning now. Then there is an automatic increment each year, and maybe a bonus as well (plus generous final salary pension...) With a PhD you might even be able to move onto the academic side of things, if you do research-oriented programming.
Try searching jobs.ac.uk. Don't be put off by "fixed term contract", once you are in and if you do your job(!), then permanent contracts usually follow.

 

[GCarty]

Three questions I'd like to ask:

1. What could I do in my spare time after work that could improve my earning potential?
2. If I was able to relocate in the future, what opportunities could I as a physics PhD pursue that would give me a good chance of £50k+/year earnings? (I know about quantitative finance, but any others?)
3. What should I do if my parents start humiliating me by pointing to non-graduates on salaries far higher than my own? (Such as the Tyne and Wear Metro drivers going on strike tomorrow, who are on £32k/year, or £37k/year if they do overtime...)

 

[StatGuy2000]

Three questions I'd like to ask:

1. What could I do in my spare time after work that could improve my earning potential?
2. If I was able to relocate in the future, what opportunities could I as a physics PhD pursue that would give me a good chance of £50k+/year earnings? (I know about quantitative finance, but any others?)
3. What should I do if my parents start humiliating me by pointing to non-graduates on salaries far higher than my own? (Such as the Tyne and Wear Metro drivers going on strike tomorrow, who are on £32k/year, or £37k/year if they do overtime...)

Here are my answers to your question (you can take these answers for what they are worth):

(1) Since you already have skills as a programmer as well as a physics PhD (in the area of simulations), I would suggest expanding your portfolio in programming into numerical simulations and the like. Another thing in your spare time that could improve your earning potential would be to learn more about statistics or machine learning, as data mining and analytics are increasingly in demand.

(2) You have already pointed out quantitative finance. I'm only vaguely aware of the economic situation in the UK apart from what I have read in the Economist, but some as I've pointed out in (1), data mining/business analytics may be one lucrative area you could pursue. You could also try your hand at statistical programming for pharmaceutical companies or contractors.

(3) I would ignore anything your parents say regarding salaries of others, as it is none of their concern what you earn so long as you are gainfully employed in an area that utilizes your skills, and you earn the salary that makes you feel good. I don't want to speak ill of other's parents or families, but it seems to me that your parents come across (at least from your description of them) as incredibly selfish, without any regards to your happiness. If that is the case (and I apologize in advance if I'm mistaken), then it is best to keep as much of an emotional distance between them as possible, even while living with them. You are an adult, and should take stock in and be proud of your own achievements, and do not feel that you owe anyone anything for them.

 

[GCarty]

(1) Since you already have skills as a programmer as well as a physics PhD (in the area of simulations), I would suggest expanding your portfolio in programming into numerical simulations and the like. Another thing in your spare time that could improve your earning potential would be to learn more about statistics or machine learning, as data mining and analytics are increasingly in demand.

(2) You have already pointed out quantitative finance. I'm only vaguely aware of the economic situation in the UK apart from what I have read in the Economist, but some as I've pointed out in (1), data mining/business analytics may be one lucrative area you could pursue. You could also try your hand at statistical programming for pharmaceutical companies or contractors.

Data mining sounds interesting -- where would you recommend I look if I was interested in finding out more info? Also, what kind of statistics stuff would you recommend I look at? I currently only know the basics -- mean, variance and standard deviation; binomial, Poisson and normal distributions; linear regression...

(3) I would ignore anything your parents say regarding salaries of others, as it is none of their concern what you earn so long as you are gainfully employed in an area that utilizes your skills, and you earn the salary that makes you feel good.

I don't really feel that my current position fully uses my skills -- the only sort-of-higher maths I use is a bit of vector algebra...

I don't want to speak ill of other's parents or families, but it seems to me that your parents come across (at least from your description of them) as incredibly selfish, without any regards to your happiness.

What makes you say that? As I've already mentioned, my mother is living a total life of hell! (I'm not so bothered about my father, as his problems are largely self-inflicted, unlike my mother's.) What would you suggest I do about my mother's two main problems that currently prevent me from getting my own place? (Namely, her need for a driver to take her to buy groceries, and her extreme isolation and loneliness.)

The fact that at least two people here (correct me if I'm wrong) have clutched at straws by suggesting "telecommuting" suggests that inability to relocate would be a HUGE drag on my prospects...

 

[StatGuy2000]

Data mining sounds interesting -- where would you recommend I look if I was interested in finding out more info? Also, what kind of statistics stuff would you recomment I look at? I currently only know the basics -- mean, variance and standard deviation; binomial, Poisson and normal distributions; linear regression...

Here is a link with a list of various books dealing with data mining, recommended by experts.

http://www.albionresearch.com/books/data_mining.php

In addition, if you are willing to learn more about applied statistics, I would further recommend these books:

The R Book, by Michael J. Crawley (this is a book that gives an introduction to the R programming language, frequently used by statisticians)

Modern Applied Statistics with S-plus, by Venables & Ripley (the applied stats textbook I used, using the S-plus programming language, which is practically identical to R)

There are many other books and online references on statistics, too many to list (you can find many through a quick Google search); if I think of other good books, I'll pass it along to you.

What makes you say that? As I've already mentioned, my mother is living a total life of hell! (I'm not so bothered about my father, as his problems are largely self-inflicted, unlike my mother's...)

I apologize if I offended you in any way. I do not know your parents, and it was unfair of me to judge their situation without being in your shoes. It's just that you were concerned about your parents humiliating you, and I just cannot imagine my parents ever doing this to me (I have a very warm, close relationship with my parents, so I am clearly biased on this issue).

My point earlier (which I admit I did not convey in the best manner) was that you shouldn't be too concerned about what your parents say about your salary or your work, and that you should take stock in your achievements, and in what you can achieve in the future.

 

[GCarty]

Another question -- why does the village next to mine seem to have had so many posh £200k+ houses built there recently? There must be some well-paid local jobs, or they'd never be able to sell such houses!

 

[turbo]

Another question -- why does the village next to mine seem to have had so many posh £200k+ houses built there recently? There must be some well-paid local jobs, or they'd never be able to sell such houses!

Not necessarily. Many years ago, my wife and I bought a big house in a nice neighborhood. I was planning to move into consulting work and I wanted her to have a nice place in a "safe" neighborhood with close neighbors, so I could feel that she was secure when I was half a country away for several days or a week at a time. Virtually everybody in that neighborhood were dual-income families.

Most had no kids (at least for a long time), so it was a nice quiet place to live. Our neighbors included the chief accountant for the local paper mill, senior engineer in another paper mill, a couple of tenured school-teachers, the owner of a trucking company, the local postmaster, commercial real-estate appraiser, the senior credit manager for the local bank, and others.

Some of those jobs were local, and some of them (mine, especially) required lots of travel. People don't always live near their work. In the US, many people with access to public transportation move out of inner cities and buy places in the suburbs and put up with the commute. If you study the growth in the population of southern Maine, you would find that many of the "new" people commute to Boston. This has been enhanced by the implementation of the "Down-Easter program by AMTRAK. People can read, make notes, and work on their laptops while riding. Lots of impressive houses in that area, but on Boston salaries they are relatively affordable.

 

[GCarty]

Eh, by "local" I meant "within about 50 miles or so" (surely greater distances than this wouldn't be practical to commute?)

 

[turbo]

Eh, by "local" I meant "within about 50 miles or so" (surely greater distances than this wouldn't be practical to commute?)

That depends on the availability of public transport. Belfast, Maine is not really "local" to Boston MA, but AMTRAK makes it practical.

 

[meldraft]

In the UK, London to Cambridge or Oxford is also a very frequent choice for telecommuting.

 

[mdxyz]

I think your real problem is the personal situation between you and your parents, and this isn't really something that a physics board can or should attempt to solve.

From a personal perspective, I think you need to move out. Your parents are not going to die without you. The state will provide for their basic needs, and your presence is not really alleviating their health problems. What it is doing is destroying your own life. You are tied in a part of the country that there are basically no high tech jobs, living your life for your parents who apparently make fun of how little you earn! There comes a point where this is no longer your responsibility, especially if you have already given them the last decade and a half.

Obvious next step is to apply for IT jobs in the South East.

 

[GCarty]

You are tied in a part of the country that there are basically no high tech jobs, living your life for your parents who apparently make fun of how little you earn!

Saying that is making me regret my choice of degree! I basically went into physics because physics and maths were my best school subjects, and because I was told (by my A-level physics teacher) that engineering was undervalued in Britain. Why was I so dumb not to ask if there'd be a well-paid local job at the end of it?

I started university at 16 (which no doubt meant I was immature then) but I must have already had an inkling by 20 -- one reason I had for doing a PhD is that I thought that a few extra years may have made my parents more open to my leaving home (it didn't -- they still didn't think I could manage my own place...)

 

[Locrian]

I started university at 16 (which no doubt meant I was immature then) but I must have already had an inkling by 20 -- one reason I had for doing a PhD is that I thought that a few extra years may have made my parents more open to my leaving home (it didn't -- they still didn't think I could manage my own place...)

Shoulda proved them wrong.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Saying that is making me regret my choice of degree! I basically went into physics because physics and maths were my best school subjects, and because I was told (by my A-level physics teacher) that engineering was undervalued in Britain. Why was I so dumb not to ask if there'd be a well-paid local job at the end of it?

I started university at 16 (which no doubt meant I was immature then) but I must have already had an inkling by 20 -- one reason I had for doing a PhD is that I thought that a few extra years may have made my parents more open to my leaving home (it didn't -- they still didn't think I could manage my own place...)

In my opinion, going back and regretting the choices you made about your degree is pointless. At this point, I can only repeat what others have said in telling you that staying with your parents is not doing you (or for that matter them) any good. I think the best thing you can do for yourself is to move out, and then find employment which is higher-paying or more fulfilling. If you really do want to stay with your family, then seeking a telecommuting position is another option to consider.

And frankly, you should stop doubting whether you will be able to make it on your own. Your are a grown man, and any healthy adult that does not suffer a physical disability has the capacity and ability to live on their own.

 

[Windowmaker]

Don't go into physics. if you like the subject go into engineering, where you can feed yourself.

 

[mdxyz]

Saying that is making me regret my choice of degree! I basically went into physics because physics and maths were my best school subjects, and because I was told (by my A-level physics teacher) that engineering was undervalued in Britain. Why was I so dumb not to ask if there'd be a well-paid local job at the end of it?

I didn't say there were no well-paying physics-related jobs, I said there were no well-paying physics jobs in the North East. There is very little of anything in the North East, but especially high tech and professional stuff, largely because professionals don't want to live in places like Hull. It would not be dramatically different in engineering, though finance is even more London-centric than everything else, so maybe a little.

That said, you'd be earning a lot more than £18k just by becoming a physics teacher at a secondary school, and that doesn't require a PhD and isn't too sensitive to location. You've undersold yourself quite a lot here, I guess because your company realizes you are going to stay no matter what.

I started university at 16 (which no doubt meant I was immature then) but I must have already had an inkling by 20 -- one reason I had for doing a PhD is that I thought that a few extra years may have made my parents more open to my leaving home (it didn't -- they still didn't think I could manage my own place...)

At 22, let alone at 32, you do not need your parents' permission to move out. This is a much much bigger problem you have than anything to do with what subject you studied or your career. If you want to stay with them at your own expense out of kindness, and that is your free choice, then that is one thing. But you are at a point in your life where if you don't want to do that, you have to just tell them you are leaving, and then leave.

 

[GCarty]

That said, you'd be earning a lot more than £18k just by becoming a physics teacher at a secondary school, and that doesn't require a PhD and isn't too sensitive to location.

I don't think I'm teacher material -- in fact one of my work mates actually tried teaching (maths) for a year, but couldn't stand it.

At 22, let alone at 32, you do not need your parents' permission to move out.

"Permission" isn't really the appropriate word to use -- it's more a case of not wanting to add to my mother's already considerable worries.

Before my dad had his brain haemorrhage, I got the impression that (I have a fair bit of money in the bank, mostly inherited from my grandparents) my mother wanted me to wait until I had enough money to buy a house outright, so that I would have no mortgage worries to trouble them with. After January though, the suggestion turned more towards the idea that I should buy a house for the family as a whole. I printed a list of all the houses in my price range in the nearest town (I wanted something in return for my money, namely not being needed to drive them to shops so that I could get my own place later on -- is this unreasonable?), but she rejected every single one of them (there were about 60 in my list) as "too small".

Of course space would be less of an issue if I was buying a house for them alone, while renting a place for myself somewhere else, but I have my suspicions that if I suggested that, my parents would claim that they couldn't afford to maintain a house if I wasn't living with them, even if I bought it outright!

How do I improve my own life without betraying my mother?