Recent content by CrysPhys

OK. This gets even more murky. Some general advice and comments. (1) Look at potential 4-yr universities that you would be interested in. Look up their bachelor's programs in, e.g., physics and aerospace engineering. Speak to an advisor at your current school. See how the courses at your...

I'm confused about your academic setup (high school and early college). I'm used to programs in which you graduate high school after grade 12. An associate's degree with the intent to transfer to a bachelor's program would typically then take an additional 2 yrs. How many years does your high...

Before I weigh in, I'd like to get some more background information, since you stated that you are enrolled in a special high school program in which you will be graduating with an associate's degree. How much college-level physics, math, other science (such as chemistry and biology), and...

The OP's profile says their country is Portugal. I agree that they need to clarify what type of jobs they will be seeking and in which country or countries they will be looking. Local hiring practices will be dispositive. With respect to your comment about the US, I would phrase it...

You're very welcome. Just be aware that education systems vary significantly among different countries. In particular, in the US, you typically enroll in a physics PhD program after you complete your bachelor's degree; you typically do not enroll in a separate master's program first. Also...

Right now it's not clear what "you want to pursue a PhD in quantum mechanics" means (e.g., theoretical foundations of quantum mechanics, experimental solid-state research involving quantum phenomena, ...). Regardless, you're a long ways off. The first step is to complete an undergraduate...

But you are not yet a PhD; you're a PhD candidate. You come of age by tackling and successfully completing your original research work. You develop a much more marketable bag of tricks as an experimentalist; but, as I mentioned previously, there are openings for theorists: go through all the...

@dp647 . Two other real-life examples of how to deal with AI. I have one friend who is a recently minted mechanical engineer. Her brother was a computer programmer. He was so concerned about being made obsolete by AI that he pivoted to become a plumber. Another friend is an MD. Her...

@dp647. Unless you're really, really lucky, you will face the quandary of looking for a new job many, many times in your life. Sure, AI is creating a major upheaval in the workplace. But there have been other significant upheavals in the past, and likely more upheavals in the future. As I...

After all these responses, you still don't get it. You're dismayed by your lack of competitiveness for entry-level jobs for which a PhD physics provides no distinct advantages. Look for jobs for which a PhD physics does provide distinct advantages.

* I can't address your primary questions directly, since I'm in the US and our PhD programs are structured differently from those in the UK. But two follow-up questions for you. * You didn't complete an undergrad degree, but did complete a MSc in aerospace systems. You said you want to...

I did note the OP's Post #4. But it didn't overly concern me, because in Post #1, the OP wrote: I've been operating on the assumption that the OP and this thread are legit. Maybe, maybe not. But there are likely many other PhD candidates in similar straits, and I've been trying to post info...

Have you looked at all the career resources offered by American Physical Society (APS) ( https://www.aps.org/ ) and American Institute of Physics (AIP) ( https://www.aip.org/ )? As a grad student, you can join APS for free for one year and get greatly reduced rates while you're still a student...

* If by “hard skills”, you mean skills specific to experimental AMO physics (such as optical spectroscopy and cryogenics), the answer is none. Rather than dwelling on “hard skills” and “soft skills”, you should focus on “desired skills” (i.e., skills desired by an employer) and “transferable...

Just to let you know: I still plan to respond.