Afraid of not having a physics job :(

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An 18-year-old aspiring physics major expresses concern about job prospects in the field, particularly in research. While passionate about physics and possessing strong mathematical skills, he feels pressure from his family to pursue a pharmacy degree due to their pharmaceutical business, despite lacking interest in biological sciences. Responses emphasize the competitive nature of research positions and advise against tying personal happiness to specific career outcomes. Suggestions include broadening skill sets by exploring related fields, such as engineering, to increase job opportunities. The discussion highlights the importance of flexibility and adaptability in career planning, acknowledging that job availability can vary significantly by location and that unforeseen circumstances often influence career paths.
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Hello everyone !
I am 18 years old boy who want to study physics major but I am afraid of not having a job into physics , I want to be a researcher /scientist , I am totally passionate about the physics and I have a very good mathematical skills , What is your advice for me .
 
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I'm afraid you should not count on a job as a research physicist. These are highly competitive, and it would be a mistake to tie your happiness into getting that job, just as it would be a mistake to tie your happiness to being an astronaut, or acrobat, or movie star, or...
 
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"fear is the mind killer"
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
I'm afraid you should not count on a job as a research physicist. These are highly competitive, and it would be a mistake to tie your happiness into getting that job, just as it would be a mistake to tie your happiness to being an astronaut, or acrobat, or movie star, or...
I think it is a mistake to tie my happiness to it , My family has a pharmaceutical company and I can easily wort with them , they want me to study a pharmacy degree but i have no passion or any interest in biological sciences , the thing is that i don't find my self in any other sciences but physics
 
Ahmed Hassan said:
I think it is a mistake to tie my happiness to it , My family has a pharmaceutical company and I can easily wort with them , they want me to study a pharmacy degree but i have no passion or any interest in biological sciences , the thing is that i don't find my self in any other sciences but physics
At least you could give more information about your situation as done.

If no "passion" for biological sciences, and interest is in Physics and you WANT to be a "researcher", then consider making plans to study Engineering and be able to be a "developer" or "designer". Also, what kind of Engineer, might you be? Could you make plans to study Chemical Engineering? Then maybe you might still be able to work with or for your family, since producing pharmaceutical items can still require engineering expertise.
 
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Ahmed Hassan said:
Hello everyone !
I am 18 years old boy who want to study physics major but I am afraid of not having a job into physics , I want to be a researcher /scientist , I am totally passionate about the physics and I have a very good mathematical skills , What is your advice for me .

First of all, there is no guarantee of ANY job in ANY fields.

What you should always do, and I tell this to ALL my students, is that pursue what you want to pursue, but at the SAME TIME, broaden your horizons and your skills so that in case what you want to do does not work out, you have something else to fall back on! This means that even if you have the ambition of being a string theorist, you do not dismiss computer programming classes, or even do experimental research work to learn how to fabricate thin films. In other words, if and when the opportunity arises, do work that are not strictly within the narrow field of interest. You just never know if the skills that you acquire from these other areas might just be the one that land you the job later on.

However, more importantly, where you are in this world also matters in gaining such employment. An outstanding physicist in the field of cosmology may be much sought after in Europe, China, Japan, N. America, etc... but he/she will have a tougher time finding a job in, say, Sudan or Namibia.

So there is a lot of variables in landing a job that you want. Most of us who are lucky enough to work as physicists can never predict the exact path that we are on now. A lot of things can happen and can change. As they say, Life Happens While You Are Making Plans.

Zz.
 
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Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...
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