APS: Success in Industry Careers Webinar Series

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a newly launched webinar series by the American Physical Society (APS) that focuses on career opportunities for physicists in industry, including national labs. Participants share personal experiences and insights related to transitioning from academia to industry, particularly in the context of engineering and quality improvement.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant highlights the relevance of the phrase "letting the perfect be the enemy of the good" in industry contexts, sharing a personal success story from a career fair.
  • Another participant reflects on their experience as a quality improvement engineer, noting a shift in how quality is defined in industry, emphasizing performance and reliability within cost and schedule constraints.
  • A colleague's anecdote is shared regarding customer preferences for timely arrival versus luxury, illustrating practical considerations in engineering decisions.
  • A participant mentions a common adage about project constraints: "you can get it fast, you can get it cheap, you can get it well made. Pick whichever two you want."

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various perspectives on the transition from academia to industry, with some sharing personal anecdotes that highlight differing views on quality and project management. There is no clear consensus on the best approach or definition of quality in industrial contexts.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific experiences and cultural shifts without resolving the broader implications of these changes in definitions of quality and success in industry.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to students and professionals considering careers in industry, particularly those transitioning from academic backgrounds in physics or engineering.

CrysPhys
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The American Physical Society (APS) has just launched a webinar series addressing careers for physicists in industry (broadly includes national labs). [ETA: Correction: National labs are covered under a separate series also listed on the following link.] Details of the series can be found here: https://www.aps.org/careers/guidance/webinars/index.cfm. First webinar (Why You Should Consider an Industry Career) is scheduled for 9/15/2020.

Note: If you are a student (undergrad or grad), APS membership is free for the first year. Subsequent student membership fees are greatly reduced from regular rates: $25/yr for undergrad, $39/yr for grad. To join APS, see: https://www.aps.org/membership/join.cfm.
 
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Gosh one of those topics look really good more like an engineering one "letting the perfect be the enemy of the good". I said this to one recruiter at a career fair; they seemed very impressed after this (of course there were a few gentle technical questions) and they set me up with an in-person interview later that week, and I got an offer after a good interview. Thanks for sharing!
 
Joshy said:
Gosh one of those topics look really good more like an engineering one "letting the perfect be the enemy of the good". I said this to one recruiter at a career fair; they seemed very impressed after this (of course there were a few gentle technical questions) and they set me up with an in-person interview later that week, and I got an offer after a good interview. Thanks for sharing!
At one time I worked a stint as a quality improvement engineer for a major telecom lab. At one time, we considered quality as defined by performance and reliability. We later considered quality as defined by performance and reliability under the constraints of cost and schedule. There is a major cultural shift from doing a PhD dissertation to industrial R&D.
 
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There's no free lunch.
 
CrysPhys said:
We later considered quality as defined by performance and reliability under the constraints of cost and schedule.
A colleague used to ask our customers, "would you rather get to the airport on time in a Volkswagen, or get there an hour late in a Cadillac?"
 
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My favorite version is you can get it fast, you can get it cheap, you can get it well made. Pick whichever two you want.
 

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