Backup jobs if PhD in physics isn't a goal

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around career options for a Physics Masters student who is not pursuing a PhD and is seeking suitable job opportunities in computational physics or related fields. The scope includes job market considerations, skills development, and networking strategies.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • A participant expresses concern about career options if a PhD is not pursued, seeking advice on computational physics jobs suitable for their background in mathematics and data science.
  • Another participant highlights the variability of job markets based on locality and asks for clarification on the countries the original poster plans to work in after completing their master's.
  • The original poster confirms plans to complete their master's by December next year and intends to seek employment in the US, emphasizing the need for a backup plan and skill development in programming.
  • A participant references data published by the AIP regarding employment for physics graduates, suggesting it may be useful for the original poster.
  • A participant inquires about the original poster's internship experience as a data scientist, suggesting that connections made during the internship could be beneficial for future job applications.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants appear to agree on the importance of understanding job markets and networking, but there is no consensus on specific job options or strategies, as the discussion remains exploratory.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the specific job roles available or the effectiveness of different strategies for job searching, leaving these areas open for further exploration.

Who May Find This Useful

Students in physics or related fields considering non-academic career paths, particularly those interested in computational physics and data science roles.

taabut
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Hello everyone, I am a Physics Masters student in USA (international student). I have completed a semester so far. Currently, I am working on a project under cosmology, which is related to Fischer analysis.

Background: I have graduated with a BSc Mathematics with a physics minor. While starting my Bachelors, I was enrolled in Computer Science for the first 2 years and later I decided to switch to Maths. I also did a year-long internship as a data scientist which was till last year.

I am concerned that if PhD. isn't a goal and not leaning towards academic jobs, what are the computational physics jobs or any job I can get into which will be suitable for my career uptill now?
 
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Job markets vary a lot with locality. You say you are an international student currently studying in the US. Let's start with this question: In which country or countries do you plan to work in after you complete your master's? Job markets can also vary a lot over time. When do you plan to complete your master's (e.g., is it a 1 or 2 yr program)?
 
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CrysPhys said:
Job markets vary a lot with locality. You say you are an international student currently studying in the US. Let's start with this question: In which country or countries do you plan to work in after you complete your master's? Job markets can also vary a lot over time. When do you plan to complete your master's (e.g., is it a 1 or 2 yr program)?
I will complete my masters by Dec next year. And will be looking for job here in US. I need to work on the backup plan as well so that I don't waste my time later on during the job search. Also I can work on some skills during the remaining time like on some of the programming language.
 
I see you had a 1-year internship as a data scientist. Didn't you meet career employees in this (or allied) areas while doing the internship. If you did a good job, it seems your intern supervisor, mentor or whatever, might put in a good word for you, or would be a source for positions you could apply for.
 
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