Career prospects for students graduating in 2012

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the career prospects for physics graduates, particularly those graduating in 2012, in comparison to those who graduated during the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009. Participants explore the variability of employment situations over time and share personal insights and opinions regarding the job market for physics graduates.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the employment situation for graduates can vary significantly based on the year of graduation, suggesting that those graduating in 2012 may have different prospects compared to those from 2008/2009.
  • Another participant questions the expected respondents to the poll, implying that it may not yield relevant insights if only those with dual graduation years are considered.
  • A participant with hiring experience describes the job market as inconsistent, mentioning that hiring trends fluctuate and expressing uncertainty about future employment conditions.
  • Another participant asserts that physics graduates have various career options, including research and engineering, but is challenged on whether these claims are based on personal experience or general hearsay.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the employment landscape, with some emphasizing the variability and uncertainty of the job market while others assert the enduring demand for physics graduates. No consensus is reached regarding the overall career prospects for 2012 graduates compared to earlier cohorts.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects a range of personal experiences and anecdotal evidence, with some claims lacking specific examples or data to support them. The uncertainty about future job market conditions is a recurring theme.

Who May Find This Useful

Students graduating in physics or related fields, career advisors, and individuals interested in the evolving job market for STEM graduates may find this discussion relevant.

What are the employment prospects for physics grads in 2012 vs 2008/2009 grads?

  • Better for 2012 grads

    Votes: 3 30.0%

  • About the same for 2012 grads

    Votes: 4 40.0%

  • Worse for 2012 grads

    Votes: 3 30.0%
  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .
StatGuy2000
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Hi everyone. One of the recurring themes here in the Career Guidance section is how career prospects for physics graduates (or in fact any graduates) depends to a significant extent on when they have entered the labour force (e.g. students who have graduated in 1998 will have very different experiences to those who have graduated in 2008).

Therefore, I have posted a poll stating whether the employment situation/career prospects for students who have graduated in 2012 better, worse or about the same as those who have graduated in 2008/2009 (the height of the financial crisis). I appreciate any insights that all of you can provide.
 
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...who exactly do you expect to respond to this poll? Physicists who simultaneously graduated in 2008 and 2012?
 
Nabeshin said:
...who exactly do you expect to respond to this poll? Physicists who simultaneously graduated in 2008 and 2012?

I expect anyone with an opinion about employment prospects in the US to respond. After all, we all have opinions (based on anecdotes as well as official statistics), so I would like to get a sense of where opinions within Physics Forums (or at least those who post on the Career Guidance section) lie as far as the question I posed is concerned.
 
Having been on the other end of the hiring table...

It's been a really massive roller coaster ride. In 2007 and 2008, we didn't hire anyone, and we were actively *firing* large numbers of people. Since 2009, things have been episodic. People think that things are going well for a quarter, people get hired. Then something happens, and people think things are bad, and so there is no hiring for the next quarter.

Over the last three months, I've gotten the sense that things in the US are improving but things in Europe have gotten worse.

One reason I've given up trying to figure out what the employment picture is six years from now, is that I haven't got much of a clue what the employment picture is going to be like six months from now.
 
lasily said:
Hi,

I believe after graduating in physics, one has many options open to make a bright future. Physics as a subject has always been in demand. One can become a research worker, a scientist and can also opt for mechanical engineering.

Do you know people who have done those things recently, or is that just something you heard and started saying?
 

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