Conflicting employment information

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the employment prospects for individuals with PhDs in mathematics, applied mathematics, and physics outside of academia. Participants explore conflicting information regarding unemployment rates among science PhD holders and share personal experiences related to job searches.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Personal anecdotes

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes a general perception that unemployment among science PhD holders is higher than the national average, while others reference articles suggesting otherwise.
  • Another participant shares a personal experience of securing employment within two months after deciding not to pursue an academic career, indicating variability in job search experiences.
  • A participant questions the source of the claim regarding high unemployment rates and suggests that while science/math PhDs may struggle to find their ideal jobs, they are still likely to find employment.
  • It is mentioned that science/math PhDs face different challenges compared to humanities PhDs, implying a distinction in job market dynamics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the unemployment rates for science PhD holders, with some asserting that the rates are lower than perceived, while others maintain that the situation is more challenging. No consensus is reached regarding the overall employment landscape for these graduates.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various statistics and personal anecdotes, but the discussion lacks comprehensive data to support claims. The conversation is influenced by individual experiences and perceptions, which may not reflect broader trends.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering or currently pursuing PhDs in mathematics, applied mathematics, or physics, as well as those interested in the job market dynamics for science PhD holders outside of academia.

holomorphic
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First, sorry if this thread ends up repeating some information covered elsewhere.

Alright, OUTSIDE of academia, how are people with math/applied math/physics PhDs (not engineering) faring in the job search?

On the one hand I'm hearing from everyone that the unemployment of science PhD holders is higher than the national average unemployment.

On the other hand, there are articles like http://brendarosenhamer.blog.com/2011/02/10/national-science-foundation-1-7-unemployment-for-phds-in-sciences-and-engineers/
and
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/69402/title/Science_%2B_the_Public__In_tough_economy,_PhD_appears_to_help
that directly contradict that.

Can anyone offer recent, personal anecdotes?
 
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I got my advanced degree, decided I didn't want to continue in academia, and was employed within 2 months. YMMV.
 
fss said:
I got my advanced degree, decided I didn't want to continue in academia, and was employed within 2 months. YMMV.

Thanks fss. Mind mentioning 1) when this was, 2) what your degree is in, and 3) what sort of job?
 
You know you posted the same link twice ^_^
 
Chunkysalsa said:
You know you posted the same link twice ^_^

Doh. Thanks--fixed.
 
holomorphic said:
On the one hand I'm hearing from everyone that the unemployment of science PhD holders is higher than the national average unemployment.

I'm wondering where you are hearing this from. My personal observation is that the unemployment of science/math Ph.D. is quite lower than the average and that the NSF stats are accurate. There are two things that are potentially misleading...

1) It's extremely likely that a science/math Ph.D. will not get their job of choice, but that's a different question than getting any job at all. Science/math Ph.D.'s have extreme difficulty getting their dream job, but that's different from getting any job.

2) Science/math Ph.D.'s are in a totally different world than humanities Ph.D.'s.
 
holomorphic said:
Thanks fss. Mind mentioning 1) when this was, 2) what your degree is in, and 3) what sort of job?

Recently, Physics, Engineering.
 

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