Does a physics background combine better with ME or EE industry jobs?

[ModusPwnd]

I didn't ignore it. I agree. My research was far more useful than classes. But it was nothing like a real internship.

I'm sure its not like this everywhere, but at my current university there is something stopping physics grads from seeking out internships through the university. The engineering internships are open to engineering majors only, and they are very competitive. That is the way almost all companies want to get their interns. I have asked many of the regional employers if they take interns any other way and they don't.

 

[Lavabug]

The practical skills I learned during my physics program were largely learned outside of the classroom or more precisely: by not following course syllabi to the letter (ie: actually building amps or simulating them in SPICE or similar to check if your solutions to exercises are sensible). A physics program is designed to prepare you for physics research, the barebones subjects enable you to do this, along with practical skills like basic numerical programming and latex typesetting (which may or may not come in the form of classes). This is 99% of what you do in a physics bachelors and is not immediately useful for an engineering-type job, apparently.

When you have a degree X and want to work in a field Y, you will always be fighting an uphill battle, no matter how similar they are. With the pervasiveness of HR filters these days you are unlikely to even be called for an interview even if you really do have relevant experience in a very applied subject like transmission lines, image processing in IDL, or fluid dynamics. This has been my (uneventful) job-hunting experience.

So what I'm saying to the OP is basically: your physics background will at best have a neutral effect on your employment prospects for technical jobs. If engineering is your main major, this should not be of any concern.