I finally got my bachelor's degree in physics, now what?

[StatGuy2000]

Prioritize getting a job. Advanced degrees won't solve the problem of employment.

There is a gap between academia and the industry. It's either universities don't prepare students well, or employers don't value the skills graduates have. I think it is both.

The issue is not that universities don't prepare students well, as much as universities were never designed originally to train students for the work force, at least in most university programs. Historically, employers took any university graduate as potential workers and offered full in-house training to get them ready for their particular jobs.

Nowadays, due in part to global competitive pressures, employers want someone who can start a job immediately with very little preparation or training (to "hit the ground running", so to speak). Many universities in both the US and Canada (and possibly other countries) have been slow to adapt to the new reality in the way their degree programs are set up.

This means that it is up to the individual students to train themselves and get the experience or knowledge.

My number one advice above all, get an internship while you are in school!

 

[pi-r8]

My number one advice above all, get an internship while you are in school!

I agree, but what kind of internship would you suggest for a typical physics students? Computer Science students get internships at software companies, and engineering students get internships at engineering companies. But I think most physics students would struggle to qualify for either of those.

 

[StatGuy2000]

I agree, but what kind of internship would you suggest for a typical physics students? Computer Science students get internships at software companies, and engineering students get internships at engineering companies. But I think most physics students would struggle to qualify for either of those.

Physics students (along with math students) have (or should have) the requisite skills to qualify for internships in many different companies, including software companies, as they are generally required to take programming courses as part of their curriculum. I know many physics students even back in my undergrad days who had done just that. Physics students can also qualify for internships at some engineering companies as well, depending on the particular company. After all, physics students take lab courses where they are taught skills like experimental data analysis, instrumentation, etc., all skills that employers find valuable.

Also, when I talk about internships, I'm not just talking about internships at private companies. I'm also talking about research internships like REUs (or NSERC USRA, the Canadian equivalent of REUs) with physics faculty members, either at their own university or with faculty in other colleges/universities. Employers greatly value students with research experience, which counts as work experience.