Licenses and Certs for Physics Major?

[avocadogirl]

I will graduate this spring with a B.S. in Physics. Are there any tests I can take to get a license or a certification that will make me more appealing for an engineering position? Could I take the test to become a P.E. without actually having a degree in engineering?
Can I take something that would be remotely comparable to the P.E. test?

Thanks for any input.

 

[carlgrace]

Unfortunately you need to have an engineering degree from an accredited institution to get a P.E. license.

http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/WhatisaPE/index.html

If you know how to program or have done significant electronics work you can focus that on your resume and apply for engineering jobs.

 

[avocadogirl]

Carlgrace, thank you for your reply. I really appreciate the input.

I've been told that with a B.S. in physics, I am eligible for an engineering position but, that does not seem to coincide with the attitudes of employers, from what I have seen.

Can anyone recommend any certifications for which a physics major would be eligible that would improve marketability in the work world?

 

[carlgrace]

Can you get a certification that you are competent in some programming skill or language? I imagine you don't need a specific degree for that.

Have you gone to your school's Engineering Job Fair? I can tell you that my employer is not biased against physics grads at all. In fact my office-mate has a physics degree and he is an engineer like me.

 

[avocadogirl]

I hadn't thought about that. Thank you. I'll look into it.

 

[silverct9a]

I'm also graduating this spring with a B.S. Physics so I can relate to the OP concerns. Although it's not engineering, I'm currently working on an A+ and network certification. Based on the research I've done, these certs are viewed favorably by IT employers and will give you practical skills.

Maybe you could get in contact with a smaller engineering firm and make your case. It's also been my experience that unless you have contacts, it can be difficult to get past HR although not impossible

 

[carlgrace]

Also, don't be afraid to show some initiative and write to individuals within the various organizations you'd like to work. It isn't spam, and the worse that can happen is you'll get no response (this is what usually happens).

I've hired two people that I became aware of through them emailing me. Initiative is so important and more rare that we'd like.

Also, the suggestion to focus on smaller firms is excellent.

 

[Student100]

Hey,

Have you considered looking at technician jobs for defense or large industries? That is how I started out with only a high school degree, eventually I just started following the engineers around and assisting when my work was done or on my off days. After a few years my job title changed to engineer and I was able to work on some cool projects.

After I left there I was able to find a engineering position with the fed gov.

Not sure if this helps you or not, I think experience like that is more favorable than certifications. Since you already have a bs in physics, I'm assuming that with experience it would be far easier for you than it was for me.