Physics PhD at 50, seeks non-traditional career options

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on exploring non-traditional career options for individuals who have completed a Physics PhD later in life, particularly around the age of 50. Participants share various career ideas, challenges in re-entering the workforce, and the implications of age on job prospects in both traditional and non-traditional roles.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the difficulty of returning to software development and the challenges faced by older applicants in traditional physics-to-industry roles.
  • Another participant suggests exploring independent schools as they may have less stringent credentialing requirements and often hire PhDs for STEM positions.
  • Some participants propose considering contract positions as a way to gain experience and enhance resumes, despite initial reservations about job stability.
  • There are suggestions to look into data mining and business consulting roles, with some expressing concerns about the need for familiarity with cutting-edge technologies in these fields.
  • One participant mentions alternative teaching routes, such as "Teach for America," which allows graduates to teach while working towards certification.
  • Another participant raises the possibility of pursuing a career as an electrician, though they caution about the initial low pay and cyclical nature of the work.
  • Some participants discuss the potential for military positions that do not require an education degree, highlighting the demand for instructors.
  • There are recommendations to target smaller companies where hiring may be more personal and less driven by strict HR protocols.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present a variety of non-traditional career options and express differing opinions on the feasibility and desirability of these paths. There is no consensus on the best approach, and the discussion reflects a range of perspectives on age-related hiring challenges and potential career avenues.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations such as the need for additional qualifications in certain fields (e.g., education degrees for teaching, engineering degrees for engineering roles) and the cyclical nature of some job markets. The discussion also reflects varying levels of uncertainty regarding the applicability of skills from a physics background to different career paths.

  • #31
http://discovermagazine.com/2011/apr/30-how-bad-luck-networking-cost-prasher-nobel
The discoverer of a gene for a glowing protein 
was driving a van for a car dealership in Huntsville, Alabama, when he learned that former colleagues 
had won science's greatest honor.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?artic...title/What-Ever-Happened-to-Douglas-Prasher-/
In fact, at the time the announcement was made that the GFP researchers were awarded the prize, the erstwhile biochemist Prasher was working as a courtesy shuttle driver at a Huntsville, Alabama, Toyota dealership.
 
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  • #32
StatGuy2000 said:
Also, what evidence is there that the US, as of 2015, has indeed more graduates and applicants than positions in every field?

Yea, it's almost like there's some context around what they wrote. Could it be?
 
  • #33
Obviously when the job market works naturally, it would be the lower educated people that can't get jobs of have to do uneducated jobs. If there's more PhDs than positions, the PhDs take the MSc jobs, the MSc degrees take the BSc jobs, etc etc.

Doesn't make sense to make the PhD guy a taxi driver and have the BSc guy work the MSc job.
 
  • #34
Almeisan said:
Obviously when the job market works naturally, it would be the lower educated people that can't get jobs of have to do uneducated jobs. If there's more PhDs than positions, the PhDs take the MSc jobs, the MSc degrees take the BSc jobs, etc etc.

Doesn't make sense to make the PhD guy a taxi driver and have the BSc guy work the MSc job.
The like could still happen. The BSs guy might be a better talker, and the people-skills could be what gets him through into the job; OR impressive specific experience. Sometimes the luck of timing.
 
  • #35
Besides the point. The quality of the PhD should be high enough that it should on average outperform any job experience at BSc or MSc level. If it doesn't then either something is wrong with the quality of the PhD or with the judgment of the empoyee.

What you say suggests PhD people lack in talking and people skills or impressive experience or luck. And if you really think that it swings both ways, then what are we even talking about? There's this thing called statistics and averages...

If when with a PhD you can only work at PhD level or at no level at all, something is wrong.
 
  • #36
Almeisan said:
Besides the point. The quality of the PhD should be high enough that it should on average outperform any job experience at BSc or MSc level. If it doesn't then either something is wrong with the quality of the PhD or with the judgment of the empoyee.

I think the problem with this is that is presumes that a PhD experience is parallel to a BS or MSc, but its not. Its not orthogonal, but its not parallel either. PhD graduates have a wide variety of skill sets, strengths and deficencies. They do not as a rule overlap and surpass BS or MSc experiences. Sometimes they might, other times they dont.
 
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  • #37
Almeisan said:
Besides the point. The quality of the PhD should be high enough that it should on average outperform any job experience at BSc or MSc level. If it doesn't then either something is wrong with the quality of the PhD or with the judgment of the empoyee.

What you say suggests PhD people lack in talking and people skills or impressive experience or luck. And if you really think that it swings both ways, then what are we even talking about? There's this thing called statistics and averages...

If when with a PhD you can only work at PhD level or at no level at all, something is wrong.
No. I don't suggest that. Too many things vary among people and jobs. Not all PhD people are the same.
 

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