Stuck with a B.S Physics and no job

[txmick]

If you're talking about a career as an alternative to grad school, I'd offer:

1. finding a job with a physics BS/BA is very tough in a recession; I tried in '92. Engineers have jobs designed for their education (or visa-versa)--it's practically a professional degree. Recruiters and hiring managers need to work much harder with a physics grad. You need to be an outstanding interview.
2. Not knowing which part of the country you're from makes advice difficult because "physics jobs" aren't available uniformly throughout the country.
3. Get a government job. The requirement for being a citizen eliminates some of the toughest competition. Since the real expertise resides with the contractors, you don't actually need to know much.

Good Luck

 

[twofish-quant]

So, now I'm stuck with a B.S in Physics and I'm not going to graduate school (I can't afford it).

Most Ph.D. programs have TA/RA'ships so that afford the degree is not an issue.

I really have a passion for Physics, and I want to have a scientific career in this field of science. Any advice?

Get a job (any job) in a university, national lab, or high tech company. Start networking. If you can find any openings as a lab technician or a physics tutor that would help.

I'm studying for the Physics GRE, hoping that if I get over 50%; this will offset the low GPA.

But if the problem is cost of grad school, how is that going to help? The other thing is to look over your statement of purpose and see if you can rewrite it so that you can get in somewhere. (For example, in your SOP, you should have mentioned why your GPA was low, and pointed out that the recent grades were higher.)

 

[rubrix]

My lower GPA was due to slacking off in my first two years in college, resulting in becoming behind in a lot of the mathematics. My GPA was an average of 2.0 these two years :(

some universities only care for your last two years or so. I know our Physics grad admission requires 2.75 GPA for last 60 hours of undergrad.also, like someone said GRE in Physics is not required by some universities. Some are okay if you provide them general GRE.