- #1
cjv998
- 16
- 0
Hi everyone. Here's a little background on me: I'm 24, got my BS in physics in '08 from Univ. of MO-Rolla, and moved to CA for a job right after graduating. Working for the DoD on a military base, currently testing some software. :(
I'm unhappy with my job, and I don't like where I live (middle of the desert, 90 minutes from any real civilization). I've been trying to find a different job on base with no luck (funding is an issue). If I enjoyed my job more, it would make living here more tolerable. (Also, the dating scene in town is pretty non-existant, which gets depressing.) My current job is really low-visibility, and I don't feel like I'm actually working on anything worthwhile - I don't get any satisfaction out of my work.
Ideally, I'd like to be working in a "real" lab - setting up equipment, running experiments, and collecting and analyzing the data. I'm definitely more interested in the experimental side of things.
And I'd rather live somewhere with more greenery (I miss trees!), and that's a bit closer to shopping and entertainment. (That being said, I don't think I'd like living in a huge city.) Moving closer to MO would be nice too, because I could visit family more often than once a year.
I'm just not sure how to get from where I am, to where I want to be. I think I'd like working at a DoE lab, but it seems like they pretty much require at least a Master's (maybe I'm missing something?). And I wouldn't even know where to begin searching for a job in private industry.
I've considered going back to school for my MS so I'd be more appealing to a major lab. But what if after the 2-yr program, I can't find a job with one of them? Then I'm back where I started, except with more debt from student loans.
So to summarize, I don't like my job or where I live. I've tried finding a different job at my current workplace, to no avail. It seems like I have the following options:
1. Keep looking for a different job on base.
2. Move, and get a job in private industry.
3. Move, and go back to school for an MS, with the hope of making myself more appealing to a major lab.
4. Maybe get a job with just a BS at a major lab? (Can this be done?)
Thanks for the advice!
I'm unhappy with my job, and I don't like where I live (middle of the desert, 90 minutes from any real civilization). I've been trying to find a different job on base with no luck (funding is an issue). If I enjoyed my job more, it would make living here more tolerable. (Also, the dating scene in town is pretty non-existant, which gets depressing.) My current job is really low-visibility, and I don't feel like I'm actually working on anything worthwhile - I don't get any satisfaction out of my work.
Ideally, I'd like to be working in a "real" lab - setting up equipment, running experiments, and collecting and analyzing the data. I'm definitely more interested in the experimental side of things.
And I'd rather live somewhere with more greenery (I miss trees!), and that's a bit closer to shopping and entertainment. (That being said, I don't think I'd like living in a huge city.) Moving closer to MO would be nice too, because I could visit family more often than once a year.
I'm just not sure how to get from where I am, to where I want to be. I think I'd like working at a DoE lab, but it seems like they pretty much require at least a Master's (maybe I'm missing something?). And I wouldn't even know where to begin searching for a job in private industry.
I've considered going back to school for my MS so I'd be more appealing to a major lab. But what if after the 2-yr program, I can't find a job with one of them? Then I'm back where I started, except with more debt from student loans.
So to summarize, I don't like my job or where I live. I've tried finding a different job at my current workplace, to no avail. It seems like I have the following options:
1. Keep looking for a different job on base.
2. Move, and get a job in private industry.
3. Move, and go back to school for an MS, with the hope of making myself more appealing to a major lab.
4. Maybe get a job with just a BS at a major lab? (Can this be done?)
Thanks for the advice!