What Are Your Post-College Options in Particle Science?

[choc1202]

How to start...

So, say I get to know a decent amount of particle science, what next next? How would I go further? After collage, what would I do?

 

[mathman]

It sounds like you are barely starting out. Uusual sequence is college, grad. school for doctorate, post doc., position at university or research institute.

 

[choc1202]

I know this, I am purly asking so I can learn more about what exactly particle physics can do.

 

[DerFysiker]

I know this, I am purly asking so I can learn more about what exactly particle physics can do.

Particle physicists primarily work as researchers in universities or at large laboratories like CERN. Other than that they can go into industry and work as consultants, engineers, programmers, lobbyists, financial analysts, etc. However, those that go into industry will not be doing anything related to particle physics; rather, they will take their training as "advanced problem solvers" and work to solve problems that companies have.

To be honest I think that particle physics is one of the riskier fields of physics to go into because if you don't make it in academia then you won't be doing anything related. If you're fine with that then definitely go for it.

 

[JesseC]

I know of a particle physics PhD who is now a climate scientist estimating the future average temperature of the planet.