Physics What kind of jobs can a physicist do outside of academia and research?

[Grands]

APS News is a monthly newsletter published by the American Physical Society (APS), one of the top professional societies for physicists, not only in the US, but also internationally. Off and on you comment that your questions aren't answered. But are you reading the responses? I gave you a link to APS News in Post #27.

Sorry, you message was to interesting that I concentred only on the written parts and I didn't saw the link.

Anyway, can be true the story of that girl that wasn't hired in a science museum, even if she had a degree in Physics, obtained at MIT?

 

[ZapperZ]

Sorry, you message was to interesting that I concentred only on the written parts and I didn't saw the link.

Anyway, can be true the story of that girl that wasn't hired in a science museum, even if she had a degree in Physics, obtained at MIT?

Even if it is true, what does that matter? I can also show you where a physics graduate went on to start his own company and become a millionaire. Why are you focusing on the exception rather than the rule?

You've been given a source on where to look for the type of jobs that physics degree holders have been employed, and the corresponding statistics. You should not turn this into a gossip column.

Zz.

 

[Grands]

Even if it is true, what does that matter? I can also show you where a physics graduate went on to start his own company and become a millionaire. Why are you focusing on the exception rather than the rule?

It's just because the MIT is one of the best university and this made me to think that maybe is not so important to pay attention to the ranking.

 

[CrysPhys]

Anyway, can be true the story of that girl that wasn't hired in a science museum, even if she had a degree in Physics, obtained at MIT?

Really, you'll get a more valid sampling of career opportunities for physicists from APS than from random InterNet videos. I viewed the video. There was no discussion of what the position at the museum was for, and why she was turned down. Here are possible reasons that have nothing to do with her MIT credentials (total conjecture on my part; I'm not saying that any actually applied in her instance): (1) Some positions are geared for staff to explain science to children and non-technical members of the general public. Some scientists aren't good at such communications. (2) Some positions require work during weekday evenings and weekends. Many young adults don't want to work these shifts. (3) There's an issue of being overqualified. Hiring managers don't want to waste their time training a new employee who's obviously just parking herself temporarily at a museum job while searching for a "real" job. The candidate has to have a good answer to the question, "Why do you want this job?" [not, "To pay the rent while I look for a better job."] (4) There was a better candidate.

 

[Locrian]

Anyway it is true that with a degree in Physics at MIT it's hard to find a job in a museum ?

You saw a YouTube video where someone got one rejection letter from a very competitive venue that doesn't typically hire their background and you're. . . coming to some conclusion? Or something?

Maybe you're just interested in our response. Mine is this: that video says nothing about anything. I don't understand why you posted it.

 

[symbolipoint]

Grands, post #49,

Anyway it is true that with a degree in Physics at MIT it's hard to find a job in a museum ?

Graduated from MIT in Physics?
No, just by faith, no!

 

[Grands]

You saw a YouTube video where someone got one rejection letter from a very competitive venue that doesn't typically hire their background and you're. . . coming to some conclusion? Or something?

I'm not coming to a conclusion, it's just weird in my opinion.
In italy I found another video, that I can't post because is in italian, where an italian guy get a PhD from MIT in astrophysics, he decide to came back in Italy, and now is a clochard, he is called Roberto Bazzano, and he ask from to the people in the street, he is 61.
I don't know if this is a fake news, it was on some newspaper, there is a way to check if this news is true?

No, just by faith, no!

What do you mean ?

 

[symbolipoint]

I'm not coming to a conclusion, it's just weird in my opinion.
In italy I found another video, that I can't post because is in italian, where an italian guy get a PhD from MIT in astrophysics, he decide to came back in Italy, and now is a clochard, he is called NoPostingNameWithoutPermission, and he ask from to the people in the street, he is 61.
I don't know if this is a fake news, it was on some newspaper, there is a way to check if this news is true?

(and symbolipoint said, "no, just by faith, no!")

What do you mean ?

You ask, is it true that with degree in Physics from M.I.T. that someone would have a hard time finding a job at a museum?
What I intend to say is that NO. Simply that I have faith that such a person would not have difficulty finding a job at a museum. I have this faith because this graduate has a fine education from a very well established, high quality school, and is necessarily both very educated and very intelligent; and certainly can communicate well.

 

[mfb]

Anyway, can be true the story of that girl that wasn't hired in a science museum, even if she had a degree in Physics, obtained at MIT?

There are many possible reasons why this particular person was not hired for this particular job, and „not qualified“ is one of the most unlikely options.

 

[Grands]

http://www.savonanews.it/2014/04/22...ti/attualit/articolo/finale-ligure-botta.html
http://www.lastampa.it/2014/05/29/e...a-panchina-nTByp3KRLeUMsqWMuFKeYL/pagina.html
Here is the article, maybe you can translate with google, automatically.
PS: He worked for NASA

 

[symbolipoint]

I might have misunderstood post #57. So the 61 year-old did not necessarily have trouble finding a job (Obviously, since worked for NASA).

 

[Grands]

I might have misunderstood post #57. So the 61 year-old did not necessarily have trouble finding a job (Obviously, since worked for NASA).

No, he came back in Italy and he find no job.

 

[symbolipoint]

No, he came back in Italy and he find no job.

As you explained in another post, the unemployment rate is very high there. No wonder he found no job after returning. He may also be troubled with the condition of being overqualified, even though he still wants and needs employment, regardless of any extra qualifications he has.

 

[CrysPhys]

You ask, is it true that with degree in Physics from M.I.T. that someone would have a hard time finding a job at a museum?
What I intend to say is that NO. Simply that I have faith that such a person would not have difficulty finding a job at a museum. I have this faith because this graduate has a fine education from a very well established, high quality school, and is necessarily both very educated and very intelligent; and certainly can communicate well.

No, that person's academic credentials are not sufficient by themselves to land her a job in a science museum. I gave several reasons why in Post #54. To follow up on Reason (4) in that post, even if she were a well qualified candidate, that doesn't mean she was the best qualified candidate. Suppose the hiring manager was a Harvard grad, and another candidate had a BS in physics from Harvard (which would give her an edge over the MIT grad because personal biases come into play), was fluent in five languages, had volunteered as a science tutor for the inner-city kids of Boston, ...

And, on the flip side, I reiterate my caveat about being overqualified for certain positions. Proper fit is important.

Or it could be simply a matter of personal chemistry during the interview. What one hiring manager might perceive as novel and charming, another hiring manager might perceive as contrived and overly cutesy.

But, as I posted above, we have no details on what the position was and why she was rejected. So it's important for the OP not to draw any conclusions from this video ... particularly about the career opportunities with a physics degree or about the significance of a diploma from a name-brand school.

 

[CrysPhys]

In italy I found another video, that I can't post because is in italian, where an italian guy get a PhD from MIT in astrophysics, he decide to came back in Italy, and now is a clochard, ...

<<Emphasis added>> I had to look that up. I nominate it for the new vocabulary word of the day. :-)

 

[Grands]

As you explained in another post, the unemployment rate is very high there. No wonder he found no job after returning. He may also be troubled with the condition of being overqualified, even though he still wants and needs employment, regardless of any extra qualifications he has.

The unemployment is high for young people, not for someone that is 61.
The general unemployment is 11%.

He said that he went to London and worked as a gardener, and as a dishwasher.
After he comes back again in Italy ( the second time) and now he is one the street asking money.
He also tried to open a library about Physics mysteries but he had to close it, because he failed.

 

[CrysPhys]

The unemployment is high for young people, not for someone that is 61.
The general unemployment is 11%.

I'm not familiar with employment practices in Italy. But I know that in other European countries, greater age by itself and greater years seniority in a job provides greater job security. But that would apply mainly to people who were employed in that country when younger and continued in place. Wouldn't the fact that the physicist had previously left Italy make him more vulnerable to being unemployed? The customary protections and low unemployment rate for seniors wouldn't then apply.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Anyway it is true that with a degree in Physics at MIT it's hard to find a job in a museum ?

She said she applied for one job and didn't get it.

Are you seriously arguing that someone from MIT should get every single job they apply for? What if two MIT people apply for the same job?

 

[Grands]

She said she applied for one job and didn't get it.

Are you seriously arguing that someone from MIT should get every single job they apply for? What if two MIT people apply for the same job?

I'm not saying this, and I would be crazy to think in this way.
My idea is that a person with a degree from MIT don't concern about not being accepted by one job.
I just thought to say that a person with a physics degree from MIT had already job offers during university years, and that have so may opportunities that doesn't have the time to say that they don't know what to do to find a job.
I usually thought this about almost every person that have a major in Physics, not only those ones who graduated at MIT.

 

[symbolipoint]

I'm not saying this, and I would be crazy to think in this way.
My idea is that a person with a degree from MIT don't concern about not being accepted by one job.
I just thought to say that a person with a physics degree from MIT had already job offers during university years, and that have so may opportunities that doesn't have the time to say that they don't know what to do to find a job.
I usually thought this about almost every person that have a major in Physics, not only those ones who graduated at MIT.

Fantasy! Physics is great education but is not job-training. Students from ANY university still must HUNT for their jobs or career positions. A few of the very best at a school, might have a job offer just before or upon graduating. Even among MIT students, I'd still imagine that however good someone is, there is still someone better. You might be focusing excessively on big famous brand name schools and not enough on picking a major field and studying for at least bachelor degree.

You need to, in a few weeks or so, pick a major field, choose and apply and gain admission to college or university, earn your degree (bachelor degree at first), and find and take a job. If you were to be good enough in your undergrad studies, maybe you could continue on for Master's degree.

 

[Grands]

A few of the very best at a school, might have a job offer just before or upon graduating.

At physics or in general?
Anyway, this happens at engineering courses in my country.

 

[symbolipoint]

At physics or in general?
Anyway, this happens at engineering courses in my country.

Anything with a demand for talented intelligent people (in this general case, students who earn a degree in any field that companies want such people for).

 

[Glenstr]

My son got his undergrad degree in physics, he did it because he wanted it, not because there was a plethora of high paying jobs looking for physics degrees. He wants to eventually get his masters in it, but unsure of which discipline to pursue.

In the meantime he got a good job for an engineering firm doing non destructive stress testing. Did he need his degree for this job? I don’t think so. Did it help him get the job? I’d venture most likely yes.

 

[Grands]

Did he need his degree for this job?

Are you sure that for that kind of job, in order to analyze the tests, there isn't necessary a physics degree?

Anyway, my aspiration is not to get a very high paid job, but just to find a job that is not teaching or researching.

 

[Glenstr]

I'm pretty sure he told me that the degree wasn't a prerequisite, but he felt the degree helped him get the job.

 

[symbolipoint]

Are you sure that for that kind of job, in order to analyze the tests, there isn't necessary a physics degree?

Anyway, my aspiration is not to get a very high paid job, but just to find a job that is not teaching or researching.

I'm pretty sure he told me that the degree wasn't a prerequisite, but he felt the degree helped him get the job.

Like I said before or in other topics, someone with bachelors degree is very smart and is without any doubt, trainable; so this person can learn many things - some on his own, and some with training, and again, he IS TRAINABLE very much so. Maybe the education and previous activity dedicated to Physics helped him; but maybe some kind of Engineering education would have done just the same for making him trainable...

 

[CrysPhys]

Are you sure that for that kind of job, in order to analyze the tests, there isn't necessary a physics degree?

Again, training requirements depend on the field of application. If you are testing critical components such as jet engines or gas pipes for field installation, there are requirements for training and certification. In other instances, there are not. And again, depends on the level of responsibility. Are you the engineer responsible for specifying the tests and signing off on the results, or are you the technician performing the tests, following the engineer's instructions?