What types of entry-level jobs are typically available to majors in Physics?
What types of internships are typically secured by Physics majors?
What are Physics alumni doing now?
What sort of graduate study have majors in Physics pursued?
How can you learn more about careers that might interest you?
More Resources and Services
What types of entry-level jobs are typically available to majors in Physics majors??
The beauty of a liberal arts education is that it challenges students to develop a wide range of universally applicable and life-enriching skills, so your major is less representative of your abilities than it is of your interests. In other words, you can do just about anything with any degree. The following entry-level jobs are typical of those that majors in Physics pursue because jobs like these make use not only of the broad liberal-arts skill set, but also of the interests cultivated in the Physics curriculum.
Physicist at an Environmental Research Laboratory in Colorado
Forensic Scientist in Washington
Lab Assistant at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Project Analyst for Brigham & Women's Hospital.
Past companies offering entry-level positions:
Genzyme Corporation
Harrison Group
Jackson Laboratory
Merck Research Laboratories
The Rockefeller University
What types of internships are typically secured by Physics majors??
The following is a very short list of the types of internships typically pursued by majors in Physics:
Academy for Advanced Strategic Studies(DC)
Interns assist in research and education programs, and maintaining and developing administrative functions and systems.
American Physical Society (NY)
This internship provides the opportunity for physics students to spend time in an industrial environment during the summer months.
Department of Energy(DC)
The purpose of this program is to train interns for professional positions.
MicroSemiconductor, Inc. (ID)
The company offers several engineering and technical positions for interns.
Applied Materials, Inc. (CA)
The leading semiconductor equipment company offers extensive engineering, finance/accounting, human resources, manufacturing, and management positions for internship and co-op programs
Sample Employers from Previous Years:
AT & T
Citigroup
Eastman Kodak Co.
General Electric Co.
IBM
U.S. Navy
U.S. Dept.of Energy
Yale University
What are Physics alumni doing now?
Here are the job titles and employers of a few Middlebury alumni who majored in Physics. If you'd like to speak with an alumnus or alumna about his or her career, or ask for advice about your own, then search MiddNet Online Volunteer Network for an alumni career advisor today!
Senior Managing Director, Rutledge Capital, LLC, Greenwich, CT
Software Development Manager, Microsoft, Redmond, WA
Vice President, UNUM Life Insurance Co., Portland, ME
What sort of graduate study* have majors in Physics pursued?
University of Pennsylvania
University of Colorado
Ohio State University
Princeton University
University of California, Irvine
Tufts University
University of Vermont
University of Chicago
* Graduate Ranking: USNew.com
How can you learn more about careers that might interest you?
Read a book.The following books, available for perusual in theCSO Library, may be of particular interst to Physics majors:
100 Jobs in Technology
Careers for Computer Buffs and Other Technological Types
Job Opportunities in Engineering and Computer Science
Physical Science Career Directory, Visible Ink Press, 1994.
Characteristics of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates: 1990,National Science Foundation, 1992.
Job Hunter's Sourcebook, Gale Research, Inc., 1993. Examples of source listings found within the Job Hunter's Sourcebookare:
The Best Resumes for Scientists and Engineers, John Wiley and Sons, 1988.
Careers in Science, VGM Career Horizons, 1990.
Use the Web. The following Web sites may be useful:
Monster's Major to Career Converter
CSO's Virtual Career LIbrary
Ferguson's Career Research Center (accessible through theCSO Password Page)
InformationWeek.com
American Physical Society Resources
Great page with many links to other physics-related sites and societies.
Careers for Physicists
Created by the American Institute of Physics, this page provides information about careers in the physical sciences. The site contains a list of employers, by state, who hire physicists; profiles of physicists in various sectors; a list of physics departments (searchable by state); and a career Q&A section that includes a searchable archive of monthly career-related discussions with guest speakers.
How to Leave Physics
Created in 1997 by Jennifer Hodgdon, a graduate of Cornell University with a Ph.D. in physics, this site provides information on alternative careers; tips on finding potential employers, writing a resume, and interviewing; a question-and-answer page with Ms. Hodgdon's replies to readers' general questions; and links to other employment resources.
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society's site offers advice for others considering a career change.
More Resources and Services
Stop by CSO for a Drop-in, or call to make an appointment with a counselor to talk about contacting alumni, assessing your career interests/preferences, and other actions you can take to prepare yourself for the transition from Middlebury to the professional world.
Back