Careers
Search and Survive - Part 1
1. Introduction
In this section:
Many people do not take advantage of well-established sources of help in job selection. You are strongly advised to make the most of these services, and this section is designed to help you do just that. The following questions have been devised to prompt you to think about your future direction. Try to answer them where you can, as this will help you make decisions later on.
What are your needs?
Consider the following:
- What help are you looking for?
- Are you considering a higher degree?
- What jobs are available?
- How do you apply?
- What else should you be considering?
- Make a note of ideas that occur to you as you think about these questions.
Sources of Help
Your University Careers Advisory Service will usually be able to help - even if you graduated a few years ago. (If you live a long way off, you might be given help by your nearest university - ask about the mutual aid scheme). Do you want to talk with someone (very useful if your ideas are vague), or do you merely wish to use their careers library and other facilities?
Most newspapers carry job advertisements and run career-related features. Newspapers such as the Guardian devote different days to different career sectors. You may also find it useful to talk to others about your choice. The meetings held by the Institute of Physics' Groups and Branches are a good place to meet other physicists who have had to make similar decisions.
2. What sort of occupation do you want?
In this section:
- Higher Degrees
- Type of Work
- Where are the jobs?
- Job Advertisements
- Personal Qualities
- Frank self-analysis for selecting realistic job opportunities
Higher degrees
- Do you know the difference between a higher degree by research or by instruction? (Consider how you enjoyed your undergraduate degree. How would you like any further study to be structured?)
- How would you be financed?
- What class of degree do you need?
- Which institutions offer the postgraduate course you wish to pursue?
Answers to all these questions can be found with one of the sources of help, listed above.
Type of work
- Do you want to work full or part-time, freelance, contract or as a consultant?
- Have you seen any career library files on Engineering, R&D, Marketing, Finance, . . .
- Do you read the Institute's publications? 'Physics World' contains several pages of job listings, and often has profiles of people working in different areas.
Where are the jobs?
If you know the kind of job you want, but don't know which organisations offer it, try reading specialist literature connected with your area of interest, and see which companies are mentioned. These publications may have job sections, or details of meetings in your area. Networking is a good forum from within which to ask people about where they work and what they do.
Are you familiar with 'PROSPECTS', 'GO' and other directories of graduate employers, which are available from libraries and careers services? These publications contain detailed case studies of recent graduates working in companies you may wish to target. They also provide up-to-date job listings, and often have advice on how to apply.
There are jobs for physicists spread across the country in a huge variety of different sectors. You can find out where the jobs are by scanning local and national newspapers, looking at websites and networking. If you would like to work for a particular company study their website. They may have departments at different sites around the country, enabling you to choose where you would like to go. Being flexible about relocation will increase the number of jobs available to you.
Job Advertisements
The Milkround: A large number of organisations visit campuses in the autumn and spring terms, to recruit students in their final year. This is generally referred to as the Milkround. When does your 'Milkround' occur? Although such arrangements are convenient, there is a very high level of competition for posts with visiting employers. However, you should always exploit every chance you have to talk to employers, and use this as practice for later interview situations.
What about employers who have jobs available but don't visit the campus? These are numerous. Scan newspapers and websites for jobs in the area, geographical or scientific, you are interested in. Your university careers service will provide regular lists of vacancies for a small number of local jobs. They will also have other listings available in their libraries.
Have you looked for posts in the science press? (New Scientist, Physics World etc)
Have you thought of a recruitment agency?
The Institute's Professional Brief 'Finding a Job' contains lists of sources of information and online recruitment sites suitable for physicists.
A number of universities and other organisations run Recruitment Fairs where employers and job hunters can meet. There are also national fairs in places such as London and Birmingham, advertised in the national press. Click here to find one local to you.
Personal Qualities
Listed below are typical keywords and phrases, which often arise in interviewers' reports. Employers vary in the weight they put on each attribute and, of course, different careers demand different blends. It is important to make an honest self-evaluation, and to plan how to demonstrate the attributes you wish to emphasise. Finally, make a real attempt at the exercise below: understand the interviewer by trying out their job.
- Attribute: Domestic
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Flexible, married/single, mobile, restricted - Attribute: Health
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Disabled, fit, robust, sedentary, sporty, strong/weak - Attribute: Appearance
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Body-language, confidence, extrovert/introvert, first impression, smartness - Attribute: Interests
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Academic, sporty, culture, current affairs - Attribute: Personality
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Ambitious, assertive, competitive, confident, convincing, creative, determination, drive, enthusiastic, extrovert/introvert, flair, good-mixer, influential, initiative, intellectual, lively, logical, originality, practical, quiet, sense of humour, steady, ruthless - Attribute: Maturity
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Articulate, confident, open-minded, humane, independent, judgement, leadership, objective, poise, resilient, responsible - Attribute: Social Skills
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Communication, influential, humane, leadership, persuasive, team player - Attribute: Motivation
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Ambitious, competitive, cautious, constructive, entrepreneurial, practical, promoter of change - Attribute: Overall
Typical Keywords & Phrases: Qualities High flier, middle of the road, reliable, steady, sound
Exercises
- Describe one of your contemporaries in terms of personal qualities and induce advice (of a general nature) on likely career roles.
- Consider the personal qualities of a professional person well known to you; are there conflicts which affect job performance?
Frank Self Analysis for Selecting Realistic Job Opportunities
Not all physicists can work for the largest organisations and, indeed, many would not wish to do this. It may help to answer the questions below, before you set out to list the employers you intend to research. Your aim must be to avoid putting great effort into pursuing unsuitable positions.
- Are you going to be more happy in the private or public sector?
- Is location (north/south, abroad etc.) an issue?
- Do you see yourself as a generalist or a specialist?
- Should the organisation be big or small?
- Does teamwork appeal to you?
- Are rugged conditions (e.g.: shifts, extreme climate etc.) OK?
- Does your temperament thrive on exposure (e.g.: in sales, etc.)?
- Is high risk/high stakes employment your style?
- How do you balance your ambitions with the pressure of heavy responsibility?
- What, in your view, is your 'leadership potential'?
Hopefully you are now in a better position to identify those career roles best suited to you, and the kind of organisation in which you would thrive. Without worrying about actual vacancies at this stage, think of realistic examples of prospects that could be researched further.
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