Researcher case studies

In this section you can read the career stories of former and current researchers who share their thoughts on career transitions.

Their career paths illustrate the general appeal of a background in physics research and in reading these profiles you might find ideas for your own career.

As you read these you might be inspired to talk to people with careers that interest you and to build your own set of case studies. These questions might help you to understand the key steps in their career transitions and to get the best advice from them.

• Briefly describe what you are doing now and why this appealed to you.
• How straightforward was the transition from academic research? (How did you find out about opportunities, how relevant was your experience, etc)
• What were the main challenges or barriers to moving into this new role? (If you didn't face any particular challenges, is there a way you avoided them?)
• What has been the value of your academic background? Are there any skills that are particularly useful or unusual?
• What advice would you have for current postgraduates and postdoctoral staff to boost their employability?
• If you have Chartered Physicist status: What value has CPhys had in your career and in particular with the transition described above?