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- Path: sparky!uunet!dove!gilligan
- From: gilligan@bldrdoc.gov (Jonathan M. Gilligan)
- Newsgroups: sci.physics
- Subject: Re: Where do physics graduates look for work?
- Message-ID: <5485@dove.nist.gov>
- Date: 10 Sep 92 23:49:47 GMT
- References: <1992Sep10.153848.1215@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>
- Sender: news@dove.nist.gov
- Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Lines: 46
-
- In article <1992Sep10.153848.1215@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> abbasi@star.enet.dec.com writes:
- >
- >Ok, you worked hard to get your physics degree, now what do you do?
- >where do you look for work? when I mean work, I mean physics/science
- >related, not flipping burgers.
- >
- >are there actually physics/science work out there?
- >
- >what is best references/papers/magazines to help in this regard?
-
- There is far less work for trained physicists (and other scientists)
- than there are trained physicists. That's why there are hundreds of
- applicants for practically every position that's advertised. (The
- winners, I believe, are Amherst College in physics and the University
- of Washington in Computer Science, who received over 800 and 1000
- applicants, respectively, for advertised faculty positions.)
-
- For more information on the glut of trained scientists, read ``Signs
- of tighter job market grow; more than recession at work,'' (Physics
- Today March 1992, p. 55) and ``Condensed matter physics in a market
- economy,'' (Physics Today, May 1992, p. 40).
-
- There is a growing (now over 1000 subscribers) unmoderated electronic
- newsletter called ``Young Scientists' Network,'' to which you can
- subscribe by sending a request to John D. Sahr at
- ysn-adm@zoyd.ee.washington.edu. (Send subscription requests to
- ysn-adm, not ysn, or they will go out to all subscribers.) YSN
- discusses the job shortage and encourages its members to fight the
- false perception that the nation is facing a shortage of scientists
- and engineers. A few notices of job openings are also posted to the
- group.
-
- As to finding a job, it is common for an advertisement of a job in
- physics to appear in print after the position is already filled. The
- delays in printing are often responsible, as is the legal requirement
- that to comply with equal employment opportunity laws, a department
- must make a pro forma public announcement of any job opening, even if
- they already know who they want to hire. Thus, to get a job, in
- addition to sending out responses to advertised jobs, you should call
- around to senior people you know at physics departments and industrial
- laboratories asking about openings.
-
- ---Jon
- --
-
- Disclaimer --- The government probably disagrees with my opinions.
-