A physics degree gives you the foundational technical skills required to hold a wide variety of different jobs. There is no one traditional career path that physics undergraduate, masters, or doctoral students pursue! It is fortunate that you have so many options, but you may be wondering: where do I even start?
Where do I start?
Perhaps the most important resource you should know about on campus is the Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD) office — it is the go-to place for career guidance at MIT. Start there! Their website contains much helpful information, and you can also schedule in-person appointments with career counselors who have helped many students like you find their career path. You should also subscribe to the regular career newsletters for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs from CAPD and the 8careers newsletter from the joint physics student-faculty Careers Task Force.
Where can I get a job as a physicist?
There are many different fulfilling careers that will allow you to use both physics and the other skills you have picked up while studying towards your degree. You should not limit yourself to just searching for jobs with the specific title physicist – this might land you mostly on webpages about research positions in academia or national labs. You might be surprised to learn that only 4% of physics bachelor’s recipients and 17% of physics doctorate recipients are working in a field of employment titled physics or astronomy.
A diverse range of sectors seek out physicists, including education, investing, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and public policy. Some companies may be less familiar with a physics degree than with engineering degrees, so the burden may initially lie on your shoulders to explain the marketable skills that your physics degree gave you. However, other companies, particularly engineering companies that are anchored in physics at their foundations, often reach out specifically to physicists!
Here are a number of websites that list jobs that physicists get after graduation:
- Who’s hiring physics bachelors? (American Institute of Physics/AIP)
- Physics BS jobs in the private sector (American Physical Society/APS)
- List of Who’s Hiring Physics PhDs (AIP)
- MIT Graduating Student Surveys (includes employers and salary data, sorted by department)
If you’re interested in attending professional degree programs (business, law, medicine) CAPD has resources for that too! Physicists historically have some of the highest average scores of all college majors on the law and medical school admissions exams, the LSAT and the MCAT.
- Law school advising
- Preparing for and applying to medical school
- Business school advising
How do I figure out which of these jobs is right for me?
Having many different potential career paths in front of you can feel either freeing, or confusing, or both! There are plenty of resources available both online and in person at MIT to help you navigate towards and secure a career that you will find enjoyable and fulfilling. These resources span every part of the job search, from the first steps in figuring out what you want to do, to strategizing to land a specific dream job.
In person advising. MIT offers free career counseling appointments as well as career-related workshops and events. If you are interested in a field of employment that’s closely related to a specific area or department outside of physics, you should look for student organizations related to that area of interest, which often host helpful events.
Interactive online tools. MIT offers a number of free self-assessment tools that can help you navigate to the career options that are the best fit for you, including the MyPlan career planning tool and, for PhD students, MyIDP.
Online guidebooks. The careers office has a 72-page Career Handbook with wide-ranging information about every aspect of the job search process. There are also shorter summary pages online including Career First Steps for undergraduates, Industry Careers for PhDs, and a list of career development services for alumni and postdocs.
Outside of MIT, major professional physics organizations often offer advice as well. For example, here are career webinar slides and career guidance for physics graduate students from the American Physical Society.
Networking opportunities. There are a number of ways for you to learn about careers and network with prospective employers at MIT. The Physics Department sends out career-related events as they arise to relevant student mailing lists. The MIT Alumni Advisor Hub connects volunteer alumni with students for career advising. MIT also hosts a number of on-campus recruitment events and many career fairs each year.
The CAPD website also offers advice that can be useful for online networking and job applications, such as how to create a LinkedIn profile, write a resume, and how to interview.