What to do after a Physics degree?
Discussion
I graduated from university in July with a degree in Physics. I found the degree pretty challenging however I managed to get a 2.1 which I was extremely happy with. Now I'm considering my career options but feel a bit lost. Being on pistonheads I'm obviously interested in cars and I think that I would enjoy a career in automotive/motorsport engineering. Thing is, I have no idea how to go about making myself more desirable to companies in this sector? Automotive engineering masters? Try and get work experience? Would I even enjoy a career in this sector? lol
I have been applying for graduate schemes but seem to be getting nowhere. Any help from people who have maybe done a physics degree (and went on to do something different) or work in one of these sectors would be much appreciated!
Sorry for the long and boring post but I would really appreciate the help!
I have been applying for graduate schemes but seem to be getting nowhere. Any help from people who have maybe done a physics degree (and went on to do something different) or work in one of these sectors would be much appreciated!
Sorry for the long and boring post but I would really appreciate the help!
I find it amazing that an obviously intelligent person with a 2:1 degree in physics, has little knowledge of how to apply for a job. Is there no career advice given by your uni? Did you not go to any of the job fairs that all uni's host during student's final years? Do you not know local or specific industry employers who offer graduate training schemes. Can you not read the job ads in specialist/national newspapers and mags? Does any of your friends not work in an industry that appeals and can point you in the right direction?
I find it stunning that you seem to have a total lack of basic info on how to find a job. Worrying.
I find it stunning that you seem to have a total lack of basic info on how to find a job. Worrying.
With respect Colin that's not quite what he's saying. He's asking for specific advice for a specific sector, not general advice. At least he's trying to get an inside track, most grads I see don't even bother with this & turn up for interview with no clue, just as you allude to Colin.
I'd firstly be interested in why you seem to be failing so far with the grad schemes you have been applying for. Without that insight you will only replicate as you go forward.
Once you have worked that out, then decide what it is that you would enjoy doing and then put all of your energies in to securing a role in that industry. Straight off, that may be a mixture of formal applications, informal networking (live & online) and volunteering to get further insight in to your preferred industry.
Find out sharpish why you've not been successful so far. Ask! And I'd be happy to look over your last failed application to see if I can spot why.
Good luck!
Once you have worked that out, then decide what it is that you would enjoy doing and then put all of your energies in to securing a role in that industry. Straight off, that may be a mixture of formal applications, informal networking (live & online) and volunteering to get further insight in to your preferred industry.
Find out sharpish why you've not been successful so far. Ask! And I'd be happy to look over your last failed application to see if I can spot why.
Good luck!
My brother has a Physics degree from Nottingham.
He decided roughly what he wanted to do in his final year, choosing a career as a patents attorney. Interesting thing about that particular path is that places are very competitive; something like 100 jobs a year across the sector and about 5,000 applicants. So yeah, not an easy field to get into.
Anyway, his method was to research all the main players in the field, make a note of and attend all their 'open days', send emails to their recruitment department and apply for everything going. Most of these companies have a recruitment period, so you only get a 1/2 month window.
Even then, he knew his chances were low. So he moved to London and took his degree to a masters level to make him more appealing. That took another year, whilst still constantly applying, networking and banging on the door. After that, he found out that most of the graduates that are accepted are immediately put onto to another masters degree course as part of their career progression; so he did that as well, saving his employer the hassle.
So from initially finishing uni with his degree, he spent another 3 years doing masters/top up courses to make him more appealing to companies and show his commitment; whilst also attending every interview/career fair/open day possible.
In the end he got a role with one of the top five in the industry and is loving it.
Hopefully the above will provide some insight
He decided roughly what he wanted to do in his final year, choosing a career as a patents attorney. Interesting thing about that particular path is that places are very competitive; something like 100 jobs a year across the sector and about 5,000 applicants. So yeah, not an easy field to get into.
Anyway, his method was to research all the main players in the field, make a note of and attend all their 'open days', send emails to their recruitment department and apply for everything going. Most of these companies have a recruitment period, so you only get a 1/2 month window.
Even then, he knew his chances were low. So he moved to London and took his degree to a masters level to make him more appealing. That took another year, whilst still constantly applying, networking and banging on the door. After that, he found out that most of the graduates that are accepted are immediately put onto to another masters degree course as part of their career progression; so he did that as well, saving his employer the hassle.
So from initially finishing uni with his degree, he spent another 3 years doing masters/top up courses to make him more appealing to companies and show his commitment; whilst also attending every interview/career fair/open day possible.
In the end he got a role with one of the top five in the industry and is loving it.
Hopefully the above will provide some insight
Edited by The Beaver King on Monday 4th January 11:24
ColinM50 said:
I find it amazing that an obviously intelligent person with a 2:1 degree in physics, has little knowledge of how to apply for a job. Is there no career advice given by your uni? Did you not go to any of the job fairs that all uni's host during student's final years? Do you not know local or specific industry employers who offer graduate training schemes. Can you not read the job ads in specialist/national newspapers and mags? Does any of your friends not work in an industry that appeals and can point you in the right direction?
I find it stunning that you seem to have a total lack of basic info on how to find a job. Worrying.
I think you've missed the point, I didn't say I didn't know how to apply for a job.I find it stunning that you seem to have a total lack of basic info on how to find a job. Worrying.
Anyway thanks to those who gave useful replies.
rog007 said:
I'd firstly be interested in why you seem to be failing so far with the grad schemes you have been applying for. Without that insight you will only replicate as you go forward.
Once you have worked that out, then decide what it is that you would enjoy doing and then put all of your energies in to securing a role in that industry. Straight off, that may be a mixture of formal applications, informal networking (live & online) and volunteering to get further insight in to your preferred industry.
Find out sharpish why you've not been successful so far. Ask! And I'd be happy to look over your last failed application to see if I can spot why.
Good luck!
Thanks! Its really difficult to know where you're going wrong when no two applications are the same. From the 40-50 grad schemes I've applied for so far the questions have varied massively. I've had two interviews so far and I know that they are not my strongest point but I've been actively trying to improve my interview skills by watching videos online and getting advice from someone who works in HR for a large company. I guess practice makes perfect with interviews though.Once you have worked that out, then decide what it is that you would enjoy doing and then put all of your energies in to securing a role in that industry. Straight off, that may be a mixture of formal applications, informal networking (live & online) and volunteering to get further insight in to your preferred industry.
Find out sharpish why you've not been successful so far. Ask! And I'd be happy to look over your last failed application to see if I can spot why.
Good luck!
I think you're right though I need to concentrate all of my efforts into one particular area and try to network more and seek work experience!
The Beaver King said:
My brother has a Physics degree from Nottingham.
He decided roughly what he wanted to do in his final year, choosing a career as a patents attorney. Interesting thing about that particular path is that places are very competitive; something like 100 jobs a year across the sector and about 5,000 applicants. So yeah, not an easy field to get into.
Anyway, his method was to research all the main players in the field, make a note of and attend all their 'open days', send emails to their recruitment department and apply for everything going. Most of these companies have a recruitment period, so you only get a 1/2 month window.
Even then, he knew his chances were low. So he moved to London and took his degree to a masters level to make him more appealing. That took another year, whilst still constantly applying, networking and banging on the door. After that, he found out that most of the graduates that are accepted are immediately put onto to another masters degree course as part of their career progression; so he did that as well, saving his employer the hassle.
So from initially finishing uni with his degree, he spent another 3 years doing masters/top up courses to make him more appealing to companies and show his commitment; whilst also attending every interview/career fair/open day possible.
In the end he got a role with one of the top five in the industry and is loving it.
Hopefully the above will provide some insight
Thanks! Interestingly that is a career path I have considered! I admire your brothers effort, it seems that those that really want it will get there in the end! If I do choose to go into patent law then I think I'll go back and study a masters in patent law like your brother did. Out of interest, what does he enjoy about it?He decided roughly what he wanted to do in his final year, choosing a career as a patents attorney. Interesting thing about that particular path is that places are very competitive; something like 100 jobs a year across the sector and about 5,000 applicants. So yeah, not an easy field to get into.
Anyway, his method was to research all the main players in the field, make a note of and attend all their 'open days', send emails to their recruitment department and apply for everything going. Most of these companies have a recruitment period, so you only get a 1/2 month window.
Even then, he knew his chances were low. So he moved to London and took his degree to a masters level to make him more appealing. That took another year, whilst still constantly applying, networking and banging on the door. After that, he found out that most of the graduates that are accepted are immediately put onto to another masters degree course as part of their career progression; so he did that as well, saving his employer the hassle.
So from initially finishing uni with his degree, he spent another 3 years doing masters/top up courses to make him more appealing to companies and show his commitment; whilst also attending every interview/career fair/open day possible.
In the end he got a role with one of the top five in the industry and is loving it.
Hopefully the above will provide some insight
Edited by The Beaver King on Monday 4th January 11:24
Edited by bradfr on Monday 4th January 19:12
Twin2 said:
You'll find that very, very little engineering knowledge is needed to be a graduate engineer in a lot of the bigger companies
I'd tend to agree with this. When interviewing graduates the one thing I look for is enthusiasm, together with some sort of evidence they are committed to working in what is fundamentally construction. Most aren't! bradfr said:
Thanks! Interestingly that is a career path I have considered! I admire your brothers effort, it seems that those that really want it will get there in the end! If I do choose to go into patent law then I think I'll go back and study a masters in patent law like your brother did. Out of interest, what does he enjoy about it?
Yes, he did work very hard to get in the door but he always has been a determined person. I believe his degree was also a 2:1, so you are in similar positions.Edited by bradfr on Monday 4th January 19:12
He loves the science I think; he always has been into technology and the latest gizmos/theories etc. He is a bit of a hipster geek.
Partly that and partly working for a big company that has commercial giants on its books. Like most people I guess, he gets a kick out of working with/for the big brands (Apple, Google etc). A bit of work related arrogance, for lack of a better phrase.
Other than that, he loves living in London so it ticks that box. The career prospects are very good and he should be earning a very decent salary in the next 5-10 years; which all helps
If it helps; another PH'er was also thinking of getting into the same career and he composed some questions that I sent onto my brother. If you do have any questions about the route he took or the job, drop me a PM and I will pass them on. HTH
The Beaver King said:
My brother has a Physics degree from Nottingham.
He decided roughly what he wanted to do in his final year, choosing a career as a patents attorney. Interesting thing about that particular path is that places are very competitive; something like 100 jobs a year across the sector and about 5,000 applicants. So yeah, not an easy field to get into.
Anyway, his method was to research all the main players in the field, make a note of and attend all their 'open days', send emails to their recruitment department and apply for everything going. Most of these companies have a recruitment period, so you only get a 1/2 month window.
Even then, he knew his chances were low. So he moved to London and took his degree to a masters level to make him more appealing. That took another year, whilst still constantly applying, networking and banging on the door. After that, he found out that most of the graduates that are accepted are immediately put onto to another masters degree course as part of their career progression; so he did that as well, saving his employer the hassle.
So from initially finishing uni with his degree, he spent another 3 years doing masters/top up courses to make him more appealing to companies and show his commitment; whilst also attending every interview/career fair/open day possible.
In the end he got a role with one of the top five in the industry and is loving it.
Hopefully the above will provide some insight
I got interested in the Patent Attorney job. Still not sure (have done extensive research), but from a website I found that had a lot of job summaries and insights from people who work at these companies you couldn't fail to notice that even masters degrees were a bit thin on the ground. Most had PhD in their name somewhere (good job I have one!).He decided roughly what he wanted to do in his final year, choosing a career as a patents attorney. Interesting thing about that particular path is that places are very competitive; something like 100 jobs a year across the sector and about 5,000 applicants. So yeah, not an easy field to get into.
Anyway, his method was to research all the main players in the field, make a note of and attend all their 'open days', send emails to their recruitment department and apply for everything going. Most of these companies have a recruitment period, so you only get a 1/2 month window.
Even then, he knew his chances were low. So he moved to London and took his degree to a masters level to make him more appealing. That took another year, whilst still constantly applying, networking and banging on the door. After that, he found out that most of the graduates that are accepted are immediately put onto to another masters degree course as part of their career progression; so he did that as well, saving his employer the hassle.
So from initially finishing uni with his degree, he spent another 3 years doing masters/top up courses to make him more appealing to companies and show his commitment; whilst also attending every interview/career fair/open day possible.
In the end he got a role with one of the top five in the industry and is loving it.
Hopefully the above will provide some insight
Edited by The Beaver King on Monday 4th January 11:24
My main issue with it is I know I'll sit there and I'll see these patents passing through and I'll be wishing I was working on it instead! rather than helping the inventor protect it. I've spent a lot of time in my own job as well going through patents (our company bought a few others and I had to trawl through their patents to see what we wanted to keep). I didn't find it particularly engaging, perhaps that was the subject matter, but I took it as good indication the job might not be for me.
EDIT:
http://www.insidecareers.co.uk/professions/patent-...
there is the site.
I was most interested in Potter-Clarkson as they are based in Nottingham. But there are plenty of others about!
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Tuesday 5th January 11:08
Twin2 and GT03ROB, that's good to hear. I was always under the impression that maybe 80% of interviews would be given to engineers at these sorts of companies and the rest to other subjects. I do have basic engineering experience as well as I currently work as an assistant at a car mechanics garage. I definitely don't mind getting my hands dirty.
The Beaver King, yeah I think I would like the job for similar reasons and like you say the pay is very good even whilst training with a company! Thanks for the help, and having some questions answered by your brother would be a great help actually! I'll compose a few and send them to you.
Otispinkmeyer, I think I have looked through that website before. Yeah I think I would definitely need to study further if I were to stand any chance of getting a job in the industry. I think I would be similar to you as well, I'd be wishing I was working on the invention rather than writing up the papers for it :/
The Beaver King, yeah I think I would like the job for similar reasons and like you say the pay is very good even whilst training with a company! Thanks for the help, and having some questions answered by your brother would be a great help actually! I'll compose a few and send them to you.
Otispinkmeyer, I think I have looked through that website before. Yeah I think I would definitely need to study further if I were to stand any chance of getting a job in the industry. I think I would be similar to you as well, I'd be wishing I was working on the invention rather than writing up the papers for it :/
After reading the original post, I was just about to suggest Patent Attorney. Then I saw that a few others have shared some direct and indirect experience with that career path.
I've been a patent attorney for 10 years. I discovered it was a career when I first saw the above linked guide. I would recommend it, but it's a hard profession to get into and the exams can be a very hard slog. The work can be interesting at times, but it can also be extremely tedious. Same as most things, really. The money isn't as good as it used to be, but there are few poor patent attorneys. I think if you did the masters in IP from the likes of Bournemouth that would help you. It's a piece of piss compared to the courses offered by Manchster and Queen Mary. If you are strong at computer software or electronics that would de a great advantage as attorneys in those fields are sought after nowadays.
Good luck.
I've been a patent attorney for 10 years. I discovered it was a career when I first saw the above linked guide. I would recommend it, but it's a hard profession to get into and the exams can be a very hard slog. The work can be interesting at times, but it can also be extremely tedious. Same as most things, really. The money isn't as good as it used to be, but there are few poor patent attorneys. I think if you did the masters in IP from the likes of Bournemouth that would help you. It's a piece of piss compared to the courses offered by Manchster and Queen Mary. If you are strong at computer software or electronics that would de a great advantage as attorneys in those fields are sought after nowadays.
Good luck.
Edited by Katzenjammer on Tuesday 5th January 13:11
Katzenjammer said:
After reading the original post, I was just about to suggest Patent Attorney. Then I saw that a few others have shared some direct and indirect experience with that career path.
I've been a patent attorney for 10 years. I discovered it was a career when I first saw the above linked guide. I would recommend it, but it's a hard profession to get into and the exams can be a very hard slog. The work can be interesting at times, but it can also be extremely tedious. Same as most things, really. The money isn't as good as it used to be, but there are few poor patent attorneys. I think if you did the masters in IP from the likes of Bournemouth that would help you. It's a piece of piss compared to the courses offered by Manchster and Queen Mary. If you are strong at computer software or electronics that would de a great advantage as attorneys in those fields are sought after nowadays.
Good luck.
Thanks for the advice, yeah I can imagine that it would be a tough few years to become fully qualified. I suppose any job nowadays which is fairly well paid will be a lot of hard work. I am a hard worker so I don't think that would be a problem. Would doing the masters in IP somewhere easier go against me on my CV though? I'm not sure how much uni snobbery there is in law?I've been a patent attorney for 10 years. I discovered it was a career when I first saw the above linked guide. I would recommend it, but it's a hard profession to get into and the exams can be a very hard slog. The work can be interesting at times, but it can also be extremely tedious. Same as most things, really. The money isn't as good as it used to be, but there are few poor patent attorneys. I think if you did the masters in IP from the likes of Bournemouth that would help you. It's a piece of piss compared to the courses offered by Manchster and Queen Mary. If you are strong at computer software or electronics that would de a great advantage as attorneys in those fields are sought after nowadays.
Good luck.
Edited by Katzenjammer on Tuesday 5th January 13:11
I did do some basic programming as part of my physics degree but if that is sought after in the industry it might be worth getting a bit better at it. If you don't mind me asking, what degree did you do before you decided to be a patent attorney?
bradfr said:
Thanks for the advice, yeah I can imagine that it would be a tough few years to become fully qualified. I suppose any job nowadays which is fairly well paid will be a lot of hard work. I am a hard worker so I don't think that would be a problem. Would doing the masters in IP somewhere easier go against me on my CV though? I'm not sure how much uni snobbery there is in law?
I did do some basic programming as part of my physics degree but if that is sought after in the industry it might be worth getting a bit better at it. If you don't mind me asking, what degree did you do before you decided to be a patent attorney?
I don't think the Masters in IP from somewhere easier would go against you. There are only three places where you can do it, of which Bournemouth is handy as you only have to physically attend a limited number of times which means you could keep up a job at the same time. The main advantage is that all the Masters IP courses gain you exemptions from having to the foundation exams for UK charted status. These exams are bloody hard!I did do some basic programming as part of my physics degree but if that is sought after in the industry it might be worth getting a bit better at it. If you don't mind me asking, what degree did you do before you decided to be a patent attorney?
My degree was BEng Hons Engineering from a red brick Uni.
PhDs are more common in the Biotech fields. Some firms are really stuffy and only recruit from Oxbridge. I will say no more an that subject!
Lots of maths and science grads in Risk. In my particular area (Retail Credit Risk for a large banking group) skills in maths/stats, data analysis and coding are required but all graduate jobs will provide the training required. Plenty of stimulation if you enjoy data analysis / modelling.
Lots of vacancies across the UK, decent starting salary and good promotion prospects at most places as people move up the ladder quickly.
Lots of vacancies across the UK, decent starting salary and good promotion prospects at most places as people move up the ladder quickly.
On the flip-side to the Patent Attorney suggestions, there's also the Patent Office as a patent examiner. Ok, the UK patent office is in Newport which sucks, but you could, assuming one has (or obtains) the language skills (need English, French and German) try the European Patent Office. We are sited in The Hague and Munich (a few people also work in Berlin) and we offer pretty decent salaries and benefits.
Also, you get to tell the attorneys what to do
Also, you get to tell the attorneys what to do
v8s4me said:
Join the RAF or the Navy. Get the best hands-on engineering training available on some seriously big toys, and get paid whilst you're doing it. When you leave, employers will be chasing you.
If you go this way they you would be stupid (I was btw) to not go officer just for the extra pay, pension and ultimately freedom you would get. Officers don't do much hands on and are more like a mixture of workshop and HR managers IME.As someone with a degree who joined as an Other Rank I've grown weary with working alongside and under people I consider idiots.
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