stem major here. it's been almost a year since I graduated. how the fuck do you get a job? literally everything wants years of experience
>>7966306
depends on the degree. What did you study? Where (country)?
That said, code monkey jobs are pretty much available anywhere.
>>7966312
physics, US
>>7966313
You fucked up. You'll either need to go to grad school, become proficient at coding, or convince some place that you enough of a genius to justify hiring you without experience.
>>7966313
>US
can't help you there, might wanna wait for another poster. Although I am pretty sure you could get some programming jobs or work for the government or military and whatnot. Or maybe go for a PhD.
>>7966314
how did i fuck up? every other degree is apparently just as useless
>>7966313
>>7966306
okay. what can you do? do you know industry software IE ANSYS, Fluent, CAD/CAM software, etc.
can you program? thats a big one alot of people find out too late.
what the fuck can you do besides what they showed you in school? everyone sees that shit in school. nobody cares, that doesn't make money.
how do you make me money?
finally, how many places have you applied to? i did well over 100 applications a month for my entire senior year.
>>7966316
You didn't. /sci/ thinks you are only able to get a job with the word "physics" in the title. They think this about every degree/
>>7966313
Fellow physics major here.
Should I switch before it's too late?
>>7966335
If you want employability go engineering or pick up engineering/coding classes on the side
>>7966306
Craigslist
Every single job I've gotten was from craigslist and they've all been pretty good.
>>7966340
Honestly, I don't even want a physics related job. I'm good with computer programming (it's all self taught, though), and I want to make vidya for a living. I'm just majoring in physics because I think physics is fun.
>>7966316
Nah you didn't really. I know a guy who's working with lasers with a BS in physics with 18$ an hour. But realistically STEM field is shit, but less shit then other fields. You'll soon learn that you'll be dealing with shit head upper management with sometimes no knowledge of science what so ever. Also, don't think engineers have it easy.
>>7966347
if you want to make vidya, learn to draw and do graphics shit.
video game positions are hard to find, and you have to be as multifaceted as possible so you can apply for all of them. you don't specialize till you get your foot in the door.
>>7966347
>I'm just majoring in physics because I think physics is fun.
This is the perfect reason to major in physics. Don't switch to engineering because people on /sci/ tell you that you won't get a job.
>>7966321
>100 applications a month
That is obscene. I did 3 and got accepted to two.
However my major was EE :^)
Try getting a job in banking. You will make more money in the long run. "Did you think you would be getting employment in a field you studied?"
Are physics majors pretty much fucked if they can't get into graduate school?
>>7966411
No.
>>7966381
not him but is it? i'm worried about job prospects as well. i love the courseload in physics/math but if i can't get my family out of low income i feel like i'd let them down.
>>7966422
You can major in ee and get a physics minor and work on photonics.
>$$
>passion
>>7966334
Me and you are the only non-retards in this place. Everyone else thinks the opposite
>>7966429
but what about superconductors and battery memes?
>>7966306
How do you fuckers have trouble getting jobs?
I'm graduating in May, and I've already been offered 3 jobs that I don't want.
Guys, I'm in a biomed program undergrad second year. I'm trying to finish the degree but I'm really worried about not being able to get a job with this alone. Any ideas on what I can do in the meantime to increase my employment opportunities?
>>7966438
You can do that too.
The cool thing about engineering is, provided you go to any large school in the top 50 for engineering, there are so many opportunities. Once you're a junior you'll have to create a spam filter for research and job postings. If you are proactive about talking to your professors about their research, they'll offer you jobs [math] \rightarrow [/math] boom you won't run into the problem OP had.
>>7966476
i hear you have to get your P.Eng after a while to do design though, otherwise you are merely appyling the material in the form of CAD or MATLAB stuff. is this true?
>>7966429
Nah, do an applied physics major with engineering minor
Can go to physics grad school but also have nearly the same employability as an engineer
Best of both worlds
>>7966478
I don't think design means what you think it means.
A PE license just says that this person knows enough to be held accountable if something goes wrong. If a firm is creating a new thing that theyre about to invest a lot of money on or could possibly cause harm to people, they need it to be signed off by a PE to cover their asses legally. There are very, very few large-scale things that are engineered by a single person; that's not what engineering is about. Only about 20% of engineers have a PE, plenty more engineers aid in the design of things.
>>7966489
how do you do a minor in engineering?
Maybe I should ask here. I backed out of physics and now cant decide whether to do mech eng or compsci. I want to do both but need to pick one. Compsci would be like 2 more years and eng probably 3-4. Is it plausible to self study various engineering subjects while doing a software engineering program, shitting out a bunch of software for a portfolio, and have those physical skills be marketable? Should I just buckle up and go for engineering and not start working until Im 29?
>>7966502
I mean a minor in an engineering discipline like mechanical engineering, electrical , etc
>>7966411
If you have marketable skills such as coding or engineering, then no. If you don't know anything besides what you learned in your physics major, you're fucked. Might as well have majored in angolan underwater soap carving.
>>7966475
>biomed program
switch if your school sucks, i know a lot of unemployed BMEs who cashed out after UG
>Any ideas on what I can do in the meantime to increase my employment opportunities?
if your school has BME they have research faculty, get involved in projects, git gud, git paid when you graduate
BME is really only for those who are super motivated and proactive. small ass sector will prove darwin's theory of survival of the fittest for degree holders.
depends what you want to do desu senpai. Protip: look into bioinformatics
>>7966321
>can you program? thats a big one alot of people find out too late.
Masters in photonics can confirm :/
>>7966544
>>7966544
the problem with biomed in ug is that it's a jack of all trades degree. If you arent trying your god damn hardest to find research/job opportunities, you're going to get fucked.
Applying to Pharma as an analytical chemist: why should they pick a bme over someone who actually studied chemistry rigorously? It's the same in every field. You're just outclassed unless you can prove you are amazing. I know a lot of bmes cant handle it and end up switching majors or work in consultant firms.
The thing is, if you're great, you're great in anything you want to do. You gotta put in the effort though.
>>7966628
>it's a jack of all trades degree
depends on program, ive seen 3, two focused on EE shit one chemical E
>You're just outclassed unless you can prove you are amazing
thats what i said
>The thing is, if you're great, you're great in anything you want to do. You gotta put in the effort though.
i also said that
i heard doing biomed + neuroscience + premed is god tier
>>7966634
we agree
I know a few biomeds that went to medschool, so it isnt impossible, but you're shooting yourself in the foot by doing more rigorous coursework, but i suppose it does separate you from the pack
How fucked am I if I'm graduating next year with a math degree from a no-name state school and a 3.0 GPA?
There's no way I'll get into grad school and I wouldn't want to even if I could.
>>7966652
you can get into a top 50 graduate program with LESS than a 3.0 so unless you aren't trying hard looking for research/ job experience then you are good.
What kind of physics degree doesn't teach you how to program or use specialized equipment (like an STM or lasers)?
If all you know is the math of a physics undergrad, you're resigned to jobs outside of the STEM fields. The only way to work as a physicist is to get a PhD in physics, and if you only have a physics undergrad, you better be damn good at coding or using specialized equipment.
Grad school in physics resigns you to a STEM job, but it would be hard to stay unemployed at that point.
>>7966657
I don't want to go to grad school, just get a job, and I haven't started looking.
>>7966666
witnessed
you'll probably have to settle with programming to start. unless you got connects then the good companys probably wont want you
>>7966666
I'm in the same boat.
I failed to get an internship.
Seriously guys, if I dedicate this entire summer to doing some programming-based projects (I already took a few classes in programming so I can do this) and I pass 3 actuarial tests, will I be able to make up for not having gotten an internship?
I'm kind of panicking. Anyone?
>>7966306
Don't listen to the memes. Everyone goes through this. You might not work in the field you studied, but you can use the skills you learned in any job. Learn how to market yourself and clean up your appearance if you're an autistic sperg.
>>7966644
Ehh I sorta disagree. I think BME gives you a better shot than premed at getting into med school.
>>7966692
Depends what your "projects" are.
If they're entirely solo and you're not being supervised by anyone or not doing something [math] for [/math] someone else, you could practically be jacking off.
>>7966749
Good point.
So what should I do then?
I made it to second round interviews for some nice companies but was ultimately beat out by other candidates in all of them.
What's the best thing I can do this summer to have the best chances of having/getting a job when I graduate?
I am also doing actuarial tests on the side so hopefully that helps.
>>7966756
What's your resume like? How did you even get interviews? What were the interviews like?
Get an internship. Try AmeriCorps.
>>7966747
no it does, im just saying the courseload is heavier than if you did chem, biology, cell bio& neuro, or other "premed" degrees
>>7966762
I got plenty of interviews for all kinds of companies that were doing recruiting at my school.
I go to the University of Pennsylvania, study mathematics, and take classes in finance and statistics on the side, am taking the SOA tests for actuarial science, know and have taken classes programming in Java and Python, am pretty good with SQL and very good with Excel including VBA. I have experience as a Social Media Marketing Consultant for a small business, setting up and running small social media marketing campaigns for the company. I also work a pretty simply part time work study job at my school just recording student residential data and helping in customer service behind a desk. Tons of extra-curricular experience around campus and in leading small teams of students, notably as the marketing chairman for a non-profit on campus.
The interviews were mostly behavioral and I gave what I thought were decent stories, including how I fundraised $5000 on my own to backpack across a foreign country and then taught myself that country's language on my own and volunteered there and proposed a business plan while volunteering that changed the way our group worked, working with a diverse team abroad, etc., and also all my more data-oriented projects in my classes and how I've led small teams of students on campus while volunteering and in class. I also focus on my excel skills, intellectual drive to succeed, these sorts of things.
Any advice?
For personal reasons, I need to find a job fairly quickly upon graduating if I don't already get one before I graduate.
Any advice for me?
>>7966347
>because I think physics is fun
Perfect, keep with it and do a really good job. Something will fall in your lap as long as your work really hard. You've got one of the most diverse and interesting degrees under your belt.
I absolutely agree with the other anons though that programming and learning some tools of the trade is the way to go next. Find your favorite PC game and start making maps for it. It is the most addicting thing for a curious gamer
>>7966777
Based on your response, I don't think it's a lack of experience, but perhaps your attitude. You sound cocky. Leave out the $5000 and just say you scrapped together enough pennies here and there to backpack around this foreign country. Talk about how much you enjoyed it, not how much of a badass you were for doing it.
>>7966789
I see. Thank you for the feedback.
I was always told that employers just want to hear numbers and stats, and when I tried showing passion for traveling and my experiences, I felt like the employers just focused on the numbers. I guess I just became frustrated with all the interviewing I was doing.
Regarding this summer, do you have any advice on what I should do?
There's a high chance I'll be taking some online university courses as well this summer, so it might be difficult now to also add an internship, especially applying this late.
Do you have any advice on anything else I could do this summer to make myself more desirable?
>>7966789
It might be possible that the companies I interviewed with were just really too competitive for me. Most of them were big banks, but that's because I was looking at finance jobs above all else.
But now I just want to get A job after I graduate and then once I have something I can focus in on a career and shift around, hopefully to becoming an actuary, if I can.
I just wish I had passed actuarial tests in time for when the actuarial internships were hiring. But at least now when they look for full-time hires, I'll have a few tests down.
Maybe that will be enough, I can't be sure.
>>7966800
I mean I haven't gotten a good idea of what you want to do with your life. I know you like to travel and that you've got great initiative and I'm sure you'll do great at whatever you do but I just don't even know what you want to do. At this point it might be a little late for anything through like a larger company so some programming might be your only option. The biggest thing in regards to that is to try to like work for someone. Even some shitty business owner that needs a website or something, just try to get it so that you can put the name of any other person or business that knows you.
>>7966807
I suppose I can try to find someone that needs work, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about that.
I want to be an actuary. That is my goal. If not that, then something in data analysis, even financial data analysis. That's the ideal career for me.
I can kind of see what you mean though, so if I can find something like someone who needs a website, I'll take advantage of it. With that in mind, I'll try to find a programming project like that over the summer so that I'm not only improving my skills, but also accomplishing a goal for something. Thank you for reminding me that that aspect of it is also important.
>>7966306
Rule number one is that your degree doesn't matter. What matters is how useful you are to producing/designing the thing that they sell. If you can't design it, or prove that you can design it then you're not worth the money.(For the 70k they might throw your way, the work you put it must at least make 120).
>But Im good at physics!
Sure but are you good at being useful?
Internships and research should have been your experience as well as your litmus test for wether or not you're valuable in industry. If they extend offers afterwards that means you're experienced or capable enough to be part of that industry. If not then you have a ways to go.
>Is this it for me?
No but you have catching up to do. Maybe learn how to code.
>>7966666
checked
>>7966652
You can be a high school math teacher. Congrats. I'm not even trolling.
>>7966786
I'm the anon you're replying to.
I'm currently making my own game, and I'm hoping to push it to the Steam store sometime before the end of 2016. It's really hard, especially since I'm so bad with art, but I'm getting there.
I'm hoping to make a living off developing my own games, but if it doesn't work out, I could probably get a job with some game company, like Gearbox or Valve.
>>7966652
What do you want to do? The problem is you retards graduating university without any fucking plans or ideas of what they would enjoy doing and then blaming the degree for their unemployment.
>>7966844
18 years old, currently studying to get a scholarship on a top 50 uni for engineering, I'm from a shithole country. If I fail this year, I will try again next year. I refuse to study in such a shithole and I can't afford to go into debt.
What would you do if you were in my position?
Physicist here, with a PhD. Getting the first job was a long process but things improved. Problem is to find employers who understand what you do.
Now I work in IPR and the business is nearly always looking for more people, preferably physicists, and 5 - 30 percent have a PhD,. depending on where you are.
I also did some open source work and got a job offer from a company you have heard about.
>people thinking they can get any job with a degree in physics
Are you on crack? This isn't the cold war and even if it were you'd still need a Masters at least.
>>7966777
excel skills?
is this a thing, if someone would brag about this i would not take him seriously .
Maybe i'm missing something here.
And like anon said, don't brag about things that are irrelevant to the job. If you are not teaching a language why mention that you learned it on your own.
btw i'm very good with paint
>>7968407
Excel skills are definitely a thing, that being said that guy still sounds like a cunt who's a bit full of himself and going to look down on his coworkers.
>>7968297
same thing applies to engineers. you mostly see assistant/technician roles for people with only a bachelors, regardless if it's a physics, chemist, engineering, or math or whatever. if you want to do real design shit you need a masters in any area.
>>7966306
You missed the bus as far as stem careers go if you didn't have an offer before graduation.
Forget about your degree, it's worthless now, look for jobs in service, finance, IT etc.
Good luck.
>>7968643
Are you high or just retarded? One of the engineers here just had a 60 million reactor design commissioned only 5 years after graduation.
Gradschool is only for people who couldn't get a good job or want to go into research (which pays like shit).
