Near the End of A PhD and Have No Job

[twofish-quant]

I'm not sure how universities work in the states, maybe the HR filter is more "up front" than in the UK. But, surely, professors looking to (say) program PDEs in C++ would stress to HR departments that numerical Fortran programmers are acceptable!

HR departments are extremely busy and they forget. Typically, you give someone with no-science experience a set of keywords, and if they see the keyword on the resume, then they pass it on.

It's also easier to work it the other way. If you have numerical skills in Fortran, spend a month programming some basic C++ and you can add that to your resume.

The other thing is that it's assumed (and usually assumed correctly) that if you can handle C++, you can handle anything.

"Working in a bar" doesn't look great on the CV - good for keeping people skills polished

You'd be surprised. Something that I have seen happen is that someone with something unusual on their resume gets an interview because of that unusual job.

 

[twofish-quant]

There is some evidence to suggest that OOP Fortran is more efficient than C++.

Yup. Unfortunately unlike straight fortran, no one seems to have gotten OOP Fortran to interoperate with all of the other OOP languages out there.

There is some evidence to suggest that OOP Fortran is more efficient than C++.

I wouldn't be surprised if Fortran objects were more efficient than C++ objects, but I'd be extremely surprised if this applies to templated C++. The thing about templates is that you can get rid of the pointer call which allows you to vectorize loops.

 

[chill_factor]

Just a question:

I noticed that most of the job questions here are about hardcore theoretical physics, and how they should get jobs involving programming and finance.

However, there's a lot of physicists who do experimental work in things like condensed matter, who do not have a rigorous theoretical background and instead use commercial instruments to make measurements and the extent of programming required is Excel and maybe a bit of Mathematica.

How should experimentalists sell their skills, especially if its in a non-semiconductor materials field (biologicals, polymers, superconductors)?

 

[Locrian]

Just look at the things the company you're applying to needs. Characterization and testing are common ones - what type have you done and can do? Are you comfortable using/maintaining SEM/AFM etc?

Look at what projects you've started and completed and make them applicable to the work the employer does.

 

[elkement]

Just a question:

However, there's a lot of physicists who do experimental work in things like condensed matter, who do not have a rigorous theoretical background and instead use commercial instruments to make measurements and the extent of programming required is Excel and maybe a bit of Mathematica.

How should experimentalists sell their skills, especially if its in a non-semiconductor materials field (biologicals, polymers, superconductors)?

I was once in the position you have described - I went from superconducting thin films (prototypes for microwave applications) to steel (samples from production). None of the characterization methods or software tools was exactly the same.

I used the following selling approach that worked out fine:

I emphasized the general approach in characterizing high-tech materials, that is: how to organize standardized measurements (you could call this "quality management"), consolidate results gained from different types of measurements (electrical, microstructure...) and use an efficient approach to compare the results with production parameters.
Efficiency is key - I believe that in industry you have to prove that you are capable to use tools most efficiently without "re-inventing the wheel" (programming or developing stuff from scratch this is already available - because tools are likely to be cheaper than you labour costs).

There is a lot of menial and organizational stuff involved, such as setting up the measurement process, creating sample forms in paper or in digital form, involving the lab technicians, thus motivating other people... You need to prove that you are a hands-on guy and not an "absent-minded professor who wants to do deal with real research only" (This is a bias you can sometimes find in industry and I personally tend to say it is not unjustified sometimes.) I was "forced" to do also project management and controlling at the university -finally this help a lot to underpin my "down-to-earth / real live" approach.

In addition I pointed out the similarities in measurement techniques, such as TEM vs. SEM, X-Ray diffraction versus TEM dark field, sample preparation using ion mills vs. sample preparation using laser ablation etc. I sold myself as a physicist with diverse experience in different measurement techniques that would allow me to use any related technique.

 

[chill_factor]

Will you only get to do analytical work? Or are there other positions?

 

[elkement]

Will you only get to do analytical work? Or are there other positions?

My post was probably misleading - I did not intend to say that typical job descriptions comprise measurements only. However, typically you would work on the development of a new product or optimization of an existing one. When developing new stuff for industry, standardized measurements, documentation and organizational stuff might effectively be what you do most of the time.
The significance of "compliance" with industry standards and legal requirements and related (buerocratic) efforts is still growing and so is the "paper work factor" in traditional engineering areas. The paper work factor typically also increases with the size of a company.

In terms of career path, you typically start as a specialist contributing to a project and move to a (project) management role later.

 

[chill_factor]

Thank you!

I'm fine with doing paperwork and management. I just don't want to be doing analytical work all day, I would go for analytical chemistry if I did, since it's just... easier in all aspects...