Reconsidering a Career in Science: The Harsh Realities of the Job Market

[tmc]

Yes.

Or at least, stay open to other parts of physics.

String theory is a great recruiting tool: all physics freshmen want to work on it. Combine that with teaching lots of mechanics before the fun physics starts, and you have a bunch of young physicists who think they want to be theorists because, well, no physicist actually enjoys mechanics (otherwise theyd be engineers).

Its when you get to 3rd and 4th year that you encounter more fun "experimental physics" (you can still study them theoretically, but I consider them more experimental than string theory or other unified theories which arent very employable) that you had never touched before (solid-state, high-energy, particle, subatomic...), where you realize that while string theory is fun to think about, so is this stuff.

 

[Dr Transport]

Huh.
So I guess the idea I am getting from this thread is that, if one (like myself) is determined to become a theoretical physicist, he or she needs to play their cards in their education in such a way that would leave job opportunities in both acedemia and industry.

Absolutely, if you don't know which end of the plug goes in the wall or which end the light comes out of the laser you're in trouble. If you insist on being a theoretical physicist, try getting a masters in experimental physics on the way, you won't regret it.

 

[Physics Monkey]

I'm a physicist, and I like mechanics! It's our bread and butter, and its so tasty.

 

[quantumdude]

Is it better than bananas?

 

[Zarathustra1]

Heh. Well, theoretical physics or not, I don't have any intentions of going into string theory. That's a little too theoretical for my tastes.