Congratulations to the JPL team for five years on Mars with Opportunity today.
After finishing it all it may be wise to consider options if there are no acceptance letters waiting.
Here is a list of ideas that I have gathered from what my friends (physics majors) are considering or what I have considered as an alternative:
Teach for America
I applied for Teach for America and got in, but when I received my first acceptance I weighed the options and my dedication to each one and withdrew my Teach for America application. I was excited to do it but I feel that graduate school is a better choice for me right now.
Teach Abroad (I wanted to do Japan)
I wanted to teach in Japan. Actual any excuse that would allow me to live in Japan for a year would have been awesome.
Travel for a year
Taking a year off to travel as a gap year seems like another viable option. It would be a definite breather before plunging into graduate school.
Get a non-academic job
I did not want to get an actual job, several of my friends (in physics) however want to make this thing called “money”. Some of the things I have heard being considered:
- Engineering job
- Weapons research
- Nuclear Technician for the Navy
- Pilot in the Air Force
- Product testing for a Telecom company
The best thing to do for this is to go to a Science and Technology Career fair, especially since these jobs will be geared towards jobs in the local area. Unless of course you don’t want to stay in the area. For the jobs as engineers it depends on what type of background you have in physics, for me I have had a good course in Electronics and have also learned how to do accurate machining in a machine shop. I would probably apply to be an electrical engineer if was to choose.
After any one of these there is always the option to re-apply to graduate school or defer acceptance to follow a particular dream (like living in Japan). Of course there are innumerable options out there.
If a highly rewarded career in the prestigious Nuclear Sector is of interest, please contact Simon Turner, Senior Consultant at ERS on 01454 203 460, or submit a CV to cv@energyrs.co.uk, to register your general interest, or to apply for a specific position detailed at http://www.ERSJobs.co.uk, or to apply for other posts in the UK, Europe and worldwide, of which further details are available at http://www.ERSJobs.net. You are also welcome to keep your details on file with ERS, so that you may be kept informed of suitable positions, as and when they arise.