If you're thinking about your next career move, Physics World Careers is an annual guide that offers valuable careers advice, insightful case studies showcasing possible career options, plus a comprehensive employer directory. And jobseekers with a background in science, technology, engineering or mathematics can explore all the latest opportunities on Physics World Jobs, a recruitment website from the publishers of Physics World.
Latest articles
High-power lasers promise new defence strategy
Physicists at QinetiQ are developing systems that combine and control high-energy laser beams to provide a powerful and cost-effective countermeasure against drones and other uncrewed objects
Opening up innovation and change
Roland Harwood on open innovation, how he's helped organizations from Lego to the UN to implement change, and why he believes physics is leading the way in collaboration
Quantum careers
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Training for your future
CityU physics: undergraduate students prioritize connection and collaboration
City University of Hong Kong’s undergraduate physics programme wants to attract ambitious international students as they take their next step towards a scientific career in research or industry
Summer internships: Claire Houghton – ‘I got to see real scientific experiments, where no-one knows exactly what’s going to happen’
Laura Hiscott speaks to Claire Houghton, an early-career physicist who did summer internships at Kurt J Lesker and Adaptix
Read article: Summer internships: Marion Cromb – ‘I learnt good coding practice, and the code was actually sold to customers at the end’
Summer internships: Marion Cromb – ‘I learnt good coding practice, and the code was actually sold to customers at the end’
Laura Hiscott speaks to Marion Cromb, a physics PhD student who did an internship every summer of their undergraduate degree
Read article: Spending your summer wisely: internships special
Spending your summer wisely: internships special
Laura Hiscott speaks to some early-career physicists who did summer internships in different places, from start-ups to university departments
Read article: CityU physics: investing in ‘rising stars’ to deliver sustained research excellence
CityU physics: investing in ‘rising stars’ to deliver sustained research excellence
City University of Hong Kong is seeking the ‘brightest and best’ early-career physicists with a breadth of international research experience
Careers in medical physics
Studying physics to improve healthcare systems
Suman Shrestha, who is doing a PhD in medical physics in the US, on why he wants to return to Nepal with his new-found skills and expertise
Summer internships: Constantine Pelesis – ‘I built up my network and got an understanding of how a whole company works together’
Laura Hiscott speaks to Constantine Pelesis, an early-career physicist who did a summer internship at medical-physics company Adaptix
Video showcase: physics graduates share their stories
Physics World Careers
The 2022 edition of Physics World Careers is packed full of advice for early-career scientists. Including a range of valuable advice, informative case studies and recruiter profiles, it demonstrates the variety of jobs that use a physics degree.
Explore more
Read article: Using physics to patent inventions
Using physics to patent inventions
Having originally done a PhD in quantum computing, patent attorney Katherine Brown explains why a scientific background is an asset in this area
Read article: Off the beaten track: from school straight to working on the national physical standards
Off the beaten track: from school straight to working on the national physical standards
Laura Hiscott speaks to Perdi Potgieter, a research scientist at NPL who left school at 16 to do an apprenticeship
Read article: Ask me anything: Donna Strickland – ‘I wouldn’t have wanted to know that I would win a Nobel prize’
Ask me anything: Donna Strickland – ‘I wouldn’t have wanted to know that I would win a Nobel prize’
Donna Strickland shared the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physics for her work developing the technique of “chirped pulse amplification”
Read article: Time for a change: what it’s like to win a prize for work you did before switching careers
Time for a change: what it’s like to win a prize for work you did before switching careers
Akihiro Kojima and Mike Lee, winners of the 2022 Rank Prize for Optoelectronics, on developing new materials for solar cells and switching into different career areas
Read article: Ask me anything: Giulia Grancini – ‘I’m very lucky as a scientist, because my job is also my passion’
Ask me anything: Giulia Grancini – ‘I’m very lucky as a scientist, because my job is also my passion’
Giulia Grancini is a professor of chemistry and an expert in next-generation materials for photovoltaic cells at the University of Pavia
Read article: Research fellowships target clean-energy innovation
Research fellowships target clean-energy innovation
Toyota has joined forces with The Electrochemical Society to support young scientists and engineers
Read article: How to prepare for a career in the emerging quantum-technology industry
How to prepare for a career in the emerging quantum-technology industry
Laura Hiscott talks to experts who have studied the quantum-tech jobs market about what’s on offer and what skills you’ll need to forge a successful career in this area
Read article: Ask me anything: Farai Mazhandu – ‘I find it fulfilling to support and inspire others, and to make seemingly complicated subjects exciting’
Ask me anything: Farai Mazhandu – ‘I find it fulfilling to support and inspire others, and to make seemingly complicated subjects exciting’
Farai Mazhandu is chief executive and co-founder of Bayete Quantum Technologies, which seeks to use quantum tech to solve problems for people in Africa
Read article: How to prepare for the post-pandemic jobs market
How to prepare for the post-pandemic jobs market
Andrew Hirst and Veronica Benson look at how physics students can prepare for careers in the post-pandemic world, and how universities and employers can help them
Read article: Ask me anything: Ciara Muldoon – ‘I love being part of a project that is making such a positive difference’
Ask me anything: Ciara Muldoon – ‘I love being part of a project that is making such a positive difference’
Ciara Muldoon is an Internet entrepreneur whose latest project is a charitable search engine that helps tackle climate change and climate injustice
Read article: Green jobs for physics graduates: finance and economics
Green jobs for physics graduates: finance and economics
Laura Hiscott speaks to three physicists who are doing their bit to build a more sustainable future in the field of finance
Read article: Green jobs for physics graduates: decarbonizing energy sources
Green jobs for physics graduates: decarbonizing energy sources
Laura Hiscott speaks to three physicists who are doing their bit to build a more sustainable future in the field of energy
Read article: Green jobs for physics graduates: policy and behaviour change
Green jobs for physics graduates: policy and behaviour change
Laura Hiscott speaks to three physicists who are doing their bit to build a more sustainable future in the field of policy
Read article: Green jobs for physics graduates: opportunities to help build a sustainable future
Green jobs for physics graduates: opportunities to help build a sustainable future
Laura Hiscott introduces three key areas of employment where physicists can tackle the world’s environmental challenges
Read article: Ask me anything: Joanne O’Meara – ‘there is nothing better than sharing your passion for science and seeing it ignite in someone else’
Ask me anything: Joanne O’Meara – ‘there is nothing better than sharing your passion for science and seeing it ignite in someone else’
Joanne O’Meara is professor of physics at the University of Guelph in Canada and does outreach with children including segments on the TV show Daily Planet
Read article: From statistical physics to bioinformatics: using data science for biological discoveries
From statistical physics to bioinformatics: using data science for biological discoveries
Wolfgang Huber on being a physicist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and his contribution to the life sciences
Read article: Summer internships: Maria Violaris – ‘I developed general research skills, which are useful in both industry and academia’
Summer internships: Maria Violaris – ‘I developed general research skills, which are useful in both industry and academia’
Laura Hiscott speaks to Maria Violaris, an early-career physicist who did summer internships at Innovia Technology and Riverlane
Read article: Ask me anything: Mariya Lyubenova – ‘I love the constant supply of food for thought that research offers’
Ask me anything: Mariya Lyubenova – ‘I love the constant supply of food for thought that research offers’
Careers advice from the head of media relations at ESO, science adviser to ESO’s communication department, and editor of ESO’s journal The Messenger
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- Mathematics and computation | School 7th Warsaw School of Statistical Physics 26 June — 2 July 2022 | Sandomierz, Poland
- Condensed matter | School Boulder Summer School 2022: Hydrodynamics Across Scales 4—29 July 2022 | Boulder, US
- Medical physics | Conference Dynamics of Immune Repertoires: Exploration and Translation 4—30 July 2022 | Dresden, Germany
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