Careers

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

From statistical physics to bioinformatics: using data science for biological discoveries

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

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

Training for your future

Spending your summer wisely: internships special

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

Spoilt for choice: APS March meeting explores the wide range of careers available to physicists

Laura Hiscott hears from physicists working in a range of different careers at the March meeting of the American Physical Society

Teacher training scholarships encourage industry professionals into the classroom

The IOP’s Teacher Training Scholarship programme provides an attractive route into physics teaching for recent graduates as well as mid-career scientists and engineers

Embracing a life of variables

Engineer, physics teacher, science communicator and education consultant Steve Bullock talks about a career of bold choices, sideways jumps and obstacles overcome

Path of least resistance

Careers don't always play out as planned, but unconventional pathways can also lead to success

Education

Are you a physics educator? Visit this education collection today

Physics World Jobs

Whether you’re still working out your career pathway or have a specific role in mind, we’re here to help. Bringing a diverse range of opportunities for jobseekers at all career stages, we’ll help you take the next step in your career and find your perfect job.

Careers in medical physics

Changing research field from astrophysics to neuroscience

Combining physics and biology: lasers and machine learning for personalized medicine

Nabiha Saklayen, co-founder of Cellino Biotech, on the importance of multidisciplinarity for tackling real-world problems

Training a computer to hunt cancer

Medical physicist and entrepreneur Maryellen Giger on how she established the use of AI in breast cancer imaging

Video showcase: physics graduates share their stories

Faces of Physics: inspiring the next generation

HAWC near the peak of the extinct Sierra Negra volcano

Faces of Physics: a HAWC eye on the sky

Faces of Physics: working in green energy

Faces of Physics: a nuclear-powered PhD

Faces of Physics: human organs on a chip

Rising stars: Reggie Bain and Shannon Bayliss

Physics World Careers

The 2021 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

Maria Violaris and fellow interns work on a group project

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

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

Investment in defence R&D sparks recruitment drive

Extra funding for science and technology at the UK's Ministry of Defence has created an urgent need for physicists as well as scientists and engineers from all backgrounds

Ask me anything: Jim Al-Khalili – ‘I find quantum mechanics endlessly rewarding, fascinating and frustrating’

Careers advice from Jim Al-Khalili, professor of theoretical physics at the University of Surrey and award-winning science communicator

From a light bulb solar system to the cosmological constant: a journey to becoming a cosmologist

Luz Ángela García, a cosmology postdoc in Bogotá, Colombia, on her journey into physics and astronomy as a woman from South America

Ask me anything: Jony Hudson – ‘I love the incredibly fast pace of progress in machine learning’

Jony Hudson is a research engineer working on the development of artificial intelligence at DeepMind

Ask me anything: Tim Gershon

Careers tips from a professor of physics at the University of Warwick who studies flavour physics, CP violation and heavy-quark physics

Combining materials science and entrepreneurship to found a spin-off

Materials scientist Arnab Basu, head of radiation-detection technology developer Kromek, on spin-offs, COVID-19 and the future

Switching career from particle physics to nuclear power

Troels Schönfeldt talks about his career change from particle physics to co-founder and chief executive of Seaborg Technologies

Fostering a culture of inclusivity

The American Physical Society's National Mentoring Community helps students from under-represented minorities find the right support and mentorship

Building a quantum-powered future

Quantum physicist and CEO of Oxford Quantum Circuits llana Wisby on deep tech, entrepreneurship and future quantum technologies

Ask me anything: Erik Bakkers

Erik Bakkers is professor of advanced nanomaterials and devices at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands

From physicist to patent attorney

Monifa Phillips was the first Black woman to graduate with a PhD in physics from the University of Glasgow

Ask me anything: Carol Marsh

Carol Marsh is deputy head of electronics engineering at aerospace engineering company Leonardo

Ask me anything: Michelle Simmons

Michelle Simmons is director of the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology in Australia

A move abroad for work might offer great reward despite COVID-19.

The importance of keeping up with career opportunities despite the pandemic

Caitlin Duffy says it is more critical than ever to consider your next career move despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic

Stock image of engineering apprenticeship

Closing the skills gap

Why do many science graduates lack the skills that industry is looking for? Sean Ryan and Veronica Benson explore the problem

Photo of CityU Hong Kong and Oak Ridge National Laboratory physicists

CityU physics: where regional connections underpin global research ambitions

City University of Hong Kong wants to scale and diversify its PhD physics programme by recruiting a new generation of rising stars from all over the world

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Related events

Instrumentation and measurement | Virtual event Imaging for Deep Learning: London Imaging Meeting 2021 20—22 September 2021
Medical physics | Virtual event MPEC 2021 – Breaking Through Barriers 21—23 September 2021
Environment and energy | Conference IMAGE Conference 26 September — 1 October 2021 | Denver, US

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