Dr.Ernest Behringer/Advising/Job

Dr. ERNEST BEHRINGER

ADVICE ABOUT FINDING A JOB

Not surprisingly, several EMU graduates have gotten jobs in the auto industry (e.g., Daimler-Chrysler) or in related support industries (suppliers to Ford, GM, and Daimler-Chrysler). According to them, the most useful skills that they obtained while completing their undergraduate degrees were skills in problem solving, communication, and electronics. People who learn to solve problems - not just textbook problems - are very valuable, and completion of a physics major leads to the development of problem solving skill. Students also have several opportunities to communicate class work or research both verbally and in writing, which leads to development of the corresponding communication skills. A few of our students have obtained jobs mainly because they developed skills in electronics by taking PHY 456 (and PHY 458), which attests to the importance of even a single course. (This implies that you should take as many courses as is reasonable.)

Your best strategy is to develop a useful (useable!) understanding of your subject and develop the corresponding skills in problem solving and communication. Make contacts (e.g., department faculty, alumni) and through them check what jobs are available. For excellent advice regarding a job search, I strongly suggest that you invest the money (about $20) and purchase Landing Your First Job: A Guide For Physics Students at the American Institute of Physics web site. Or, borrow it from a friendly faculty member who has it. Once you have it, read it. It contains information about educational choices, career strategy, companies that employ physicists, résumés, and interviews.

Department of Physics and Astronomy Handbook for Undergraduate Physics Students

Department of Physics and Astronomy Handbook for Graduate Students

This page was last modified on June 22, 2004.