Industry
Move to the private sector.
Young scientists find various opportunities to apply their qualifications accordingly in finance, insurance industry, software development, education/school teacher, market and opinion researcher, data analysis, and in R&D departments. Often, better working conditions speak in favour of employment in the private sector: A large number of positions are permanent, and on average the pay is significantly higher than at universities.
Tasks
- Development of innovative solutions for specific requirements, further development of standards or identification of alternatives for existing processes
- Management of an (international) team of scientists in applied and project-related research
- Presentation of results to quality assurance, product approval or marketing teams
- Coordination of processes between research department and management, purchasing, production and sales
- Possible presentation of research results at international conferences
- Networking activities within the team or company in the context of project meetings or externally through communication with academic partners and suppliers
Important competences according to surveys of large companies (e.g., Microsoft, BBC, NACE, Prospects...)
- Verbal communication skills
- Capability to work in teams
- Commercial, economic thinking
- Analytical skills, research skills
- Initiative, self motivation
- Drive
- Written communication skills
- Planning & Organising, Project management
- Flexibility
- Time management
Alternatives
There is the possibility to enter non-technical positions as a natural scientist in fields such as marketing or management.
Disadvantages
- Work and findings are not documented in publications or articles in highly ranked journals, but flow into the products. However, this makes a change back to the university correspondingly more difficult.
- Furthermore, it is hardly possible to build up a scientific network within physics.