Beyond the Rose-Colored Binoculars: Helping Students Launch Successful Physics Career in the 21st Century

Physics degree holders are among the most employable in the world, often doing everything from managing a research lab at a multi-million dollar corporation, to developing solutions to global problems in their own small startups. Employers know that with a physics training, a potential hire has acquired a broad problem-solving skill set that translates to almost any environment, as well as an ability to be self-guided and -motivated so that they can learn whatever skills are needed to successfully achieve their goals. Therefore it's no surprise that the majority of physics graduates find employment in private sector, industrial settings. At the same time, only about 30% of physics PhDs (and only 5% of physics BS graduates) end up with a permanent physics career in academia - yet academic careers are usually the only track to which students are exposed while earning their degrees.

In this talk, I will explore less-familiar (but more common!) career paths for physics graduates, and provide resources to help faculty mentors give their students better information and training for a broader scope of career possibilities.