|
|
 |
 |
Employment
 Physicists
and astronomers hold about 18,000 jobs in the United States. Physicists
accounted for about 17,000 of these, while astronomers accounted for
only about 1,700 jobs. Many physicists and astronomers hold faculty
positions in colleges and universities. Those classified as
postsecondary teachers are not included in these employment numbers.
About 38 percent of physicists and astronomers worked for scientific
research and development services firms. The Federal Government employed
21 percent, mostly in the U.S. Department of Defense, but also in the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and in the U.S.
Departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Energy. Other
physicists and astronomers worked in colleges and universities in
nonfaculty, usually research, positions, or for State governments,
information technology companies, pharmaceutical and medicine
manufacturing companies, or electronic equipment manufacturers.
Although physicists and astronomers are employed in all parts of the
country, most work in areas in which universities, large research
laboratories, or observatories are located.
 What
Employers Look For
 What
do employers look for in a candidate? Obviously, most employers first
look for knowledge and experience that matches their specific and
immediate needs. Beyond that, however, many look for some combination of
four general skills and traits. One of those is problem solving ability
including intelligence, quantitative skills and a practical orientation,
e.g., the ability to break a complex problem down to its elementary
parts and identify a set of likely solutions. Another area is drive and
aspirations including persistence, a strong work ethic, and a high
standard of excellence.
A third area is personal impact which includes such traits as
communications skills (writing, speaking and listening), ability to work
within a team environment and a personal presence. A fourth area is
leadership including initiative and entrepreneurship, which is
especially important in the private sector. Employers are looking for
people who can assess the strengths of their company, assess the
strengths of their team and propose an idea for a new product or service
that is consistent with the company's goals both.
What
are the most rewarding aspects of the work physicists do?
Regardless of where they work and their specific occupations, most
physics bachelors report that the most rewarding aspects of their
current positions is the challenge of solving interesting and complex
problems and the satisfaction of developing creative solutions to
problems. The specific problems are in a variety of disciplines. The
second most cited reward was working with people. These include the
satisfaction of working with intelligent and creative co-workers,
supervising employees and helping them develop to their full potential,
and the rewards of working with customers, clients and students. Many
physics bachelors, especially those in the private sector, report a
great deal of satisfaction from seeing a project yield a successful and
useful product. The last major category of reward reflects the
intellectual satisfaction of developing new methods, processes and
designs. PhD physicists also note the intellectual satisfaction of
successful research and adding to the knowledge base.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
|
|
