"Don't try this or you'll get sued" editionPrevious Thread: >>16531157This thread exists to ask questions regarding careers associated to STEM.>Discussion on academia-based career progression>Discussion on penetrating industry from academia>Or anything in relation to STEM employment or development within STEM academia!Resources for protecting yourself from academic marxists:>https://www.thefire.org/ (US)>https://www.jccf.ca/ (Canada)Information resource:>https://sciencecareergeneral.neocities.org/>*The Chad author is seeking additional input to diversify the content into containing all STEM fields. Said author regularly views these /scg/ threads.No anons have answered your question? Perhaps try posting it here:>https://academia.stackexchange.com/An archive of some of the previous editions of /scg/:http://warosu.org/sci/thread/15740454
>>16531197It's pretty easy: just be good-looking. You are good-looking right? Right?
Should I choose a chemistry research topic that is as close to what industry is doing (synthetic organic chemistry or semiconductors) or a research topic that involves be an expert in lots of laboratory methods/analytical techniques and instruments?The internet is telling me to do the former but people irl is saying the latter.
Has anyone here worked at a Nuclear Fusion laboratory?How is it?
>>16548326I have not worked there by check the Glassdoor reviews of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory:https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Lawrence-Livermore-National-Laboratory-Reviews-E35235.htm
>>16536591>Mainly the general subject knowledge and methodology/instrumentation familiarity are skills that ended up being usefulGood to know. Did publications matter at all?
>>16548251
>>16543168>The longer I remain here the more unemployable I becomePlease elaborate on this. Many people think those government labs are the most prestigious positions you can get in research.
>>16548350Can you elaborate on your future goals. How much experience do you have and in what? But generally, consider going to graduate school or switching to an adjacent field like IT or something. There should be some IT help desk positions available somewhere.
>>16548359Cs degree + internships and 2yoe doing backend .Net development.Right now I'm trying to find anything that ideally avoids the time and monetary costs of retraining as much as possible.Don't think grad school is an option for me rn.I've been looking at IT for sure.
>>16547588I am a semester into my PhD program right after graduating from my undergraduate college and I feel so underprepared for everything. I thought it was just imposter syndrome until I failed a class. I am thinking of dropping and enlisting in the military.I have no idea why there are people with years of industry experience doing a PhD in the first place. Maybe they got fired and are waiting out the bad job market?
>>16548319Wait what? Isn't synthesis pretty much dead and semi-conductors extremely niche and most industry jobs for chemists being analytics slaves? I think you got it wrong.
>>16548449>synthesis pretty much dead That's what I read online. Pharmaceutical research is getting more complex and more regulated each year.>semi-conductors extremely niche I am not sure about that, but TSMC's new plants in Arizona is already a disappointment and construction isn't even done yet and there have been massive layoffs in industries related to semi-conductors so overall, the job market for it is in the gutter.>most industry jobs for chemists being analytics slavesSo should I focus on learning about as much analytical techniques and instruments as possible during graduate school?>I think you got it wrongYes. I regret getting a chemistry degree and getting into STEM overall.
Whatever happened to young executives and why aren't I one
>>16548650The crappy job market is making positions that allow formerly-young executives to move up the career ladder very scare and so they stay put where they are. In the meantime, try practicing your leadership skills on the local community via volunteering opportunities. >>16548363>avoids the time and monetary costs of retraining as much as possibleDo you not want to retrain because you do not have time to because you work in a warehouse or because of money issues? Or is it both?If it's because of time, that's understandable, but try to get some learning done, even one class is okay. If it's because of money, there are opencourseware videos and/or free textbooks available (piracy). If it's both, then use the opencourseware and textbooks and take an hour or two a week to learn from them.Also try asking Workplace, CS, and SWE stack exchange forums.
>>16548350I've been working for UPS loading trucks since September and even though the managers treat me really well I still want to kms too. I know that feel.I might have finally found a real job now so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Just keep pushing. Unfortunately you might have to go on LinkedIn and start talking to recruiters
>>16548536No, you go full steam ahead with semiconductors, materials science, energy science und electrochemistry while not neglecting analytic and spectroscopic methods because you don't what to work taking samples at some fucking municipal water plant for the rest of you life and try to get an industry internship as soon as possible. Something like photovoltaics would be great because it's at the intersection of all of those fields.
>>16548728It's mainly time, but also money lol. Additionally, I don't know if I have it in me to start from square one on something again. Particularly with the way things are in the world rn. Id rather do something lowcode/tech-adjacent than try to enter a completely new career path.
>>16548759Good luck man, you definitely got to do what you got to do in these circumstances.
-writing your Bachelor's/Master's thesis as a big national research institute for the prestige -writing your Bachelor's/Master's thesis as a small industry-adjacent research institute for the compromise-writing your Bachelor's/Master's thesis at a university department for the better supervision and grade inflation-writing your Bachelor's/Master's thesis at a private company for the experience and the networkingWhich way should I go, sci-man?
>>165488354th, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
>>16548839>>16548839So 4th 1st, 1st 2nd, 2nd 3rd and 3rd 4th, yes?
>>16548845Yes. I should have clarified that. But don't just take my advice only. If you have the time, wait a week to get possibly get more answers. Or try asking other forums.
>>16543168Medical physics is just the new meme certification. They've got thousands of paranoid physics grads dropping tons of money on cert programs that can take years, and in the end your best case scenario is you get to compete with some Indian or African H1B workers for a job as an MRI tech or spreadsheeting out radiation treatment plans for cancer patients.
Should I study Chemistry which I like and can do somewhat easily, or Biology which I love but will have to temporarily sacrifice my relationship for? What aere the job prospects for either? I'm quitting my job to go back to uni and I need to make sure I make the right decision.
Any good universities in Sweden for RF/microwave work ?
>>16550297>>165503461. didn't want to get a PhD2. didn't want to live in California3. didn't go to school in California so never would have been hired anyways4. I'm white
>>16548728>try practicing your leadership skills on the local community via volunteering opportunities.Understood I will start dealing tina immediately
Allow me to hate for a minute:Nathan Lambert looks like a gay gray alien. He looks like he frequents bathhouses and it makes me sick to look at him. Also I hate LLMs and anyone who endeavours to make them better and thus usher in the coming mass surveillance and control prison planet we will all be living in.
>>16550386The true nature of the bugman, what he fundamentally represents when stripped of all pretention, is science divorced from philosophy.
>>16550390Honestly so true mate and he's fucking ugly to boot.
>>16550391I think we should go back to Greek standards. All the men walk around wearing togas and those who have muscular bodies inherently have more credibility than dweebs built like twigs. The muscular body symbolizes a stronger connection to reality.
>M-W is 14 hour days in the field>Th is 3 hours WFH paperwork and a meeting>F-Su off This schedule is killing me lads
>>16550517Yea my first job after college was a field service engineer and I quickly realized 12 hour days are not for me. I was also insanely resentful of the office engineers who just slurp coffee and sit at the computer all day. But in this job market I would not leave until you have something else lined up.
its over for me
>full-time Industry PhD at a high-end manufacturing company in collaboration with my university and the national space agencyShould I even bother writing an application?
>>16550316Look at LinkedIn and search at what universities the engineers of Ericsson and Gripen studied at.
>>16550535The coffee slurpers tell me>OMG you get half days on Thursday and a three day weekend every week!No you desk nigger, I spend Thursday and Friday sleeping and letting my body heal with maybe getting drunk on Saturday night with the existential dread of what Monday brings. The only thing that makes this job worth it is the per diem. At least I get to eat steak n lobster every night.
>>16550306The job market for both STEM fields suck at the moment. For chemistry, the best fields is synthetic organic chemstry/medicinal chemistry or semiconductors but both industries are getting hit with layoffs and/or regulation. I guess you can be a technician, but your research will have to involve a lot of analytical methods and instruments. But generally, the chemistry job market sucks. IDK about biology, but it is always been worse than chemistry.
>>16550538It's over for most people. We're just the ones that notice it.
Math PhD anon here. Should I get a second master in physics or cs? I'm leaning cs, but the industry is in bad shape. I actually have some renewed interest in physics so that might be the way to go.
>>16550316KTH
>>16550538Man its so over for me it's all that I can do not to rope. How did things get so fucked. Idk. But this sucks.
>>16548346>>Did publications matter at all?In my case, not really, and I doubt the people recruiting me read any of them. My publications were in their general ballpark, but in the end quite distinct from what the company was doing, both in terms of materials class and methods.More generally, I think they can be meaningful if they happen to line up well with what your employer is doing. It's a tangible output demonstrating knowledge and achievement in your specialty. I think especially people with academic background might raise their eyebrows if you are a doctor with no publications, but it's not the be-all-end-all metric like in academia.>>16548449>semi-conductors extremely niche It's a huge industry with extremely broad and active research and development. Not only for the materials directly, but also within applications, characterization, equipment, you name it. >>16550695What doors do you think a masters in physics would open that are not currently open to you? Physics is the kind of degree I think universities were made for and learning for its own sake has value, but it is very much not a vocational degree. If you're looking to make yourself more employable, I would definitely go CS over physics, unless you have a specific path involving physics in your mind. Whatever generic qualifications a physics masters would give you, you already have.
>>16548346>>16551422Most employers aren't going to get into the nitty gritty of your publications, if they read them at all. For the most part they're just interested ina) the fact that you're capable of doing the work involved in publishing a research paper, the research itself and the review process, andb) if your research is even vaguely in their own wheelhouse, which may score you some points.
sup stinkys
My supervisor and his little butt boy effective altruist accomplice are cruising for some bruisings. Maybe I'll use my charm, winning smile and everything I'm learning from reading books on improvisational theatre to put them at ease, maybe have a few drinks in a social setting then BLAMMMMO spinning back kick into a fucking canal
My STEM career is a brutal mire of tedium and failure. Every day brings a fresh humiliation.
>>16552857high level, show some passion for what you are doing, particularly what they will be expecting you to do for them.
There are college kids that have never used git that are closer to getting a SWE role than I am as a mid-level, because of an employment gap
People always told me to join the power industry for the "stability" but after a year of working at a major utility it has been anything but stable. Layoffs, c-suit level firings, constant management and organizational changes, and daily terroristic threats from disgruntled customers. Combined with a low salary and a "temp-to-hire, no benefits" contract model for new employees, working in power feels like a giant scam. The guys at the top are doing good though I guess.
>>16551422>Physics is the kind of degree I think universities were made forWhat did he mean by this?
>>16553798It would take a while to explain, but the short version is - he's a massive faggot. And also quite stupid.
I have a bs in cheme. Is it worth it to get a masters if my company pays for it?
>>16553802>is it worth getting something for free?For a STEM oriented place why does this general have to many low IQ posters?
>>16553802No.Just make sure you are constantly grinding LeetChem and developing new synthesis techniques in your home lab to demonstrate passion.Also practice answering cultural-fitness questions and you should make it through at least 4 or the 5 interview rounds.
Is it normal to do literally nothing in the office
>>16553841Yes
1. Continue current engineer job until I retire. Pros>Easy and will live a well off life>great benefits, pension+401k>very secure >wfh a lot Cons:>not intellectually stimulating at all>very very boring work2. study to try to get nyc/chicago quant jobPros:>most lucrative path by far>don’t have to quit current job while studying for this>can do part time intern work whenever through connections with wall st/ceo level people to at least get some finance experienceCons:>have to move to nyc or Chicago>competitive, no guarantee I make it>harder path 3. Study, go back for a phd in physics and try to get a research scientist job in industry or government lab.Pros:>what I would do if money and time were no object >still good pay+well off life if I make it but never super rich as option 2>work on exciting problems instead of being a monkey Cons: >Riskiest option, would have to leave my job for a big pay cut during phd, no guarantees I finish it or get a job after>possibly the least lucrative option long term, due to disruption of current pay/trajectoriesMy current job will reimburse some education every year so I could get another bachelors or masters while working
>>16553871Job market is shit and there are no golden tickets. I recommend staying at your current job
>>16553876This. Maybe do some online classes if you like.
>>16553871Also I had been accepted to a good Phd program in 2020 and decided to go for a more “prestigious” place for masters instead, underestimating the price and due to outside factors was severely depressed and barely graduated. Don’t know if it’s even worth putting on a resume it was so bad. it is the biggest regret of my life not going for the PhD back then idk why im so retard
>>16553871was there a question?
>>16553896Dude, why would you turn down a PhD position. They are rare. Only 1-2% of people have a PhD .
>>16553911Tell me what to do I have a track record of bad life decisions >>16553913Idk man I thought I could just get a masters and do a PhD after if I wanted or get a job. Does not work that well when you skip all your classes and barely graduate. The place I could’ve gone wasn’t even bad it is good and has partnerships with big tech and government labs I was just fucking retarded
I literally cannot stand ""working"" as an engineer. Even teaching high school was 10x better than this literal hell on earth.
Slam dunk effective altruists into trash cans. Set them on fire. Stub their toes. Give them atomic wedgies. Take their precious Harry potter fan fiction religious texts and throw them into a sewer.
Best job avoidance degree?
I want to die.
>>16553978whats so bad about it
>>16553978Compared to undergrad studying every single fucking day of my life, my boring job has been an absolute fucking blessing. I got lucky in that the group I work with mostly happens to be some really cool guys. I'm sure the same job but with less likeable/cohesive people would be much worse but I'm just appreciating what I have while I have it.
>>16553765You can say "I took some time off to learn some skills that the job market demands such as [insert required a skill in the job description]" or something like that on your CV.
I want a phd because that gates off the good money in biochem jobs but none of the colleges near my work offer a chem postgrad program. Would going for a bio phd be a decent substitute? Or alternatively do those online phd programs have any merit to them or are they just scams? Desu idk wtf Im doing
>>16554372>do those online phd programs have any merit to them or are they just scams?Never heard of a legitimate correspondence course PhD and it's hard to see how it would be anything but a scam.
Another week of pathetic salary in the books.
Will photonics boom within the next decade?
does anyone here live in a country where the population is declining by 0.5 to 1% per year and there is absolutely no immigration?it must be like a paradise because it frees up so many entry level jobs right?
>>16554622Line must go up. At all costs.Up to and including nuclear annihilation.
What the fuck is a Systems Engineering degree?
