Ask HN: Opportunities for a candidate with Ph.D in Physics in Tech?

4 points·ccvannorman··6 comments

I have a colleague who holds a Ph.D in plasma physics and works on fusion. They are interested in a career change due to the demands of postdoc work on their time, and are considering data science, consulting, advising, and other research.

What types of opportunities exist in tech that would be a match for someone with this background?

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I have (almost) a PhD in physics and now work for a company developing high-frequency testing equipment. I do mostly software development, i.e. developing the firmware running on the devices. It helped that I worked with quite a lot of high-frequency test devices during my PhD and had some experience in software development.

A friend of mine did exactly this. Physics Ph.D., was being courted for postdocs. Decided to go work for a Beltway consulting firm. Left after a few years to work for a startup in Virginia, still works there and feels not an ounce of regret for leaving physics.

Anyhow, consulting companies in particular seem to like Physics Ph.D.s, especially if they can wear a suit.

Thanks! This was my intuition too, good to hear a real-world example.

Yes, lots of opportunities in data science, fintech, and software!

Fintech for sure. Use it as an opportunity to learn about stocks and other securities. Then use the data science with that knowledge to make money in the market.

Knew lots of physics grads in finance when I worked in it mainly due to them having skills in research and some coding ability.

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