Physicists Post-Education Job Satisfaction

["Michael P. Grissom" <mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

Radsafers,

I thought the list might be interested in the results of
a survey reported on the American Institute of Physics'
FYI list server.  Also, a discussion has been ongoing on 
the medphys list server regarding the dwindling job 
prospects for medical physicists (a similar discussion 
for HPs was on radsafe awhile back--check the radsafe
archives?--where a recommendation was to cross-train in
related disciplines such as industrial hygiene in order
to increase your net "value" to an ES&H organization).

S.,

MikeG.


>FYI
>The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
>Number 151: October 28, 1996
>
>AIP Reports Analyze Education, Workplace Issues for Physicists
>
>AIP's Education and Employment Statistics Division tracks, analyzes, and
>reports on various aspects of physics training and employment opportunities. 
>Two reports were released last month, one inquiring whether physics
>postdoctorates feel they are underemployed, and another looking at the
>employment of people who received undergraduate education in physics and
>terminated their education with a master's degree, either in physics or
>another field.
>
>The first report, "Underemployment Among Postdoctorates" (AIP Pub. No.
>R-399.1), summarizes a 1994 survey of members of the ten AIP Member Societies
>who are working in postdoctoral positions.  Highlights of the report include:
>
>     - A majority of respondents who received their PhD within the previous
>     year hold postdoctoral appointments.
>
>     - Most postdocs are working in their field, and the vast majority find
>     their work professionally challenging and feel it requires a doctoral
>     education.
>
>     - For respondents within of their PhD, those in postdoctoral positions
>     are less likely to consider themselves underemployed than those in other
>     positions.
>
>     - Of those in their first year of a postdoctoral appointment, over 
>     one-third had sought permanent positions, but fewer than five percent
>     consider themselves underemployed.
>
>     - The longer a postdoctoral position lasts, the more likely the postdoc
>     is to feel underemployed.  
>
>For additional information on this report, contact Raymond Chu at
>rchu@aip.acp.org  or  301-209-3069.
>
>The second report, "What are Masters Doing?" (AIP Pub. No. R-398.1), surveyed
>a sample of members of AIP's Sigma Pi Sigma Undergraduate Honor Society and
>analyzes employment data on those with undergraduate training in physics who
>terminated their education with a master's degree (not necessarily in
>physics.)  Among the report's findings about such master's degree recipients
>are the following:
>
>     - Although they work within all sectors of the economy, the largest
>     employer is the private/industrial sector (ranging from large firms to
>     self-employment), followed by government and education.
>
>     - Approximately three-fifths received their master's degree in a field
>     other than physics.  After physics, the next most popular fields for a
>     master's were engineering, administration, computer
>     sciences/mathematics, and education.
>
>     - Those with a master's degree in physics experience a wide range of
>     career options, while those with master's in engineering,
>     administration, and computer sciences or mathematics find fewer options. 
>
>     - Substantial majorities agree that their undergraduate education in
>     physics provided a solid background for whatever career they chose,
>     regardless of their employment sector or field of master's degree.
>
>     - Even within specific occupations, recipients of a master's degree in
>     physics report a wider range of employment opportunities than those with
>     a master's in other fields.
>
>     - Those in both management and engineering praise their physics
>     education and its effect on their careers.
>
>Both reports are available from the Education and Employment Statistics
>Division, AIP, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Maryland 20740,
>301-209-3070.  A single copy of the first report cited is $15; a single copy
>of the second report is free.
>
>###############
>Audrey T. Leath
>Public Information Division
>American Institute of Physics
>fyi@aip.org
>(301) 209-3094
>##END##########

Missing in this report is what is happening to the "mid-career"
folks that are often the target of downsizing actions...and new
challenging research opportunities...

-----------------------
Michael P. Grissom
Special Assistant, SLAC
mikeg@slac.stanford.edu
Phone:  (415) 926-2346
Fax:    (415) 926-3030