Careers in Physics - and life as a professional astronomer

1. Careers in Physics - and life as a professional astronomer

2. So you’re thinking of a career in physics? Physics covers every length scale and every temporal scale in the Universe Physics is everywhere! And physicists are everywhere… There are many, many career opportunities for physicists

3. Careers in physics what do physicists do? Physics as a route to other careers - and why physicists are always in demand Some statistics! Life as a professional Astrophysicist how to get into academic research - and what you do once you get there

4. E E=mc2 What do physicists do?

5. What do physicists do? Physics is brilliant!

6. What do physicists actually do?

7. www.iop.org/careers/future-with-physics/ What do physicists actually do? Academic Research Industrial Research IT Industry Teaching Space Industry Defence industry Meteorology Medicine An awful lot of things! 100,000 STEM graduates needed in the UK per year… …we will need 830,000 by 2020 Physics contributes over £70 bn per year to the UK economy Physicists starting salaries are 16% higher than other disciplines (exceptmedicine and law) Source: Institute of Physics

8. www.iop.org/careers/future-with-physics/ What do physicists actually do? Academic Research Industrial Research IT Industry Teaching Space Industry Defence industry Meteorology Medicine Contributes £8 bn to UK economy each year predicted to grow to £40 bn by 2030

9. www.iop.org/careers/future-with-physics/ What do physicists actually do? Low-Carbon technology £112 bn worldwide Academic Research Industrial Research IT Industry Teaching Space Industry Defence industry Meteorology Medicine Nanotechnology: World market £10 bn to £180 bn Advanced materials : £1.1 bn in the UK alone Source: BIS economics paper 10A

10. www.iop.org/careers/future-with-physics/ What do physicists actually do? Academic Research Industrial Research IT Industry Teaching Space Industry Defence industry Meteorology Medicine

11. www.iop.org/careers/future-with-physics/ What do physicists actually do? Academic Research Industrial Research IT Industry Teaching Space Industry Defence industry Meteorology Medicine CERN is brilliant!

12. What do physicists actually do? I am currently employed by EDF Energy as a Nuclear Graduate. I have visited various nuclear stations, and worked on high profile projects which affect the lifetime, productivity and safety of the station. Academic Research Industrial Research IT Industry Teaching Space Industry Defence industry Meteorology Medicine I am currently working on the ExoMars rover. My role is to integrate the system that gets the picture from the cameras and sends it to the navigation software which generates 3D maps of the terrain.

13. Careers in physics what do physicists do? Physics as a route to other careers - and why physicists are always in demand Some statistics! Life as a professional Astrophysicist how to get into academic research - and what you do once you get there

14. Physics as a route to other careers - and why physicists are always in demand Teamwork Leadership Initiative Communication Presentation Business awareness Problem solving Analysis Mathematical Information technology Experimental Software skills

15. Physics as a route to other careers Civil Service The Media Finance Accountancy Commerce Law Management Sales/Marketing Employment figures from the Institute of Physics Physicists are never short of job opportunities!

16. Careers in physics what do physicists do? Physics as a route to other careers - and why physicists are always in demand Some statistics! Life as a professional Astrophysicist how to get into academic research - and what you do once you get there

18. Salary Figures from Institute of Physics

19. Careers in physics what do physicists do? Physics as a route to other careers - and why physicists are always in demand Some Statistics! Life as a professional Astrophysicist how to get into academic research - and what you do once you get there

20. How to get into academic research • Step 1 - get a 2.1 or 1st class MPhys degree on an IOP accredited course • Midlands Universities (MPhys entry grades1) • Loughborough University (AAA) • University of Birmingham (A*AA) • University of Leicester (AAB) • University of Nottingham (AAB-AAA) • University of Warwick (A*AA) University of Leicester (AAAA) Physics with Space Science and Technology 1 Source: IOP ‘Physics on Course’

21. How to get into academic research Step 2 – get a PhD All areas should be open to you – although final year project may be important Find an area that you’re interested in! Find a University and a supervisor with a good reputation in that field! University of Leicester Supervisor: Dr Richard Jameson PhD in Galactic Cluster Dwarfs

22. Life as a professional astrophysicist Step 3 – postdoctoral research

23. Life as an astrophysicist Use telescopes Process data Analyse data (laboratory skills/computer programming) Write up the results in a report Present work to other scientists Present work to the public

24. What does an astronomer do? Use telescopes

25. What does an astronomer do? Use telescopes

26. What does an astronomer do? Process data

27. What does an astronomer do? Analyse my data Measure line positions and strengths Measure motions of stars Measure brightness of stars Figure out what my results mean Explain why they are important

28. What does an astronomer do? Analyse my data Planet/BD WD Planet/BD WD

29. What does an astronomer do? Analyse my data

30. What does an astronomer do? Analyse my data

31. What else have I learned by being an astronomer? How to think outside the box How to relate my work to the public How to write clear, concise reports How to computer programme How to use statistics How to understand errors and uncertainties

32. How do you become an astronomer? Take physics and maths at A level Degree in physics I did: Physics, Maths, Chemistry A2 level German A1 level MPhys degree in Physics with Space Science and Technology PhD in astronomy