I was surprised how much more management and teaching I do than actual research. Coming in, I was focused primarily on biomedical research and have shifted to being much more...[full comment]
The best part of the job is being able to pinpoint oil and gas sitting thousands of feet deep in the earth's crust that we can extract for our day-to-day...[full comment]
As challenging as it may sound to take physics courses, this is at the heart of a geophysics career. I encourage you to think about courses that you like and,...[full comment]
The best part of my career is the freedom to explore topics that interest me, so long as they further advance the mission of the organization. This means that if...[full comment]
Take as many courses as possible in physics and computer programming. The more knowledge you have in these areas, the more useful you will be. Consider spending a lot of...[full comment]
School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job
Each comment from a physicist includes their career and school satisfaction ratings.
Career: "I was surprised how much more management and teaching I do than actual research. Coming in, I was focused primarily on biomedical research and have shifted to being much more of a mentor and leader for others doing research."
School: Studied Biophysics at National Institutes Of Health in Maryland; completed Doctorate degree in 2008. Career: Scientist And Professor, male, 12 years of experience, currently based in Arizona.
Best & Worst Things About This Career
As reported by people currently doing the job
"The best part of the job is being able to pinpoint oil and gas sitting thousands of feet deep in the earth's crust that we can extract for our day-to-day use. The worst part is that we're not always right. In a small but significant number of cases your best bet proves a bust and all you find is water, after spending millions of dollars drilling a well."
School : BS, Geophysical Engineering, Universidad Simon Bolivar MS, Geophysics, University of Oklahoma Career: Geophysicist, currently based in Texas.;
"The best part of my career is the freedom to explore topics that interest me, so long as they further advance the mission of the organization. This means that if I think I have a better way to do what we are already doing, I don't have to ask for permission - rather, I just do it, and if it works, everyone else will implement it as well. This also leads to peer reviewed articles, so that my work gets recognition from the community as a whole."
School : BS Physics, University of Maryland MS Bioengineering, University of Maryland Career: Research Assistant, currently based in Maryland.;
Tips for Succeeding in This Career
Helpful Info From Insiders
"As challenging as it may sound to take physics courses, this is at the heart of a geophysics career. I encourage you to think about courses that you like and, if physics is one of them, to pursue the more advanced ones. This is something that is always going to help you understand the earth and its mantle."
School : BS, Geophysical Engineering, Universidad Simon Bolivar MS, Geophysics, University of Oklahoma Career: Geophysicist, currently based in Texas.;
"Take as many courses as possible in physics and computer programming. The more knowledge you have in these areas, the more useful you will be. Consider spending a lot of spare time reading technical websites on line to learn the jargon and different image quality metrics. Don't be afraid to try new things with technology. The worst that can happen is that you break something, but then you learn how to fix it, and learn its inner workings for better manipulation in the future."
School : BS Physics, University of Maryland MS Bioengineering, University of Maryland Career: Research Assistant, currently based in Maryland.;
