Advice to UNH Physics Majors 
Things to consider if you'd like to go to go into industry
- Participate in research at UNH or an internship in industry either during the summer or school year to gain experience in working on projects, meeting deadlines, problem solving on a large scale, and working independently. Employers value all of these experiences. Doing well in courses is important, but these are skills not tested in the classroom.
- Gain as many skills as you can. For example, computational expertise, strong public speaking, and working effectively with groups are highly valued in skills the workplace. Look for courses outside of physics that might open interesting doors for you. For example, if you want to work overseas, learning a language can be valuable. Business courses may also open up opportunities.
- As early as your sophomore year, begin to attend the UNH Career and Internship Fairs. This is a way to learn about internships, what employers are looking for, and to get your feet wet when the stakes are not high (e.g. you don’t need a job right now!) Don’t forget to bring a resume and dress as you might at a corporate job.
- Go to the UNH Career Center by the end of your sophomore year to begin writing your resume. It is important to begin this early so that if there are important experiences or skills that you lacking (e.g. working independently on a project) there is still time gain this skill. A good resume writer can help you extract the essential skills and problem solving elements of a job experience; you may not be able to do this as effectively on your own. A good resume then presents these things in a manner that makes it easy for a prospective employer to spot and relate to. Update your resume frequently. For example, update your resume as soon as you finish any major project (e.g. a summer internship or a research experience). This way you are less likely to forget important details.
- Attend the Career Nights that the department sponsors to learn about the range of physics careers. We try to showcase different careers each year, so don't just attend once!
- You are likely to need references. These are best if they come from someone who knows you well. For example, if there has been a class that is very exciting to you, and you have asked lots of questions (either in or out of class), gone above and beyond (at least on occasion) on the homework, the professor will be able to give a detailed reference. A Professor who supervised you on a research project would be an excellent choice for a reference, as would as a former or current employer. In general, these references could come from anyone who can commend your strong work ethic, your knowledge of science and/or mathematics, your ability to work independently and solve problems. A good way to ask is "Can you provide a strong reference for me?" This gives the person an opportunity to say "no" - you don't want a weak reference.
- When you look for jobs, look beyond jobs specifically for physicists. Often companies looking for Electrical or Mechanical Engineers will also hire physicists. Looking beyond physics will increase your job possibilities enormously.
- Don't consider your first job to be your last job. That is, be open to jobs that are not ideal, but have some appeal. For example, a job may give you an opportunity to learn new skills or polish old ones.