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What could I do to find more job opportunities as an undergrad student?

This is coming from an undergrad physics major, psychology minor female student. I am currently a sophomore who is looking for job opportunities, yet failing to find any that seem useful to my future career goals. I would like to find more STEM related jobs, however, I mainly see retail jobs available now-a-days.

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Carmen’s Answer

Hello Karla, when I was an undergraduate I asked one of my professors if I could get a deeper understanding of one of the lab techniques over the summer (I am a chemist), and she recommended that I apply for an undergraduate research grant which I did, and was awarded some funds which ended up being a paid summer position and looked good on my resume. If there are scientific contract labs near you, they might have jobs for undergraduates, too.
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Joseph’s Answer

You're right, the vast majority of part-time entry-level work you can find as a student is going to be retail and hospitality. There are some other roles around, but they are few and far between. Personally, I refused to consider non-physics work, and didn't really manage to find anything while I was studying. That can be beneficial as you can use the time to focus on your studies, but I know taking on part-time work is financially necessary for many students.

The one thing I did do was a little bit of freelance IT support. If you have niche knowledge and/or skills gained from studying and practicing STEM fields, you can freelance services like tech support and tutoring - it used to be you'd put up classified ads in local papers etc; these days there's a whole range of places online you can sell your services - the "gig economy" has seen quite a range of new players over the last few years. Of course, it's not a reliable source of income as you're waiting on people to call you up - I certainly didn't make much through this.

In terms of "proper" jobs, approaching your departments is a good starting point. You'll also find some STEM companies have specific undergraduate internship programs you can apply for, particularly over the summers.
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Andrew’s Answer

When I was an undergraduate in physics from 1971 through 1975, I managed to find part-time employment on the college campus as grader in physics and mathematics, as well as tutor in mathematics. Later, I got aa additional part-time job as a lab assistant in the physics department.

It was half a century ago, and things might have changed. However, it is still worthwhile to go to the physics and math departments to inquire about relevant opportunities. Furthermore, it appears that there is a great need for math tutors nowadays. This is a good way to exercise your quantitative and analytical skills.
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T.J.’s Answer

Hello Karla Naomi!

Physics is considered a marketable degree.
Many physics majors don't become physicists. Commonly, physicist jobs fall within research/academia. These positions are more tricky to get into than other fields.

However, Physics majors can enter a wide variety of fields!
Since physics provide a foundation in mathematics, science, analytics, and problem-solving, you could work in:
- business tech companies
- statistics
- software development
- finance
- engineering (with a caveat...you may need to take extra courses to be on the same level as engineering graduates)

Also, I recommend checking out these resources:

- Women in Physics. It's a program hosted by the American Physical Society (APS). They offer workshops, conferences, fellowships, and financial awards! You could benefit from joining. | https://aps.org/programs/women/index.cfm

- Finance & Physics Article by The Guardian | https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jul/21/physics-graduates-gravitate-to-finance

- Statistics & Physics Article by JSTOR | https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.4169/math.mag.86.2.120

- "Where physics could take you" by the Institute of Physics | https://www.iop.org/careers-physics/your-future-with-physics/career-paths

- Careers in Physics by the American Physical Society | https://aps.org/careers/physicists/prospects.cfm

Overall, there are many ways you can find work in physics!

Build connections with people. Attend events related to physics or STEM at career fairs, especially Women in STEM events.
Focus on the skills you'll develop through your degree, and on the skills employers are looking for.
You can sell your skill set and capabilities that way.

Sending you support as you find job opportunities :)
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