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%	Physics Careers talk at Upper Canada College
%	February 1998
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\begin{slide}{}
\begin{center}
\Large
A Career in Physics? \\[0.1in]
Of Course! \\[1.2in]
{\tiny
Pekka K. Sinervo \\
\tiny {\it 
Department of Physics \\
University of Toronto
}} \\[0.4in]
\end{center}

\small
\vspace{.2in}
\tiny
\begin{enumerate}
\item What Is a Physicist?
\item Education, Training
\item A Few Typical Days...
\item Compensation and Career Development
\item Supply and Demand
\item How to Learn More
\end{enumerate}

\begin{flushright}
\tiny
Upper Canada College \\
February 1998 
\end{flushright}
\end{slide}
%
%
%	What is a Physicist?
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{What is a Physicist?}
%
The definition of a physicist is fuzzy -- a few choices:
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Dictionary: 
\\[0.05in]
{\bf A specialist in physics, a science that deals with matter and
energy and their interactions in the fields of mechanics, acoustics,
optics, heat, electricity, magnetism, and radiation.}
	\item Someone with a Ph.D., M.Sc. or B.Sc. in Physics, \\
Physics and Mathematics, etc.
	\item Someone trained to observe/ study physical ``phenomena''
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Phenomena related to the underlying structure of our
		world
		\item Separate from specialized areas such as Chemistry, \\
Geology, or Astronomy
	\end{itemize}
%
	\item Someone with the mathematical skills to interpret observations
and place them in the context of a ``model'' or ``theory''
\\[0.1in]
\end{itemize}

\small
Perhaps the most accurate definition is someone who
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item wants to know how the world works
	\item use observational and theory to improve that understanding
\end{itemize}
\begin{center}
\small
	$\Rightarrow$ A problem solver!
\end{center}
\end{slide}
%
%	More on what a physicist is
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Problem Solving as a Career!}
Physicists are basically technically literate problem solvers
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Have an advanced technical training
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Expected to know how to tackle pretty much any sort
		of new problem
		\item Have the know-how and experience to not be afraid of any 
		tools
		\begin{itemize}
			\item Instrumentation for measurement or observation
			\item Electronics, lasers, particle detectors, sensors
			\item Data acquisition and analysis tools, computers
\\[0.05in]
		\end{itemize}
	\end{itemize}
	\item Have training to think creatively and abstractly
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Creativity is essential -- way to generate ``knowledge''
		\item Abstract thinking needed for ``model-building'' 
		process
		\item Observations are only useful to a physicist if they can be
used to fine-tune an existing model, or develop a new one
\\[0.1in]
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
\small
This will come clearer in a few examples
\end{slide}
%
%	
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Jobs for Physicists}
Physicists are found in a large variety of roles
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Traditional roles are in academia and research
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Professors in universities $\Rightarrow$ research \& teaching
		\item Research scientists at universities or government labs
\\[0.05in]
	\end{itemize}
	\item More frequently found in the private sector
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Research scientists involved in
		\begin{itemize}
			\item Basic research focussed on certain technologies, eg.
			\begin{itemize}
				\item HP laser printer technology
				\item Tomography for MRI and PET scanners
				\item Lasers for grocery scanners and CD players
\\[0.05in]
			\end{itemize}
			\item Technologies where principles ``understood,'' eg.
			\begin{itemize}
				\item Sensors for oil well ``logging'' (Schlumberger-Doll)
				\item Long range weather forecasting (Environment Canada)
				\item Power transmission technology (Ontario Hydro)
\\[0.05in]
			\end{itemize}
			\item Modelling and analysis of ``phenomena,'' eg.
			\begin{itemize}
				\item Nuclear reactor safety issues
				\item Searching for mineral and oil deposits 
				\item Financial markets (Wall Street and Bay Street)!
\\[0.05in]
			\end{itemize}
		\end{itemize}
		\item Probably takes in about 60-70\% of trained physicists
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
%
\end{slide}
%
%
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Diversity of Physics}
Physics is a very diverse field, eg. at U of T
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Quantum Optics (lasers!)
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Making higher power lasers
		\item Making more precise lasers
\\[0.05in]
	\end{itemize}
%
	\item Condensed Matter Physics
	\begin{itemize}
		\item properties of materials
		\item unique behaviour (eg. high $T_c$)
\\[0.05in]
	\end{itemize}
%
	\item Planetary Physics
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Study of seismic waves
		\item Effect of glaciers on the earth's surface
\\[0.05in]
	\end{itemize}
%
	\item Atmospheric Physics
	\begin{itemize}
		\item creation of storms
		\item atmospheric pollution 
		\item Effect of glaciers on the earth's surface
\\[0.05in]
	\end{itemize}
%
	\item Subatomic Physics
	\begin{itemize}
		\item exploring the interior of atoms
		\item Figuring out how our universe works
	\end{itemize}
%
\end{itemize}
\end{slide}
%
%	Research Scientist
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Laser Physicist}
Lasers now appear to be ubiquitous
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Probably have at least one in your home or workplace...
	\begin{itemize}
		\item CD players
		\item Some smoke detectors or alarm systems
		\item Grocery scanners
		\item Laser light shows....
\\[0.05in]
	\end{itemize}
	\item At U of T, have a large laser (``quantum optics'') group
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Do research in basic physical properties involved in
	lasing or using lasers
		\begin{itemize}
			\item Developing techniques for ``trapping'' atoms 
			\item This line of research just won Nobel Prize in Physics
last year
\\[0.05in]
		\end{itemize}
		\item Also working with various companies
		\begin{itemize}
			\item Lumonics Corporation has a ``chair'' in physics
			\item Working on developing high power lasers on the cheap
\\[0.05in]
		\end{itemize}
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
%
\small
Department has five laser labs, each with many different set-ups
looking at different phenomena
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Each optics table has different experiment going on
	\item May take months to get it right
\end{itemize}
\end{slide}
%
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Typical Day for a Quantum Optician...}
\small
Typical day involves
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Come in and warm up the research laser 
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Look at last nights results -- figure out what might have
gone wrong
		\item Talk to supervisor or students
	\end{itemize}
	\item Set up and do another set of measurements
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Try to understand results
		\begin{itemize}
			\item If they look OK, move on to next possible problem
			\item If not, think about what might still be wrong 
		\end{itemize}
		\item If they look ``wierd,'' think about how to confirm them
		\begin{itemize}
			\item Try to reproduce them
			\item Think about ways of mimicing the result
\\[0.05in]
		\end{itemize}
	\end{itemize}
%
	\item Later in day, check to see if anything new has come into 
	the library
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Have a break to talk to colleagues
		\item Check on results of other experiments
	\end{itemize}
%
\end{itemize}
%
\small
Typically are working on several things simultaneously
\end{slide}
%
%	Particle Physicist	
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Another Typical Day -- Particle Physicist}
Come in and read e-mail
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item I get typically about 30-40/day associated with research
	\item Catch up on stuff I can do immediately
\\[0.05in]
\end{itemize}
\small
Have weekly group meeting
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Meet and discuss progress in last week
	\item Bring up any issues or problems, eg.
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Out of disk space on local workstation cluster
		\item Somebody found software bug - has anybody else seen it?
		\item Schedule time to review a paper
	\end{itemize}
	\item Go around the ``table,'' report on projects
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Students and staff will report on their own research work
		\item Keep everybody up-to-date
		\item Give everybody a chance to comment and advise
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
\end{slide}
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{More on My Typical Day...}
%
Spend couple hours in instrumentation lab
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Working on developing a small ``inchworm'' to very
	precisely precision a big detector
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Have had problems making it strong enough
		\item Worked with engineers and machinists to improve it
	\end{itemize}
	\item Also have several other ``hardware'' projects underway
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Work on microelectronic circuits 
		\item New types of particle detectors
\\[0.1in]
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}

\small
Later in day, meet 1-on-1 with other researchers to discuss progress
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Sometimes will sit down and go over data analysis
	\item Go over drafts of papers
\end{itemize}
\end{slide}
%
%	Benefits of job...
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Why So Appealing?}
Always learning new things
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Advancing our knowledge about how world works
	\item Latest advances in high speed computing and communications
	\item New technologies
\\[0.1in]
\end{itemize}

\small
Interact with some very bright and pleasant people
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Not just a bunch of ``nerds''
	\item Real people with similar passions about discovery
	\item Intellectually challenging 
\\[0.1in]
\end{itemize}

\small
Often pretty competitive
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Want to be ``first'' to get there
	\item Want to be able to make progress the fastest
	\item Sometimes this is not so much fun -- stressful!
\end{itemize}
\end{slide}
%
%	Rewards
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Compensation and Career Development}
Starting salaries for Ph.D. physicists vary great deal
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Research associates start around \$30,000 to \$45,000
	\item Assistant Professors start around \$50,000 to \$65,000
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Increase by about 2-6\%/year depending on performance
	\end{itemize}
	\item In industry, starting salaries are similar, but peak
earlier
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Most large private employers recognize that research
scientists should follow pattern similar to academia
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}

\small
Cost of getting a degree outweighed by higher salary
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item But it does require some patience and devotion
	\item Can take up to 10 years of university education
\\[0.05in]
\end{itemize}

\small
Longer term career prospects are varied
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Academic stream is very stable on average
	\item Research scientists also have very low turn-over
	\item For B.Sc.'s in Physics, experience will vary depending
	on particular field
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Degree considered very useful
		\item Survey asking to rank usefulness between 1-5
		\begin{itemize}
			\item Ph.D. on average ranked it as $4.2\pm1.0$
			\item M.Sc. on average ranked it as $4.0\pm1.4$
			\item B.Sc. on average ranked it as $3.1\pm1.3$
		\end{itemize}
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
\end{slide}
%
%	Education and Training
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Education and Training}
First step is OAC credits in MAT (all 3!) and PHY
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Must at least be comfortable with mathematics 
	\item Curiousity and fooling around with gadgets is a plus
\\[0.05in]
\end{itemize}

\small
Second step is completion of B.Sc. in Physics, Math \& Physics,
Astronomy \& Physics, etc.
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Provides experience and basic tools to function
as a researcher or problem solver
	\item However, modest amount of real research experience
	\begin{itemize}
		\item People who complete at this stage go into technical 	
	areas
		\item Typically, are not involved in research-oriented
careers
	\end{itemize}
	\item Good training ground for people who want to become
	\begin{itemize}
		\item technician in a research laboratory,
		\item enter a related postgraduate degree,
		\item a science or math teacher (note:  ETP),
		\item involved in IT industry 
\\[0.1in]
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
\end{slide}
%
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Beyond the B.Sc.}
\small
Half of U of T students go on for postgraduate degrees
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Some complete 1 or 2-year M.Sc.
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Provides greater degree of hands-on research experience
		\item Most students do not choose this path unless very
			specific goals
\\[0.05in]
	\end{itemize}
	\item Majority of our students go on for Ph.D.
	\tiny
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Takes about 4-5 years
		\item Supported at the level of about \$15,000-\$22,000
		in scholarships and research assistanceships
		\item Takes a lot of hard work...
		\begin{itemize}
			\item One to two years of course work
			\item Three to four years of research work
			\item Culminates in Ph.D. dissertation
		\end{itemize}
	\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
\end{slide}
%
%	Supply and Demand
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Supply and Demand}
Demand is important criteria in choosing a field
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Canada annually produces
	\begin{itemize}
		\item about 650 B.Sc. physicists 
		\item about 220 B.Sc. physicists 
		\item about 120 Ph.D. physicists 
\\[0.05in]
	\end{itemize}
	\item Unemployment rate is virtually unmeasurable
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Appears to be less than about 2\%
		\item Results come from recent surveys by 
		CAP and NSERC
	\end{itemize}
	\item All of these indicate strong demand for people with
	Physics degrees
\\[0.05in]
\end{itemize}
\small
This reflects the utility of a degree in Physics
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Professional problem solvers
	\item Trained to tackle toughest research problems
	\item Very versatile technically
\end{itemize}

\end{slide}
%
%
%  Real summary
%
\begin{slide}{}
\slidetitle{Summary}
Physics is not just a career -- it is a way of thinking
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Allows one to be both creative and analytical
	\item Very stimulating and intellectually challenging
	\item Opens up a variety of doors in many fields
\\[0.05in]
\end{itemize}

\small
Remains the place where discoveries will continue to be made
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Academic research is still very challenging
	\item Private sector continues to play a significant role
\\[0.05in]
\end{itemize}

\small
Job prospects look quite good
\tiny
\begin{itemize}
	\item Strong demand both in academia and in industry
	\item Versatility is a big bonus in the private sector
	\item Employment rates are very high
\\[0.05in]
\end{itemize}

\small
\begin{center}
Physics is both Fun and Challenging
\end{center}

\end{slide}

\end{document}
