I studied physics, with intention of becoming a developer (which I did). I didn't have much appetite for a CS course and felt the physics would give me a broader set of skills.
Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
31–40 of 178 posts
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#32This is a pretty common career path I think once people realize that finding a well paying physics gig is much much tougher than just becoming a developer. Every physicist has at least some programming experience and are generally adept at problem solving. Coding was always way more fun than doing 4th year/grad school level physics for me too. Also, it is especially tough to get a job if you're a mediocre physicist (…
The American Physical Society maintains numbers on career paths for their student members, and less than 5 percent end up with a Physicist job title. Most end up in the career paths you list.
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#33Anderson left Harvard before getting his PhD because he came to view the field much as Boykin does—as an intellectual pursuit of diminishing returns. But that’s not the case on the internet. “Implicit in ‘the internet’ is the scope, the coverage of it,” Anderson says. “It makes opportunities are much greater, but it also enriches the challenge space, the problem space. There is intellectual upside.”
Was thinking of pursuing masters/PhD in economics but have heard/read a lot along the same lines of an intellectual pursuit with diminishing returns both in terms of salary and real world impact.
The most useful thing I've done on Twitter is follow a bunch of economists and professors who are constantly debating current econ thinking/papers. There are a few I really respect, but for the most part both the academic environment for PhD level economists seems kind of toxic to me as an outsider.
Been thinking a lot recently about how my generation (I'm 24) is going to have to be a lot more practical due to economic realities...
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#34Physicists have been taking jobs as software engineers since the 90s. Career-wise, physics is the comparative literature of the exact sciences.
Since the '40s, as the article notes. Early on, science/engineering/math problems were one of the driving forces of computing, typically with a distinct separation from commercial/administrative side — for instance, scientific machines had floating point while commercial machines had decimal arithmetic. It wasn't until the First Dotcom Bubble that the commercial culture decisively ‘won’.
Don't forget about Dennis Richie, the creator of C programming, according to Wikipedia he holds a degree in Physics and Applied Maths[1].
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#35I'm a physics phd student, but I did my undergrad in cs+physics at well known school in the midwest. I really regret going to grad school for physics, I gave up a lot of earning potential, time to develop new skills and I've forgotten a lot of my CS background. Most methods in my area have already been developed and the pressure to publish (pushy advisor, several projects not producing the intended results, and propo…
Don't feel trapped. There are lots of CS experts out there who are competent but have little domain knowledge expertise and therefor limited understanding of what they're writing software for. Just push ahead and see it through until you get bored with it. Being the person around who can write software and understand the underlying physics of this or that problem that you're seeking to model makes a world of difference and is a very valued skill in some fields.
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#36Anderson left Harvard before getting his PhD because he came to view the field much as Boykin does—as an intellectual pursuit of diminishing returns. But that’s not the case on the internet. “Implicit in ‘the internet’ is the scope, the coverage of it,” Anderson says. “It makes opportunities are much greater, but it also enriches the challenge space, the problem space. There is intellectual upside.” Was thinking of p…
Who are the Econ people you're talking about on twitter?
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#37Aerospace engineer here!
Not a physicist and not that there's a lack of open jobs, but I was also way more interested in programming.
I started my own project in 2nd year of university and it changed everything to me. I've been able to apply my knowledge during my years of university and also out of it with my side-projects.
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#38Can confirm, have a physics PHD friend who is now doing primarily programming work. I, for one, welcome our new physicist overlords!
overlord is a strong word. As a physics major, I would prefer to be called a tech minion.
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#39Anecdata: As a software engineer who studied physics before C.S., it feels like I've had a massively unfair advantage my entire career. Served me very well.
Can you describe the advantage?
(Was within a hair of a physics minor before I studied C.S., but might have wiped out the advantage by switching to Mathematics?)
Re: Physicists taking jobs as Silicon Valley software engineers
#40Does anyone else think that general programming education (not necessarily computer science) is overrated?
I much rather hire people that I know can think in both in terms of fundamental logical principles, and who understand the scientific method, which comes up more than one expects in business. For example, I've seen physicists run much better marketing analytics than "growth hackers".
And who cares if someone can cross-off a list of generic programming language/frameworks? If you need that specific of a cog in your machine, the position probably isn't that innovative and you're better off outsourcing. Or hire someone smart and eager, pay them decently, and they'll learn what they need, if they're so inclined.