If you did maths, chemistry and physics A levels what degree and job do you do?

[bluefineliner]

My DD is close to GCSEs and is predicted v good grades in all subjects. She is favouring maths, chemistry and physics A levels (which would have been my worst nightmare when I was at school!) but not sure what to do after that. As well as being academic, she does love to plan, organise and lead so sitting on her own in a lab or churning out statistics may not suit.

Obviously loads of time, but I am an AHP and DH in computers, so no direct experience to draw from. What jobs did you end up doing after studying similar A levels please, DD veers from teaching to dentistry! I want to inspire her when the world is her oyster at the moment.

Technology Manager

I did those and then a degree in molecular biology. I worked as a scientist for a few years then did a masters in computing and am now a systems engineer for a tech company.

Not me but my nephew (30) took those A Levels. He went on to do a Biology degree then a Masters in finance. He went to work in finance recruitment in the city but became disheartened with the work and environment so did aPHSE and now works as a maths and science teacher and loves it.

So this is where we completely get it wrong! I did maths, chemistry and biology, read a chemistry degree then, once Id started work a law masters (environmental). Law would have been my perfect degree, but I went with what I was good at (getting chemical reactions to work) versus what suited my preferred work whuch was analytical thinking. Things I enjoyed. I'm a sustainability professional which is where I discovered my love for law. After 34 years in my field, I am now and my company (which is just me plus admin support from my daughter) turnover is c£300k pa. So what's important is we all choose work we will enjoy because that gives us best chance of success.
To me, it sounds like project management would suit her. Try to find a work placement for her so she can see how what it is. For PM work, your degree is a bit irrelevant so she should choose something she'll enjoy that shows of her organisation and leadership skills.

*I am now self employed

I did maths, further maths, biology and chemistry. Degree in applied maths, qualified as a lawyer and now work in tech-related finance where the maths and analytical skills are useful!

I would ask her to research green jobs for the future - that’s where there will be potentially well paid and beneficial jobs (beneficial for the rest of us in terms of helping the environment).
If she did something like electrical engineering for example it could lead to potentially interesting careers. The world really is her oyster - key thing is she does A Level she enjoys and if she can do some reading on potential uni courses like electrical engineering and thinks she will enjoy it read up a bit more on it in relation to jobs and go for it.
wishing her the very best 🍀

You asked about careers advice. Mine was terrible!

Went to an academic school and there really wasn't any careers advice or info - it was all about where you were going to university.

Did my degree (physics) at Oxford and though there was a careers service with a lot of info, the actual advice available was also terrible. "Oh, you're doing physics. How about going into science or accountancy?". I never even knew that you needed to think about how you prefer to work and what you enjoy/don't until I had graduated. Did a PGCE because I had no idea about anything; hated that... and only then when I said "no I don't want to do this" did I even start to think about what I might enjoy doing.

I did physics, maths and biology but most people in my physics degree did P/M/C. I did medical physics, worked in radiotherapy physics, and I then moved to a medtech firm where I currently work in product development. Love it, and for me I needed to work across boundaries which med phys does perfectly

I did maths and further maths, and now an actuary - very good pay! If she likes maths I’d definitely recommend looking at the actuarial career route, it’s hard work to qualify but once qualified it’s worth it.

Radiation protection and radioactive waste management for a company that advises mostly industrial users.

Get her to look at srp-uk.org/careers-and-registration/career-information

Very varied and interesting and a shortage profession so should never struggle to get a job. Can work in hospitals, universities, consultancy services, regulation, nuclear power stations and more.

Entry can be as a graduate trainee, or I think there might also be an apprenticeship route for some larger employers.

i did maths, further maths, chemistry and physics at A level. Did an undergraduate degree in physics and a PhD half way between chemistry and physics. during the latter I realised I was crap at research (took me a very long time to write up my thesis - several years into my subsequent career, got there in the end though)

had a hodge-podge career which started off in vaguely technical-related roles in large businesses where I used my physics knowledge a bit and learned a lot more about business management, marketing etc, detoured into roles totally unrelated to physics but now in computer software and databases where I am quite happy.

studying sciences and mathematics at A level opens up a huge number of doors as it trains the mind in accurate logical thought. If it's what your DD will enjoy then that's great. She's not limited to studying just those subjects at uni as there are loads of courses in subjects that aren't offered at many schools, so it's most important for her to choose A levels she will enjoy and be committed to studying. she doesn't need a career path plan yet. during each stage of her studies there will be something that emerges that she's interested in.

Other Physicist & Chemist friends from decades-ago student days that I am.in touch with have careers in: Patent law (verifying the originality of inventions), working for the civil service in various roles connected to science and the environment, working as an Actuary (like accountancy but more complicated aa you're investigating accountants to check they aren't cooking the books), some people in teaching or still at university in professorship roles, working in academic scientific publishing (research journals), lots of people in computing/tech roles including one whose tech invention took off and became a minor silicon valley phenomenon, medical physicists specialising in technical stuff to do with radiography, ultrasound etc, ome of whom went further and retrained as a doctor.

My brother did those subjects, then a degree in Physics and a PhD in Astrophysics. He worked as an astrophysicist in a lab for 5 years or so, got fed up with lack of human interaction and had a complete career change. Now he's Director of Design at a music tech firm. His PhD is still a talking point at interviews 20 years on.

I work in STEM and know people with degrees in those subjects who work in finance, management consulting and pharmaceuticals.

I did those plus further maths. Physics at uni followed by particle physics phd. Now a data scientist working at an e-commerce company.

I did those plus biology. Did a natural sciences degree and ended up with a biology specialism, then biology PhD. Spent years working as a research scientist then moved into medical communications.

DS did Physics and maths, Physics degree and is now an accountant

I did those A-Levels, but didn’t go to uni. I started working in labs & now I’m a senior scientist in the life sciences industry

Biology, chemistry maths here.

I worked for almost 20 years in conservation- environmental education to be precise. Loved it. For various reasons I am now a TA.

As well as being academic, she does love to plan, organise and lead so sitting on her own in a lab or churning out statistics may not suit

why do you say that?

research science isn’t just “sitting in a lab on her own”.

right from the start you plan and organise your own research. That’s your PhD. Your supervisor gives you a hypothesis, then you plan your research and carry it out. There’s a lot of collaboration, visiting other labs, discussing others research and using their ideas as well as your own. eventually as well as driving your own research you’ll be leading others, quite often you’ll have phd students etc from very early on in your post doc, right through to leading your own groups and even heading up departments.

”plan, organise and lead” sound like exactly the qualities an academic lab career needs.

My DB did maths, FM, physics and chemistry and is now in IT, developing banking apps and modelling. Great career, low stress, great earning potential.

I did maths, chemistry, biology and English lit. I intended doing medicine when I selected them but ended up doing law (as I faint so easily 😂). Now a solicitor and love it.

I did those plus Maths.
I'm a Hospital Pharmacist specialising in Peri-Operative Medicine and Anaesthesia. Also lead an extensive team of Surgical Pharmacists.

This is all anecdotal. I came through the Scottish system in 1983/4 and did English, Latin, French, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, History and Geography at Higher level. You couldn't get a more rounded education. Sadly I doubt you could do it now. I became a lawyer and later because I wanted to give back a teacher.