Suggestions for work experience - Physics

[Stopmakingsense]

DD in year 12. Wants to study Physics/ astronomy probably at uni. Any suggestions for where/how to get some work experience that would relate to physics research or to a non- academic job which a Physics graduate might do? Thanks

One of my DD's friends managed to get a work experience placement for a week where she worked in a physics department at Manchester university. I'm not sure what she did, but it might be worth getting your DS to email a few universities or look into whether it's a placement offered yearly.

I agree with asking at a uni. My DD did a weeks placement at our local uni in one of their Biology related labs. Everyone there was either a Dr or Professor so she was really nervous but came home every day buzzing! As she wants to go into this area it was perfect. The head of the lab has also offered her holiday work and a reference for her uni application!

My DS did a week of work experience at the Rutherford- Appleton Laboratory (RAL) near Oxford. They work with CERN in Switzerland so is probably one of the best places for budding physicists. We found it advertised online and he applied and had to write about why he wanted to work there. I helped him a bit with the application and he was offered a place. I believe it is quite competitive so not sure what they liked about him. It was very good and he learnt quite a bit.

electricity generation companies...nuclear, wind. telecommunications firms ( optical or radio ), met office, aerospace industry, electronics manufactering,. There will be physicist designing vacuum cleaners and electric cars and ships and computers chips.

It's a case of seeing what companies are local that you might even know someone who could help make the right connections to the right department

As for non physics jobs...that's rather wide brief, data sciencist requires a bit of maths, stats, computing and modelling( i.e. Physics) .

met office was always suggested by the careers computer programs for maths/scientists without a clear direction

scientific patents
mobile phone transmission technology

Sort of depends where in the country you (or relatives?) live

Where in the country are you? Here in Cambridge we have a plethora of Science Parks, Bio-Medical Campus and Tech companies.

Tech or engineering or car companies may suit.