Tag Archive for: skills

Your Future with Physics

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The Institute of Physics (IOP) have have recently added some great new videos to their website.  They showcase how physics graduates use and apply the skills gained whilst studying physics to their work.

The skills acquired from studying physics are transferable and highly valued by employers.  According to the IOP studying physics helps you to develop:

  • Analytical skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Numerical skills
  • Ability to think objectively
  • Investigative skills
  • Communication skills

… as well as many more.

For example, in the video at the start of this post, Vinnie Kalcut, who is a senior finance analyst at record company BMG Chrysalis, discusses how she uses her physics skills as part of a company unearthing musical talent!

To find out more about Vinnie, and other physicists putting their skills to use across a variety of sectors visit the IOP website – Your Future with Physics  

Teachers: The videos are great to use as session starters in classes to promote future career possibilities, and the transferable skills students gain by studying physics!

 

 

Try this personality type test

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No idea where you’re headed? This personality survey at the Guardian today might offer you some ideas. Two warnings:

  1. The test is sponsored by a life insurance company.
  2. It suggests I should seriously consider wedding planning as a career, which doesn’t quite line up with anything I might remotely enjoy ever ever ever.

What I do like about it is the type of questions that are asked. You’ll see very little about education level or subject, and nothing at all about qualifications. It’s all about skills, lifestyle, and the sorts of things that make you happy.

See what you think. Useful? Leave us a comment – if you think it’s a useful start for discussions we’ll add it to our Resources catalogue.

Tag Archive for: skills

National Careers Week: An inspirational STEM Role Model

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National Careers Week is upon us, 7th-11th March 2016! A celebration of careers guidance and a focus for activity across the UK. Be sure to explore the official website for resources, including the free-download 2016 digital magazine.

If you’re looking for a quick case study to inspire your students, here’s a role model who’s current, pushes boundaries, and is positively dripping in STEMness:

Elon Musk. Picked by business magazine Forbes as the 38th most powerful person in the world, Musk is a self-made billionaire. South-African born, Canadian-American, and a physics graduate, he’s made his name as an entrepreneur, building businesses like PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. Elon’s back story is just as fascinating as what he is doing now, and as a leading visionary of the tech world, his work is likely to affect the lives of us all.

Messages to take away and reiterate:

Whether your students see themselves as the next Elon Musk or would like to work for someone like him, this presentation should encourage discussion about STEM careers as well as the characteristics and attitude to learning and life that Musk displays. His company SpaceX has a terrific careers page with a load of cool jobs like: commercial director, internship opportunities, propulsion development engineer (making rockets go fast), or software development. Yes, these job opportunities are in America, but if this is the type of company in which you’re interested, why let the Atlantic Ocean stop you in your pursuit of job happiness?

What’s happening in North East England?

Here’s a tiny handful of the most exciting and dynamic companies in our region. Have a look on their careers pages to gain an understanding of the types of jobs they offer, and the people they are looking for…

  • Nomad Digital: A Newcastle based company providing wireless networking for trains, right around the globe.
  • Hitachi Rail Europe: Based in Newton Aycliffe, Hitachi are fitting out trains to be used all over the world.
  • Kromek: Based at Netpark Sedgfield. Kromek develop a range of radiation detection equipment used in the nuclear industry, medical imaging and for security screening.
  • Sanofi – Aventis: a multinational company with a site in Newcastle who manufacture a range of pharmaceutical products for the healthcare industry. (Careers Page)
  • Tharsus: helping other companies develop their products through a team of developers with skills in manufacturing, prototyping and managing

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