/sci/ - Science & Math

Back in 2013, shortly after this was published, I read it somewhere that a HEP PhD was driving bus because he couldn't get any other job. similar stories of others. Maybe it was on a response to this article in hackernews idk.
>Couldn't he work at a small town or third world university? Or at least be a physics teacher or a financial engineer?
It isn't as easy as it sounds. Maybe he tried some of these and other options. I myself had to apply for almost 150 jobs after my physics PhD. I was desperate enough to apply for very shitty webdev jobs. I had enough react experience and built couple of scientific websites. I got rejected tho lmao. Eventually settled for a postdoc. Not sure what to do after this.

>>16088595

Why not become a scientist and invent anti gravity propulsion?

>>16088608
>become a scientist
That doesn't mean anything. In many countries, you're already entitled to a "scientist" title after your BSc. You need money to live.
>invent anti gravity propulsion
Do you think an unemployed PhD will have enough money to set up his own lab to invent anti gravity propulsion lol

Should've done math, it's 300k starting

>>16088595
>Not sure what to do after this.
a normal blue collar work, learn electricity, HVAC, etc

>>16088622

Starting salary sounds nice. But working as what? Where?

>>16088643
I already know electricity and thermodynamics but no thanks. I'd rather kill myself.

>>16088508
safe and effective

>>16088698
>I already know electricity and thermodynamics but no thank
you dont know the practical impementation
In HVAC you dont solve equations, you carry heavy air conditioners up stairs

>>16088595
>I myself had to apply for almost 150 jobs after my physics PhD
Jesus, why even go through the effort if it's not rewarded in any way?

>>16088678
The jobs this meme is talking about are rare and only go to top graduates from MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc.

Math PhD's are probably worse off than philosophy PhDs lmao.

I think I remember reading the original article and it said he killed himself after the only job he could find was at a call center. Understandable.

>>16088738

Having a doctorate in physics makes you gangsta.

>>16088508
>physics teacher
Need certification for that, also hellish hours/pay
>financial engineer
"So you have no financial experience,don't know anything about finance, and don't know anyone important? I think we'll just hire the directors nephew instead "
>small town or third world university
The small unis are getting financially crushed by austerity, demographic problems, and retarded administration. Third world might be okay but then you have to learn another language and move to a completely alien culture

>>16088781
>I think we'll just hire the directors nephew instead "

Don't you need a PhD in math/physics/engineering first?

>>16088784
There aren't that many math-heavy quantitative research roles, and most quant jobs can be done by a math/physics bachelor

>>16088784
LMAO

>>16088508
The reasons that ultimately led to him killing himself are the same reasons that put him in dire straits in the first place. He had no friends, no connections, no social skills, and ironically didn't plan well for the future despite his intellect.

He's an ugly incel without friends.

What >>16089073 said

>>16088678
At the math factory

basically he is overqualified for being a teacher as you would need only bachelor/masters. He would have jumped soon as those kids start bullying him

>>16088779
>Having a doctorate in physics makes you gangsta.
I can guarantee you absolutely nobody gives a shit outside of circlejerk communities

>>16089222
Lol

A PhD does not guarantee you a job.
Actually nothing pretty much does.

>>16089226

Imagine getting bullied by people you are trying to help.

Such is the life of a scientist.

>>16089267
this man gets it

>>16088508
>Why did he kill himself?
Probably depressed after he got tons of rejection letters.
> Couldn't he work at a small town or third world university?
I knew one postdoc who got a job at University of Oxford - in the kitchen. So no, getting a job is not always easy.
>Or at least be a physics teacher or a financial engineer?
Teacher, perhaps, but big business is getting more selective about who they hire for financial engineering.

>>16090167
>postdoc who got a job at University of Oxford - in the kitchen.

That's nice actually. He can apply his understanding of chemistry and thermodynamics to create elegant works.

He didn't trust the science enough

>>16088508
This is unfortunate. A permanent solution to a temporary problem...

>>16089356
An MD does, kinda.

>>16090344

Engineers are the ones applying solutions to problems.

A Doctor!

fuck you lads are a bunch of soft pussies,

try life on 93 Iq,

Make me a Doctor in my next run

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

>>16090462

Why bother getting a doctorate? Just kill yourself already and skip all the steps.

>>16090478

im immortal and unstoppable,


Negro

Autist with no nepotism. There are so many idiots working at top companies and universities. It's not really about NPC memes like
>IQ
>hard work
>certifications
>accolades
>status
It's more about basic competence coupled with who you know and who you're currently cucking, fucking and sucking in the midst of disgust.

>Why did he kill himself? Couldn't he work at a small town or third world university? Or at least be a physics teacher or a financial engineer?
Yeah why didn't he work with gossipy, soulless mouth breathers after he'd finished a PhD in Physics? Why don't women just... suck cocks one after another if they can't get a job? Or just bend over and let strangers creampie you. Hell, you could do that as a guy too!

>>16089073
This. No nepotism. People don't really give a fuck about competence if you know how to talk to them. To give a more /sci/ example, think of all those geniuses (you're probably not one of them) that came up with paradigm shifting discoveries but because they were spergs everyone shat on them (even the academicucks) and they ended up in poverty or worse, they killed themselves. You can't escape the normaltards unless you're a billionaire. In that regard psychopaths are smarter than the smartest autist.

>>16088508
Probably want enough heeb in his blood, so he couldn’t into swindling properly. Once the money comes in you forget about morals and other pussy ass bitch shit.

>>16089716
Such is the life of the NPC who doesn't understand the dynamics of human societies. Lol lmao. Contribute to humanity (the thing that has killed 100m-1b people in wars). Lol lmao. Ha ha.

>>16089716
Always assume everyone you don't know wants to take advantage of you

>>16090530
People that take advantage of others also think like that. If you're always distrustful, it becomes very obvious to people that know you.

>>16090615
But I'm not distrustful, because I wouldn't have anything to gain from it

>>16088508
STEM, much like law, has a bimodal salary distribution. Never make the mistake of thinking that "average" salary of 80k exists. It's actually more like 30k slave labour a minority of graduates in the mid 100k range. We have careers, not jobs, high paying "jobs" simply don't exist. People pay your for actually having something of value (mostly in the form of connections, very rarely specific talents).
The dude in your pic had zero publications and did some ML meme shit and came from a part of the Physics community with very little connections. Even if he graduated Cambridge he was NGMI.

>>16090682
Picrel

>>16088595
Sounds like you're destined for perma adjunct path which isn't as bad as it sounds if you find a department that respects you.

>>16088781
If you're White you will never find employment or safety in the third world either.

>>16090682
>>16090683
Is this for Masters? Phds? Undergrad? This would imply that a STEM degree is essentially a coinflip as to whether you make it or not, literally 50-50 it either happens or it doesn't. Where's the source? I would assume something like math and biology degrees are a lot closer to a bimodal distribution skewed towards the lower end vs engineering.

>>16089073
>his intellect.
I would strongly dispute the implication that you need to be intelligent to finish a PhD. This is a rather ugly Dunning Kruger tick that most PhD candidates of lower quality have and we all know who those are even those who worm themselves into top tier unis. Most PhDs, especially in physics, are not making breathroughs in their research. They are just midwits who sacrifice all other pursuits and social skills to focus solely on one thing, then they are surprised they come out autistic with their own advisers having no personal relationship with them and minimum interest in their work, so their three first authorships in mid Q1 journals do not land them any jobs.

You don't need to be a genius to make it in Physics, but you do need to be somewhat intelligent, that means picking your topic wisely, socialising fast, early and well and most importantly doing something that is useful to a research community that actually has money. If you don't know which communities those are you are in the wrong place, you are too dumb for a PhD or your in a country which doesn't truly have a reseaech scene/industry not artificially held to a Western facade by state spending.

Focus on what the local companies in your city actually want, not what you think sounds important.

>>16089226
At a good school (read: no thirdies) nobody's going to bully you. I had plenty of highschool teachers with masters degrees (and a few with doctorates) and everybody respected them.

>>16090695
>Is this for Masters? Phds? Undergrad?
All of the above.
>This would imply that a STEM degree is essentially a coinflip as to whether you make it or not,
It's not a coinflip at all. I can tell you who in your class is going to make it after less than 5 minutes of conversation with your year group. Not 5 min per student, per group. The quiet ones cowering in the corner are ngmi.

You can make it easily and you probably already know what you need to do to make it if you're posting on /sci/.
> literally 50-50 it either happens or it doesn't.
Less, about 60-40 in industrialised countries (according to alumni data for engineerings actually working in STEM*), probably 95-5 in overpopulates shitholes like India.
>Where's the source?
Me. I just posted it.

* btw consulting is a major cope, the entry salaries are some pyramid scheme tier shit.

>>16088678
>But working as what? Where?
As a content creator. On onlyfans. The job is only for female math PhDs though.

>>16090707

>>16090496
>Or just bend over and let strangers creampie you. Hell, you could do that as a guy too!
Now I'm listening.

>>16090711
True story

>>16088678
It's an old as fuck meme, retard. It used to get spammed on every thread on here about 15 years ago.

>>16090711
Literally this what most girls with PhDs ended up doing. Either married rich or OF, but the latter is not making good money like the top 0.1% is.

>>16088678
>But working as what? Where?
LMAO, if you are asking that then forget about it.

>>16088508
He killed himself because he was a mental midget
>I can't find job so i better off myself

>>16090496
The main skill you're supposed to learn when hiring a Masters student is to work only work with people who are useful to you. That is the perfect lesson for you to understand your own position. Want to work at NASA? It's not about being smart, coming from MIT, having good social skills or whatever. All of those things matter, but there is also thousands of other people that have those things. The question is if you are able to contribute something special to some niche CFD problem some engineering manager's group is already working on there in a way that will also advance _their_ careers. Can you convince them to attend your conference talk? In the super rare event of a job posting without a candidate already hired could you explain why you are useful in an interview?

The PhDs I see who fail to find work (or in most cases to even graduate) are those have a sense of goalless entitlement and zero awareness of how careers are actually formed. Most critically they waste time on people/collaborations that are not useful to them.

>>16090501

>>16090728
It's an old meme, but it does occasionally happen. Rentech once hired a math PhD for 300k who did his dissertation on the solution space of futures markets or similar. He was not from Harvard, MIT, Caltech or whatever, he was from some random SEA university you've never even heard of.

How often does that happen though? That's the only quant they hired in the last decade.

>>16090759
This is facebook, no need to post your selfies here.

>>16090759
The Anon you're responding to is absolutely correct though. Faculty with shit social skills do not exist. You are mistaking autistic quirks for poor social skills.

>>16090753
>no, social skills isn't what social skills is
>let me rephrase what you said and pretend I'm saying a different thing
>and here's some word salads too

>>16090765
I am the mirror man.
>>16090768
LMAO

>>16090772
(Low reading comprehension is another sign of low social skills).

Social skills is a prequisite that everyone has: what you actually need is a technical skill that is useful to advancing the career of others.

What part of that sentence is difficult for you to undersand? Getting people interested in your work is less of a social skill (only a prereq) and more of question of if your work is actually interesting. Most people's work is uninteresting.

>>16090781
(You're such a low T pussy you can't help being passive aggressive even on an anonymous forum)
The most important benefit of social skills is knowing how to quickly identify if someone is generic human garbage and not worth interacting with.

>>16090784
>Admits that I'm worth interacting with by responding

You aren't though, guess my posts hit a nerve. I'm sorry nobody cares about your work Anon. Good luck in the wagie grind.

>>16090768
Academia reached the point scammers are gaming the system, nothing but social skills.

>>16090790
There was never a point in history where academia wasn't like that.

>>16090786
Sounds like you were raised by a single mother, lil buddy. Chin up! You'll become a man one day if you work hard enough on your hurt feefees.

>>16090798
>Still responding like a pathetic dog
>The entire post is a projecting

Lmao, dude stop. NTA btw.

>>16090803
Yeah I broke you. You're too stupid for this and you know it.

>>16088508
>Graduate PhD in physics in Bongland
>No STEM jobs because auditors from the managerial class "leaned out" (read: destroyed) the UK's industry for short term profits.
>No quality shitlabour jobs because Torries flooded your country with slave labour third worlders.
>No housing because the captured state used your parents' money to buy up even luxury homes and give it to migrants
>No native culture or safety left because having those things is for nazis.

It's suicide or domestic terrorism, he went with cucked option like the twink he was, simple as.

>>16090807
>he thinks it's only one party's fault
Oh my reddit.

A lot of cope ITT from Anons who are NGMI. The worst part is that even the "lrn2code" cope is gone now that the job market for software devs has been butchered.

Just finally to nut up and start your own companies and stop bitching about ">hurr durr no capital". Almost none of the major companies from the last 50 years had that either.

>>16090808
No, actually I think it's the entirety of the UK's population since WW2's fault.

They still choose to believe the lies and propoganda that putting your own interests first is "nazi"/"racist" or whatever. The fact is the last major war that Britain fought was against its own interests and they are now paying the price for it. Simple as.

All parties in Britain maintain the lies and therefore none of them would have been able to save the country.

because current societies are based on lies. not only that, they will punish you for refusing to cooperate in lying. that level of gaslighting drives some people insane.

>>16090821
Welcome to humanity. It has killed 1 billion people in wars but that's nothing, don't worry about it. Pay your taxes, faggot.

>>16090811
when the working class keeps voting for elite interests, then they deserve what they get

>>16090496
>It's more about basic competence coupled with who you know
Where I live, a party membership card seems to be the most important qualification in many positions. It doesn't help that we are deep in statism and the government (or the party) owns a lot of the listed companies.
>and who you're currently cucking, fucking and sucking in the midst of disgust.
Their summer camps are known to be extended sex orgies.

>>16090807
>>Graduate PhD in physics in Bongland
The degrees are good and the universities are mostly reputable.
>>No STEM jobs because auditors from the managerial class "leaned out" (read: destroyed) the UK's industry for short term profits.
Add to that theat the few jobs you can find have pathetic salary levels. On graduating, you have to leave the UK as soon as you can.

>>16090904
>the universities are mostly reputable.
That was the case in the past. It is no longer the case. The modern UK model based on squeezing Indians and other internationals for every ounce of tuition fees that they can afford to loan means the reputation is now much more akin to a shitty pay2win mobile game.

Hiring managers have long since caught on.

>>16090904
>On graduating, you have to leave the UK as soon as you can.
That's precisely the mistake most people who fall for the notion of "international reputation" or "brand name" make though: in reality there is no such thing. Most companies including big international ones hire locally in each branch. Meaning if there are no close ties of your department to local industry then you are unlikely to find work anywhere. In Britain that industry is gone and essentially only Oxbridge grads with oldboy connections to banks will make good money.

I'm not saying you will not get hired with a British PhD, but your value will very much be judged on a personal level in terms of your actual research output. You will not have an advantage of a candidate that comes out of Brazil or whatever, it will come down to if the papers you published is a useful transferable skillset related to the company's industry or the research done at a particular group in the institute you are applying to etc.

>>16088508
based him. why put up with such an unjust world? he studied for years and was not rewarded as he should have been.

>>16090969
If the world is unjust stop whining and do something about it.

>>16089716
kek.

>>16090615
you can become jealous because you cheat, or because your partner is a fucking whore and you noticed.

should have unironically lrnd to code. He has the intelligence for it and people like this were hired in droves pre and during covid. Of course now the jobs have dried up but this is true for everyone

>>16092333
he did

>>16088508
I finished reading this entire thread and it's entirely cope. I'm an economist and literally if you can't get a job and you're PhD level, start a garbage small business and pick at the million of million of inefficiencies in the world and literally sell your solution. Look at the local language model buzz right now, Nvidia GPU cost a whole kidney, we got people spinning the wheels milking data, we got one dude who created llama.cpp and got whole backing. Literally build shit and sell it and scale up. Money is literally easier than physics because it isn't REAL, if you don't understand this and somehow got a PhD, it's because you went to a degree mill

>>16093391
pajeet motivation tier.

>>16093395
>muh gatekeeping
only retards think money is hard, literally no reason to rope because you can't find a job when you literally have a PhD.

>>16090344
Life itself is a temporary problem.
And with poor rewards to your efforts.
It's all settled at birth.
If you drawn poorly at the birth lottery you may try hard to improve your results, sure, but what you get in return is never worth the work you put into.