Freshman FAQ - Considering Majoring in Physics?

(A Dummies Guide to Choosing a Science Major)

About us

Frequently Asked Questions

A Student's Perspective

Research in the Physics Department

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Career Center

People to Talk To

 

Contact:
Prof. Connie B. Roth
cbroth @ emory.edu

Emory's Career Center: 

Our first general visit to the career center focused on "broadening and narrowing our career paths".  Paul Fowler said that as freshmen, we should gain some knowledge about different careers and industries so that we could either decide whether it would be something that we would do or something that we would never do (hence, the broadening and narrowing of career paths).  Some sites are listed below:

Emory Career Center:   http://career.emory.edu/
  - Wetfeet and Vault give you some idea about careers and industry.
  - Eagle Ops gives you a search engine for relevant job and internship opportunities.

Physics:   http://career.emory.edu/students/WCIDWAMI.html

Job Search:   http://career.emory.edu/students/job_search_links.html

Sample Resumes and Career Info:   http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/mcs/www/

Occupational Outlook Handbook:   http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos052.html

Undergraduate Research:   http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.cfm?unitid=69

Pre-med:   http://career.emory.edu/students/further_my_education.html

We also discussed motivational factors of doing well in college.  Paul Fowler says that our college education is basically a "means-to-an-end" (a path towards a career).  It is great to be learning to learn, but eventually, the curriculum gets more difficult, which often leads to less fun to learn.  We need to be sure that we want to be in a career that suits both our "passions and abilities".  By gaining knowledge about our possible career paths, we can determine whether or not we are passionate about the field, but what about our strengths?

Our natural abilities in terms of fitting into the environments of our possible career can be measured by several tests.  Paul Fowler assigned us to take the Strong Inventory, which is a comprehensive evaluation of your likes and abilities that will conclude in determining how you fit into any number of the six defined traits.  Those traits can then be analyzed to determine a suitable work environment for the individual.  Of course this test is not the ultimate answer to our quest for a career path, but it can give us some idea of where our strengths and passions may be sucessful.

It is also important to network early with your potential sponsors or careers.  The career events are posted on the Career Center's main website.  The Career Center is also on facebook.
 

Contact:

Dr. Paul Fowler  (Executive Director for Emory's Career Center, Physics contact)
http://www.career.emory.edu/about/fowler.html