Our graduates are highly sought after by many employers, given their excellent training in problem-solving and numeracy. Almost half are offered jobs that utilise their knowledge of physics, while the rest go onto successful careers in professions including finance and law.
After leaving Bristol, I headed to the United States, for a PhD at Harvard, followed by a postdoc with the Particle Theory group at Fermilab.
In October 2009 I moved back to Europe to work at CERN as a Fellow. My research covers many aspects of physics beyond the standard model, particularly with regard to LHC collider phenomenology. I am currently studying missing energy signatures with an eye to efficiently extracting from them information about unknown particle masses and event topologies.
I found the Physics department at Bristol to be a stimulating and nurturing environment, with lecturers who really cared about us students, and what happened to us after we left. I thoroughly enjoyed my four years there.
I am currently on a graduate scheme with EDF Energy, as an Energy Analyst. The scheme consists of four placements in different areas of the business, in order to gain a well rounded view of the business and to understand the different areas of the complex energy industry.
Studying MSci Physics gave me a good understanding of the technical requirements behind the industry and also gave me the analytical quality desired for this scheme. The support from my tutor and other members of staff helped me make sure I was making the correct career choice and for the right reasons.
Having studied abroad for a year, I have the useful asset of speaking French, which as EDF is a French company, opens up many avenues to working in different areas of the business.
I spent a total of eight years in the Physics Department, first taking a BSc in Physics with Astrophysics with a Year of Industrial Experience (at QinetiQ, Malvern).
The year in industry really helped to convince me that an academic or industrial career would be exciting and challenging and spurred me on to undertake a PhD in the department, with research focussing on the physics of extremely low frequency magnetic fields.
I am now a Principal Radiation Protection Scientist at the Health Protection Agency in Chilton, where my research is focussed on statistical methods of modelling and assessing the effects of ionising radiation on DNA.
I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute of my time at Bristol. Your university years really shape the person that you are, and I truly believe that my successes to date have principally been down to the combination of the first class research and study environment provided by the Physics Department, and the huge range of clubs and societies, offering opportunities for personal and social development, that I was able to take advantage of during my time there. Thank you Bristol!
My PhD centred on understanding electrodeposited ultrathin films; especially how halide additives affect their surface morphology. I used a combination of optical and scanning probe microscopy techniques.
After graduation I returned to Shanghai to start my new career in one of the top local asset management companies focussing on financial engineering. Three years later I now work in a state-owned private equity firm.
A PhD degree from Bristol puts me in a very competitive position in the job market, but more importantly the study experience uplifted me, letting me see things from different angles. It also taught me how to do in-depth research. These are critical skills for my career in finance.
I work as a patent attorney, which involves interacting with inventors, foreign attorneys representing inventors around the world and with Patent Offices to help companies and inventors protect their inventions.
I do this by working with clients, writing to Patent Offices and drafting patent applications. My MSci at Bristol helped me get my job by boosting my problem solving skills and enabling me to communicate effectively in technical matters.
The courses I took on my degree and the research I saw in the School of Physics gave me the technical knowledge I need every day to be able to understand how the inventions that I see work.
Bristol Physics graduates have an excellent track record of employment, proving that the transferable skills gained during a Physics degree are rated highly by employers. A significant number of our graduates continue their studies for a postgraduate degree before pursuing a career in research or teaching.
