There are plenty of opportunities for physics majors outside of research and academia. To get a better idea of such opportunities, students can explore the “What Can I Do With This Major?” resource available to Rice students through Handshake. To access this resource, log into Handshake (or create an account) and go to Resources under Career Center. Another great resource found in Resources under Career Center is “Vault”. In particular, go to Research Industries or Explore Careers under Career Advice in “Vault” to read about different job descriptions. Finally, to learn where students from Rice have gone after graduating, visit the Student Achievement website that compiles and presents all the data from seniors who filled out the Senior Exit Survey after they graduate. 

Below, we have included advice from individuals at Rice’s Center for Career Development (CCD) and individuals from the Jones Graduate School of Business directed towards physics majors.

Center for Career Development:

The many opportunities for physics majors that are interested in careers outside of research and academia are made accessible through the CCD. For students interested in such opportunities, the CCD recommends the following:

• Schedule a one-on-one meeting with a career counselor. Detailed information for how to schedule an appointment can be found on the CCD website’s Career Counseling page. Note that the CCD welcomes one-on-one appointments with students who have little or no direction! Career counselors will guide the conversation and help students explore different career paths and the many resources that the CCD makes available to Rice students. 
• Keep an eye out for different CCD workshops and recruiting events on CCD website’s Events page. The CCD hosts a variety of workshops, ranging from resume workshops to Career Expo preparation workshops. 
• Attend the Career Expo. The Career Expo is a great chance to meet recruiters from different companies, many of whom are seeking students from all majors. There are often misconceptions about how the Career Expo is not valuable for underclassmen or for individuals intending to go to graduate school. These are addressed in this Thresher article written by the director of the CCD. 
• For underclassmen who are seeking broad exposure to different careers, the CCD recommends applying for an externship. These externships are a short (multi-day) opportunity to job shadow a Rice alumnus. 
• Look at the Career Planning Timelines on the CCD website’s Guides & Presentations page. These provide goals and suggestions for students in every year that are meant to guide students on their career paths. 
• Network! Sallyportal is a networking tool specific to the Rice community and brings together students who are seeking jobs or mentorship with alumni and others who are willing to connect with Rice students. Sallyportal can be viewed as LinkedIn just for the Rice community. Also, many professors at Rice have experience outside of research and academia and maintain close industry relationships and collaborations. Therefore, getting to know your professors and asking them about these experiences is also valuable.

Most importantly, if you are interested in opportunities outside of research and academia, schedule an appointment with a career counselor. They will help you navigate all of the resources mentioned above. 

Jones Graduate School of Business:

Opportunities for physics majors outside of research and academia also include entrepreneurship/startups. Students interested in such a career path should consider the business minor, which is accessible to students from any major. Furthermore, courses such as:

• BUSI 221: New Enterprises
• BUSI 223: Business and Financial Modeling for Entrepreneurs
• BUSI 463: Foundations of Entrepreneurship: Strategy and Funding
• BUSI 464: Social Entrepreneurship 
• BUSI 465: Foundations of Entrepreneurship: Toolkit

all emphasize entrepreneurship. All of these courses are available to any degree-seeking Rice students who meet enrollment requirements (such as prerequisites in statistics or microeconomics), not just to students who have declared the BUSI minor. 

Students interested in getting involved with entrepreneurship on campus should also consider working with OwlSpark, which is Rice’s startup accelerator. Another great opportunity is the Rice Business Plan Competition, which is an extremely well known startup competition. This competition is accessible to undergraduate teams as long as one member is a graduate student. Other than competing, students are also able to work at the event, where they can network and listen to investor pitches.