Highlights from a Stanford Physics Career Talk

I recently had the privilege of serving as a panelist for a career talk hosted by the Stanford Physics Department, alongside four other wonderful panelists. It was an enriching experience where we shared valuable insights and advice. Here are some highlights from our discussion.

Q: How do you decide to move to another industry when you have already invested so much in this field?

Focus on what you still want to achieve in your current field. If there are still many things you want to try, it may not be the right time to leave. However, if you feel like you've enjoyed your time but nothing else excites you, it might be time to explore new opportunities.

If you find yourself thinking, "If I spend another year, I can get this title," question whether that title is truly what you desire and if it aligns with what’s important to you. This will help clarify your true goals and whether it's time to move on.

Q: How do you find work-life balance?

Achieving work-life balance in a corporate setting can be challenging. Corporations often care more about the output you deliver than the hours you put in. While they may not explicitly ask you to work long hours, the workload often demands it. Setting boundaries and saying no is important, but it can be tricky.

That being said, there are ways to improve work-life balance:

1. Understand What's Important: Often, tasks assigned to you may not be as critical as they seem. This could be due to a lack of deep thinking about the best solution or because it falls outside the expertise of those assigning the work. Sometimes, only one person really cares about your work, and nobody else notices. Learn the business you're part of and distinguish between important and less important tasks. Focus on solving the truly important problems and suggest solutions that deliver big impact but require less effort. This approach not only saves you time but also demonstrates desirable leadership skills.
2. Manage Your Work Intensity: There will be times when extra effort is required to ensure high-quality results, and there will be times when it's okay to slow down. Recognize these periods and plan your level of effort accordingly. This helps create time for self-care and prevents burnout, even if the level of pressure from work is consistent.

Q: How does studying Physics help you with your career?

There are numerous benefits to studying Physics. Physics graduates typically possess strong problem-solving skills and have the confidence to tackle big challenges. Additionally, others often respect the analytical and rigorous training that comes with a Physics background. However, we also discussed how pure sciences, in general, may not seem immediately 'useful.' You study pure science because it’s fun and interesting to you, not necessarily because it has direct applications. But when you look back later, you'll realize how much you benefited from it in various aspects of your career.

So, focus on what you really want. Do you want a major that helps you reach a certain job, or do you prefer to follow what’s interesting and meaningful to you?

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self or to students?

Don’t worry too much about finding the "right" path. Most likely, any path you choose will turn out to be good. Explore all your curiosities, even those outside your current field. They may lead you to your next path or may not, but collecting those data points about who you are and what you really want is crucial in getting closer to your true dream.