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Physical Science

Research careers and find opportunities in physical sciences, including careers in maths, chemistry and astronomy.

About

There's an extensive range of careers in physical sciences. From astronomy to materials, meteorology and analytical chemistry.

Prospects have created an overview of the science and pharmaceutical sector. It covers the main graduate sectors and employers.

Salaries

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position, but are generally high. For physicists, for example, the average starting salary is £28,000.

To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources: 

 

Read about how to negotiate a salary

Roles and skills

The range of companies and sectors you can work in is huge and can suit graduates with a variety of skills. You can find roles in areas from academic research and healthcare science, to research and development and product development.

Job profiles

Have a look at Prospects and targetjobs to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:

Chemistry

Geosciences, meteorology and oceanography

For Geographical Information Systems Officer information, see Civil Engineering, Geomatics and Construction

Materials

Physics

Technical and research science

For data analyst and scientist information, see Technology and data

Skills employers look for
  • a high level of technical knowledge and computing ability
  • an analytical and investigative mind and the ability to organise and carry out research
  • attention to detail and a logical and methodical approach to problem-solving
  • the ability to prioritise tasks, meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision
  • flexibility and the ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams
  • strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate scientific information to non-experts
  • you may also need good practical laboratory skills and an awareness of health and safety requirements

Be inspired

 It’s not always easy to know which roles to apply for. The resources in this section can help you find inspiration from previous students and know where to get further support.

Inspiration from people working in the industry
  • browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed 
  • use LinkedIn’s Alumni tool to find out what Newcastle graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Newcastle Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on Getting inspiration from others [3:13] 
  • attend alumni events, such as Newcastle Develop, to hear directly from our graduates 
  • sign up for mentoring support with Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project. These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting 
  • attend events including recruitment events and  employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions
Online reviews

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.  

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process: 

Not sure what you want to do?

If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.

Explore career planning advice
Making career choices
Exploring your options

Sector and industry insights

Researching the industry is essential, whether it’s to: 

  • help you decide which area to work in 
  • identify who to apply to 
  • tailor your application 
  • impress an interviewer with your knowledge of the sector 

Here are some resources to help you get started.

Career guides

Sector career guides include:  

Options with your subject:

Prospects: What can I do with my degree? gives an overview of career options, work experience advice, typical employers and the skills gained from your degree. See:

Royal Society of Biology's options after a bioscience degree includes advice on job-seeking strategies and how to evidence your skills in applications.

Industry news

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews. 

Examples include: 

Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry. 

See professional bodies below for ideas about the events in different physical science industries.

See also our events page for recruitment events and employer and sector insights.

Student societies

Join science-specific student societies supported by Newcastle University Students' Union. These include:

These societies often have guest lectures and discussions. MedTech for example, runs an innovation competition for students with a passion for research, development and medical product design.

Social media

Use social media to find industry insights 

Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate. 

Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Professional bodies

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network  

Professional bodies often: 

  • run networking events  
  • have specialist groups you could join 
  • post vacancies on behalf of their members 
  • have member directories, useful for speculative applications 

Key organisations

Chemistry

Geosciences, meteorology and oceanography

Materials

Physics and maths

Research councils and research centres

Finding professional bodies worldwide 

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide. 

Guide to finding opportunities

Many large recruiters advertise summer internships, year-long placements and graduate training programmes in physical science.

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.  

  • search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below 
  • look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities. Use Researching Employers to help you gain insights into companies 
  • attend events such as recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights  
  • contact employers speculatively – see non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs to help you find organisations to approach 
  • follow companies on social media for latest news and updates 
  • consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs 
  • register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners 
  • ask family and friends if they have any useful contacts who may be able to offer you work experience 
  • consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills 
  • create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance 

Advertised work experience

Placements and summer internships are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some companies will also consider first and final year students.

When to apply

Apply for advertised opportunities as early as possible.  

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as October or November. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled. 

Research summer scholarships are often advertised from November to February.

Search for internships and placement years

Use our resources to get started: 

Search the following sites for work experience and internships in industry:

NCL internships

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage

  • Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box. 
  • You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.
Worldwide experience

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:  

  • additional vacancy websites  
  • CV, application and interview advice   
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world.

Other sites include:

  • RISE Germany – summer research internships at German universities for second year undergraduates
  • Internships | SIAM - society of applied mathematics, offers internships with global companies
Looking for ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.

Advertised graduate opportunities

When to apply

The resources in this section advertise both graduate jobs and graduate schemes. See our graduate jobs page to understand the difference between them. 

For graduate schemes, apply as early as possible.  

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled. 

Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies. 

Vacancy sites

Use our resources to get started: 

  • MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts  
  • Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites
Physical science vacancy sites
Sector specific vacancy sites

Chemistry

Geosciences, meteorology and oceanography

For Geographical information systems officer information, see Civil Engineering, Geomatics and Construction

Physics and maths

Worldwide vacancies

See International jobs for details of overseas vacancy sites. 

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:  

  • additional vacancy websites  
  • CV, application and interview advice   
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world 

International vacancy sites

Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs

Not all internships, placements [change to work experience if placements/internships not appropriate] and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through: 

A speculative approach is common for finding work experience and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available. 

How to access hidden opportunities

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities: 

  1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in. 
  2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company. 
  3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated. 
  4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying! 
When to contact organisations

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you: 

  • start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts 
  • contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin
How to find organisations
  • find organisations on MyCareer. Select ‘search' then 'organisations’ 
  • use the business directories and databases on our Researching employers page 
  • search for companies on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working 
  • browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed 

North East organisations

 UK organisations 

Worldwide organisations

Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world.

Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs in the physical sciences. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.  

Specialist agencies include: 

 

Finding overseas recruitment agencies  

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:  

  • staffing agencies and temporary help firms  
  • executive recruiters and search firms  

Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.  

Find more recruitment agencies

Other ways to gain relevant experience

We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience. 

Awards and prizes

General awards
Astronomy
Chemistry
Maths

Work for yourself

Working as self-employed or freelance is common in the physical science sector. 

Include sector specific information about self-employment/work for yourself: 

Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help: 

  • support with idea generation 
  • provide tailored advice 
  • help you develop your skills 
  • introduce you to like-minded peers 
  • refer you to further support from mentors 
  • award grant funding up to £3,000 
Find out about START UP

Related sectors

Our occupational guides can help you explore and consider your options. If you’re interested in physical sciences you may also be interested in:

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