[Desi & Amber]

Can anyone advise on companies that employ theoretical physicists. I've applied for a lectureship at Massey and a research science position at IRL and have reached a sticking point. I've been told I'll be phoned in due course but I will be flying over to NZ in July to seek work. I'm hoping to contact as many employers as possible before I arrive and hope to be lucky. I'm actually a theoretical physicist so I can apply for mathematical modelling too. The recruiters keep telling me I fit specs for jobs but because I'm not in NZ they won't interview me!!!

Thanks for any help

Desi & Amber

[Chiba]

Radical idea - the movie industry? All those 3D models have to be dreamt up by somebody.

[jdbob]

I was thinking GNS Science (http://www.gns.cri.nz/news/vacancies/index.html) but it doesn't look like they have anything right now that would be good for theoretical physicists.

[anna_c]

Can anyone advise on companies that employ theoretical physicists. I've applied for a lectureship at Massey and a research science position at IRL and have reached a sticking point. I've been told I'll be phoned in due course but I will be flying over to NZ in July to seek work. I'm hoping to contact as many employers as possible before I arrive and hope to be lucky. I'm actually a theoretical physicist so I can apply for mathematical modelling too. The recruiters keep telling me I fit specs for jobs but because I'm not in NZ they won't interview me!!!

Thanks for any help

Desi & Amber

I don't know much about the subject, but when my ex was a postgrad student in this area, there were companies that had arrangements for students to work with them and conduct research... erm, I don't know the terms. So maybe you could ask the relevant departments, at unis you're not going to be applying for, obviously.

[CjChris]

I'm no help, but I can't resist saying that you must have a brain the size of a planet!!! :clap

Theoretical physicist!!! That deserves a banana! :raebanana

Good luck finding something!

[MattA]

Well.....if you have a masters you can go in as a university lecturer, which is a shortage area. A very well qualified mate of mine with an MBA was rejected as an IT specialist (of which he has years of experience) and NZIS regraded him as a uni lecturer even though he's never taught a class (go figure).

[Desi & Amber]

Thanks for the advice. I've applied for a position at GNS but being such a specialist makes finding a position harder, so 'having a brain the size of a planet' isn't a good thing! The University of Auckland has been very helpful and I shall be meeting a prof there.

Contacting employers directly I believe is the way to go

[renew]

Hiya,
just wondered how your job hunting was going as I am an experimental physicst. My current plan is to get PR and then go over to NZ. Though i am now busy getting paperwork back to secondary school for the damn NZQA

cheers

[Desi & Amber]

Job hunting isn't great.

I had one company whose HR lady contacted me to let me know I was to be phoned with respect to a research position. Nothing happened, so I contacted the company who apologised, but apparently I had fallen through the cracks as the lady in questioned had left and I suddenly didn't exist! Universities don't seem to answer in NZ but Australian ones do and get back to you.

Still more positions have appeared so I'm still plugging away with applications and get about a 50% acknowledgement from NZ.

So much for being on the skills shortage list!

Good luck with your application

[renew]

which category did they put you in for EOI/ITA purposes? and did you manage to get any bonus points for work experience.

I have found it odd the way i sometimes get replies and others where i get nothing. I applied for a few at one Wellington research lab and first coouple were acknowledged but the last couple not a word.

cheers

[speckythecky]

I have found it odd the way i sometimes get replies and others where i get nothing. I applied for a few at one Wellington research lab and first coouple were acknowledged but the last couple not a word.

cheers

I think this is the same in most industries. If you are not in NZ they don't want to know and don't bother responding, or if they do reply it is to say they will meet you when you get to NZ.

This doesn't help when you need a job offer for a work permit.

[srivett]

I grew up with an atmospheric physicist for a dad, so I feel I should be able to contribute something. Can you give a little more detail about your skills? There are at least a few independent research organisations in NZ that show up on a google search, but I'm not sure how suitable they'd be, or how adaptable your specialty is. I know NZ - on an academic level anyway - is trying to become a leader in sustainable development, so many of the research organisations I'm seeing online are based around that sector. Any research you could contribute on that front would probably get you favourable reactions from immigration. A few companies I've found anyway (if you aren't aware of them already), in case they're helpful:

http://www.cawthron.org.nz/
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/
http://www.agresearch.co.nz/
http://www.scionresearch.com/
www.branz.co.nz/
http://www.irl.cri.nz/
http://www.niwa.cri.nz/flash/

As for other industries, I'm drawing a blank, I'm afraid. But good luck, and I hope you find something suitable!

[Desi & Amber]

Thanks for the suggested sites. There are a couple which I haven't spotted and will check out. My PhD and research work is in modelling and theory of microcavity semiconductor lasers. My maths and modelling skills are very adaptable for research and industry.

I have been put in the University lecturer class and because I have 6 years plus research work experience get bonus points. I have been lucky to be invited to give a seminar by an industrial research lab on my work. Now I'm not sure, if they offer me a placement how that affects my classification as a Uni lecturer.

[renew]

hi,
I am also in the lecturer category now. I too have been working on semiconductors for roughly the same length of time, in my case on photovoltaics but experimentally rather than theoretically. Small world and all. Hey maybe we can start our own research group out there lol!

I am currently struggling to get the paper work together for the ITA. Still cant see why they need all the way back to secondary but what can you do...

good luck