Launching a Successful Physics Career: Summary Report

1. Launching a Successful Physics Career: Summary Report Beverly Karplus Hartline IUPAP Working Group Member Argonne National Laboratory, USA Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

2. Launching a Successful Physics Career • Topic organizing committee: Beverly Hartline (USA, Chair), Elisa Molinari (Italy), Herwig Schopper (Switzerland), Yosr Gamal (Egypt) • Discussion leaders: B. Hartline, Marilia Caldes (Brazil), Gillian Gehring (UK), Engin Arik (Turkey) • Recorders: Dimitra Darambara (UK), Annalisa Fasolino (Netherlands), Liv Hornekaer (Denmark), Peter Melville (UK) Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

3. Career Phases and Issues • Launching your physics career • Choosing a physics specialty and career path • Setting near-term and long-range goals • Obtaining position/funding; peer review • Gaining reputation and visibility • Finding/making the best mentors and opportunities • Getting and succeeding in important assignments • Assessing progress and adjusting goals • Winning the success and recognition you deserve • Knowing/changing ‘the game;’ rewards and promotions • Preparing to join the power structure Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

4. Alternative Physics Career Paths • Academia: university level, school level; teaching, research, administration • Industry: research, manufacturing, sales, management • Government: research, policy, regulations, politics, management • Others: writing, finance, medicine, law, movies… • Education: Doctorate, lesser degrees Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

5. Some Key Questions • What does a successful physics career look like? • What kinds of choices lead to success? • What are the most important factors that facilitate women’s success in physics? • How can one ensure gender-blind processes, so women get the chances they deserve? • What kinds of barriers are most troublesome and what strategies avoid or overcome them? • How can one find (or make) a great mentor? • How do women make physics better or stronger? Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

6. Three Dimensions of Success • Recognition: advancement, peer respect, publications, citations, job offers, invitations, funding success... • Impact on Society: improvement to country, society, physics, science, world... • Individual/self: fun, independence, life balance, balance between effort & rewards • Importance of different dimensions depends on age, experience, & success Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

7. Important Factors for Launching and Achieving a Successful Career • Passion for physics • Career goals & strategy to achieve them • Choice of university and subfield • Good supervisor(s)/mentor(s): funding, contacts, encouragement, advocacy • Good assignments & progressively responsible positions • Strong recommendations from highly regarded people • Networking: in institution, country, internationally • Resourcefulness, adaptability, persistence, “disaster management” Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

8. Important International Differences • Social-cultural expectations • Size of country and its physics enterprise • Wealth of country: equipment for physics • Amount of concern about women in physics • Developed vs developing nations • Existence and reputation of universities • Quality of schools and girls’ education • Industries doing research & development • Employment opportunities using physics • Availability of computers, even electricity Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

9. Controversial Issues • Affirmative action • Hiring rules and quotas • Prizes specially for women and girls • Potential to undermine progress • Multiple post-doctoral positions • “Volunteering” in research laboratory if unable to obtain a paid position Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

10. Recommendations to IUPAP & UNESCO • Ensure funding opportunities exist for physicists in developing countries • Provide continuing web presence for Women in Physics • Provide web links to funding sources • Establish international speaker program for women (USA/APS model) • Web list of speakers & topics • Funding support for travel • Sponsor prestigious topical summer schools • Request data on women in physics from liaison committees in member countries Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

11. Recommendations to Universities and Employers • Help women learn “rules of the game” for funding and career advancement • Web resources • Transparent processes and criteria for recruitment and promotion • Require committees to explain decisions • Hire women physicists • Put women in leadership positions and on important committees • Support networking • Create R&D opportunities in developing countries • Prevent career damage due to childbearing: pause “career clock,” save position Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career

12. Recommendations to Individuals (=Us) • Decide your career goals & strategy • Have confidence in yourself! • Find/make good supervisor(s)/mentor(s) • Change if not good: you deserve the best! • Seek the best physicists & learn from them • Network with other women to help each other • Promise a lot and deliver more • Ask for what you need • Get famous—write a book,… • Invite at least one person you met here to give a talk or seek a job in your country Topic 2: Launching a Successful Career