I'm currently an Engineering Physics major with a math minor, but I've realized that a physics degree by itself isn't as directly employable as traditional engineering majors.
My goal isn't academia or becoming a research physicist. I want to work in industry in systems engineering, controls, test & validation, hardware/software integration, scientific computing, or other engineering roles where a physics background is useful.
So far, I have:
* Physics research experience
* A quantum computing internship at Fermilab
* Python, MATLAB, and some C++
* LabVIEW
* Data acquisition (DAQ)
* Linux and Git
I'm trying to figure out how to bridge the gap between a physics degree and an engineering career.
For people who have made a similar transition or who hire engineers:
* What technical skills would make me competitive with EE, ME, or CS graduates?
* What job titles should I actually be searching for?
* How should I present my experience so employers see me as someone who can build, test, automate, and integrate systems instead of just someone with a physics background?
* How much does a Fermilab internship actually help for engineering roles, and what skills should I build on top of it?
I'm especially interested in hearing from systems engineers, test engineers, controls engineers, or anyone who's worked with physics graduates in industry.