Karlsruhe 2024 – scientific programme

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AKjDPG: Arbeitskreis junge DPG

AKjDPG 2: Physicists beyond Academia

AKjDPG 2.1: Invited Talk

Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 19:00–19:25, Geb. 30.22: Lehmann-HS

"I could *Never* work for Industry!" - How life ignores your resolutions. — •Isabel Braun — Vector Academy, Vector Informatik GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany

Working as a scientist is amazing and few things are as satisfying as studying nature to a depth where you are creating new knowledge. Picking physics was the best decision I could make at the time - and so was leaving it eventually. When I left astro-particle physics, I had noticed that conferences and lectures are closer to my heart than writing grant proposals and even coding analysis tools. Hence, I studied the science of teaching, which happened to include business leadership - which turned out not as evil as I had imagined. I tried to leave academia *just a little*, hoping to return to a university for applied sciences after 3 years. Within weeks I realized I never would, because a job *found me* that simply covers those points that I enjoy most (in my case digging into complex topics, search for patterns, explain them as if they were simple and see others master them) - with an unlimited contract, paid travel and a good family income. And you know what? An actual 40h week leaves time for whatever you miss doing! When life happens (and it will), keep those elements of your work that empower you and let go of others. In presenting some of my choices, failures and sheer luck and a cool job (technical trainer) in a wonderful company, I hope to inspire you to master your own career jumping puzzle: hang on to whatever you are struggling with for as long as necessary, and jump off to the next platform if it takes you closer to yourself and who you want to become.