A physics degree can lead well beyond the laboratory. Tania Kendrick, who studied physics at the University of Bristol in the UK, now works full-time in the Cabinet Office on relations between the UK and the European Union, after joining the Civil Service fast-stream development programme and completing postings at the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Cabinet Office.
Kendrick says the skills she draws on every day are not exotic technical ones but the habits of mind that physics training builds. Communication tops the list. A large part of her job involves taking complex and detailed information, understanding what matters most, and conveying it clearly and concisely to different audiences. That can mean briefing senior colleagues and ministers, distilling a mass of material into the key points they need to make a decision, or producing guidance and written products that must be clear and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders. Adapting how she communicates depending on the audience, and doing it quickly while making sure the key messages land, is vital.
Analytical skills are the other constant. Although a physics degree and a career in policy may not seem to have an obvious connection, Kendrick says she constantly uses the critical analysis she developed at university. She has to look at complex information and evidence, identify the key issues, and consider how different factors should feed into decision-making. Recommendations and advice then need to be grounded in evidence while accounting for different perspectives, potential risks, and the wider context. Being able to analyse information critically and use it to support informed, evidence-based decisions is, in her words, crucial.
What she likes best about the Civil Service is the constant learning. Policy covers a wide range of issues, and she enjoys the challenge of getting to grips with a new topic, understanding how it works, and gradually seeing the bigger picture. There is, she says, something really satisfying about the moment when everything starts to click and you understand why something is done in a particular way, or realise there are considerations you would never have thought about when you started. No two days are exactly the same.
The hardest part, which she is still getting to grips with, is finding time to properly switch off. Policy development can take time, and it is easy to find yourself thinking about a problem outside work, whether trying to devise a potential solution or wondering if there is a better way to frame something. She says it is important to build routines that help you disconnect, and for her that means setting clear boundaries, exercising straight after work, particularly running and playing hockey, and making time to catch up with friends.
Her advice to those starting out is not to worry so much about having everything figured out. She focused too much on trying to work out her exact dream physics job, but looking back she realises she did not necessarily need a clear plan. As a teacher once told her, studying physics opens so many doors, developing skills that can take you into a wide range of careers from finance and technology to consulting and, of course, the Civil Service. Her message to others is that you do not need to know exactly what you want to do straight away. Try things, get some work experience, speak to people in different careers, and be open to opportunities you might not have considered.
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