I did a PhD in condensed matter, finishing in late 2014. I'm now working as a SWE at a quantum computing startup, focusing on internal manufacturing and test data. My graduate experience is very useful for this position, even though I'm not doing much physics directly.
I absolutely don't regret getting a PhD -- I went to a well-run program, had a great advisor, and met tons of awesome people. I also don't regret leaving academia. I enjoy the "working on hard problems" bit a lot more than the "unlocking secrets of the universe" part.
I did a PhD in condensed matter, finishing in late 2014. I'm now working as a SWE at a quantum computing startup, focusing on internal manufacturing and test data. My graduate experience is very useful for this position, even though I'm not doing much physics directly.
I absolutely don't regret getting a PhD -- I went to a well-run program, had a great advisor, and met tons of awesome people. I also don't regret leaving academia. I enjoy the "working on hard problems" bit a lot more than the "unlocking secrets of the universe" part.