skip to content

Department of Physics

Educational Outreach
 

Work experience at the Cavendish Laboratory is not available in research groups

Other Options

The Cambridge-based Isaac Physics programme hosts a student mentoring scheme and in-person taster days. To inquire about these opportunities please contact contactus@isaacphysics.org. Those interested in practical science should look to dedicated programmes, such as the STFC Work Experience Programme.

Why do we not offer research placements?

Having a part-time job or doing some general work experience (shop, café, library, workshop, garage, …),  if approached in the right way, is really valuable to gaining skills such as how to work in a team, working with people, communication, organisation, self-motivation.

However, there are many misconceptions about work experience at somewhere like the Cavendish Laboratory and students aspiring to STEM at university feel under pressure to do work experience.  I have been involved in admissions at Cambridge for a number of years and want to reassure students that work experience is really not necessary, super-curricular activities like summer schools, competitions, after-school clubs, Isaac Physics are better.

Cavendish Outreach offers many different programmes for students aged 11-19 which are tailored to their age and experience and look more impressive in a personal statement than work experience.  For example, if students instead spend a week solving level 4 and 5 Isaac Physics problems they would be far better placed for university interviews and applications than a week of work experience.

Our outreach events mean that we can give opportunities to many thousands of students rather than just a handful (which is the case for work experience).  Arranging just 15 places of work experience is organisationally more intensive than arranging 3 days of Physics at Work for 2200 students.

I hope that we will see you soon at one of our future events.

 

 

Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright, Director of Studies (Physics), Churchill College and Director of Isaac Physics