How/where to gain experience with physics uni equipment?

C

CDMK

Hello, would anyone know how/where one might gain experience using undergrad physics lab equipment?

I'm a physics technician in a sixth form college, but I'm wanting to change jobs to being a physics technician at a university. I've had a few interviews at various universities, but they've all said 'no,' stating that I don't have the necessary familiarity and experience with undergrad physics lab equipment.

Many thanks!
 
If you've had recent interviews it's generally cool to go back to them and ask for some feedback on precisely which bits of kit etc, if you don't already know. e.g. were they talking about electron microscopes, hard vacuums, cryogenics etc, or just undergrad stuff like oscilloscopes and data loggers, but posher?

Definitely worth trying to contact local uni physics techs directly for a quick tour and a chat, there's always a chance they'd let you shadow them with a few bits of kit if the workplace allows it.
 
If you want a technical job in a university I'd consider applying for jobs in other departments that will suit you in terms of pay and conditions, once in you will may find it easier to move to another role within the university when one becomes available. It may well be the case for some posts there is already an internal candidate who will get the job and the advert has been posted to meet the obligations to do so.
 
Look at some physics undergrad text books to get a feel of what students might encounter as practicals

Look online to do the same, also some lecturers/department publish their teaching material online

Be bold, drop into your local uni and ask or find their emails - they might be on the uni's website as a named person or department, or phone their switchboard for a lead.

If you have some time available, offer at the local uni to help to be a spare pair of hands in return for some introduction to the role.you are seeking.

Many university technicians offer advanced support to departments, the undergrad labs less so and are more likely to be the natural stepping stone if you already support A level physics. Also, if you do support A level physics, have you tried them out as practical experience?
 
I am in fact a university physics tech - who works in the 'teaching labs'

I am surprised that they have said you 'lack the experience with university equipment'. Since the equipment we use is no different to what is used in a school/college ( in my opinion).
There is the odd experiment we do that is not done in schools/colleges and I am still learning how to use them myself. It helps that a lot of what we do is 'based' on what the university is working on so I have 'specialists' to refer too. However as long as you are aware of the physics/basics of how the experiment and equipment works you will be fine. All the experiments are still building on what a student should have done before university.
 
Mr.Rye:Physics said:
I am in fact a university physics tech - who works in the 'teaching labs'

I am surprised that they have said you 'lack the experience with university equipment'. Since the equipment we use is no different to what is used in a school/college ( in my opinion).
There is the odd experiment we do that is not done in schools/colleges and I am still learning how to use them myself. It helps that a lot of what we do is 'based' on what the university is working on so I have 'specialists' to refer too. However as long as you are aware of the physics/basics of how the experiment and equipment works you will be fine. All the experiments are still building on what a student should have done before university.
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I had the same thought. I started off working in the Physics undergraduate teaching labs. Oscilloscopes, signal generators, d.c. power supplies, ammeters, voltmeters, lasers,etc. We had a simple vacuum system that we expected the students to work out how to use with very little teaching, and that was probably the most complicated piece of kit for the undergrads.

Paul said:
I think they belong to biology, they did at my uni.
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I used an electron microscope in the Physics department to look at the surface of different materials.
 
I looked at Physics World and saw a junior technician role for Northeastern University, London - is an American based uni, by the looks of it. It might be in the wrong area for you, but it does show that not all roles are looking for prior experience with uni equipment and other skills such as organisation, health and safety are important requirements. So maybe look at the role and think do you meet the other types of requirements, try to get a feel of how you can meet your next interview.

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karen b said:
I used an electron microscope in the Physics department to look at the surface of different materials.
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it was a final year option on my applied biology course, should have done that as one of the two instead of being sold plant physiology.
 
Thank you all for the advice, I've been despairing about this recently.
The last uni I was interviewed at offered feedback, which I asked for and specified how I might go about getting the necessary experience, but they haven't gotten back to me. During the interview they had me do a "technical test" where I had to do some troubleshooting with a circuit on a breadboard and an optical bench setup (neither of which I have used that much in the past - my degree is in theoretical physics).

I'll get in contact with my two local unis and I'll look into the junior technician role at Northeastern University in London (I'm looking at universities across the UK and Ireland).

I should have specified in my initial post that my role is as a 'Technician and Instructor' so part of my role is to help out during practicals, supporting students by answering questions and troubleshooting.
 
CDMK said:
I should have specified in my initial post that my role is as a 'Technician and Instructor' so part of my role is to help out during practicals, supporting students by answering questions and troubleshooting.
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I went for a role like that a couple of years ago. They wanted an ability to help the student trouble shoot the experiment. The example I was tested on was helping a student with a charge and discharge of a capacitor experiment that wasn’t getting reading on one of the meters. I couldn’t just remake the circuit, I had to guide them into spotting what they needed to change.
 
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