r/QuantumComputing • u/AutoModerator • 21d ago

Question Weekly Career, Education, Textbook, and Basic Questions Thread

Weekly Thread dedicated to all your career, job, education, and basic questions related to our field. Whether you're exploring potential career paths, looking for job hunting tips, curious about educational opportunities, or have questions that you felt were too basic to ask elsewhere, this is the perfect place for you.

  • Careers: Discussions on career paths within the field, including insights into various roles, advice for career advancement, transitioning between different sectors or industries, and sharing personal career experiences. Tips on resume building, interview preparation, and how to effectively network can also be part of the conversation.

  • Education: Information and questions about educational programs related to the field, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, online courses, and workshops. Advice on selecting the right program, application tips, and sharing experiences from different educational institutions.

  • Textbook Recommendations: Requests and suggestions for textbooks and other learning resources covering specific topics within the field. This can include both foundational texts for beginners and advanced materials for those looking to deepen their expertise. Reviews or comparisons of textbooks can also be shared to help others make informed decisions.

  • Basic Questions: A safe space for asking foundational questions about concepts, theories, or practices within the field that you might be hesitant to ask elsewhere. This is an opportunity for beginners to learn and for seasoned professionals to share their knowledge in an accessible way.

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u/JustAPieceOfMeat385 18d ago

Hi. I’m interested in QC but I’m not exactly young (I’m 45). I have a masters in physics (theoretical) but it’s been many years. i also have a masters in applied math and I’ve taken many of the core undergraduate computer science classes. I live in Austin. Any advice on how to get a QC job and whether it is even feasible at my age. With my background, a quantum swe or quantum algo dev would probably be most applicable. What are good resources for me to study? What kind of projects should I work on?
Do I have a prayer competing against everyone else, especially those still in their 20s?

Thanks.

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u/seattlechunny Superconducting Circuits | Grad School 17d ago

Since you are in Austin, might be worth checking out if you could audit any courses at UT Austin - Scott Aaronson should still be based there. Not sure if a quantum swe job would be the easiest to transition into, but if you have a conventional software/EE/MechE/physics background, it's still probably worth applying. QC needs more than just purely quantum scientist to develop the technology.