right now i'm in finance as like banking numbercrunching software support - banks and investment places email me when their numbers stop looking good to bitch about how our software is making them poorer (half the time its not, they're just either mathematically illiterate finance bros or they're trying to do something that breaks regulation and getting upset that it won't do crime). this is my first ever job and it just annoys me lmao, so i'm out.

my degree was physics, and finance places love that for maths/technology/problem solving skills, but also most real practical science requires all sorts of people - engineers, chemists, robotics ppl, programmers, even fucking lawyers - so something that isn't technically a physics role, like enviromental engineering, will still 10000% hire you if you fit. really, they just want specific skills, not specific knowledge. the first part of my phd programme literally involves some regular taught lectures like its an undergrad or something, because no one expects you to know everything about what you're doing right off the bat, they want ability and willingness to learn. if you're interested in something but don't feel like you fit the bill for whatever reason, absolutely talk to them - alternate ways to get involved in phds/masters/research are 100% a thing. if your original degree is in STEM you can absolutely pursue enviromental science. get in touch with unis you're interested and talk to that department, each one is different, but they will all definitely have one or two students from non-typical paths

(you can also probably do it without a stem degree, but idk about that myself personally)

hell, my finance bullshit was apparently part of the reason they wanted me - not bc of the SQL and programming and stuff, but because i have demonstrated that i can write emails and be polite and just generally be a functional person in a proffesional enviroment, which your average just-graduated student hasn't (tbh i haven't proved that either lmao, i openly suck at my job, but i didn't give them my manager's info to ask)

idk, i'm not an expert but generally this just proved to me that its way less scary and rigid than i thought. 10000% go for it comrade, good luck <3

We really know how to value things

That was the original plan, and I got some pretty cool gigs... til I realized most jobs suck ass unless i'm in AuDHD hyperfocus mode, so research/scholarship was the only way forward.

Here's to finding better places for us that don't suck our souls!