First, read this excellent December 2024 primer from Barron's "...How to Pretend You Understand Quantum Computing."
Next read, comprehend, internalize and manifest into reality this article from IEEE Spectrum, October 28:
How to Land a Job in Quantum Computing
Break into the field with these five tips
Quantum computing has long held promise as the next era in information processing, with applications in drug discovery, finance, and encryption. But it’s only in recent years that the technology has edged closer to commercial viability. With that, a new demand has emerged in the job market: engineers capable of designing, building, and maintaining the next generation of supercomputers.
As big tech firms, governments, and investors pour money into building scalable quantum machines, jobs in the now-niche sector are expected to grow. Market data from The Quantum Insider suggests that 250,000 quantum computing jobs globally will need to be filled by 2030. In the United States alone, job postings looking for quantum skills tripled from 2011 to mid-2024, and many of these openings were for engineers, according to a report from the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy.
“The demand for quantum engineering roles has only just begun,” Giancarlo Hirsch, managing director of Glocomms, a talent firm that hires for quantum roles, told IEEE Spectrum. “Everyone in the quantum ecosystem—from recruiters to contractors to suppliers—feels the urgency and pressure to accelerate these projects.”
But how do you break into the industry? Engineers and recruiters say you don’t need a degree specifically in quantum physics to work in the sector. Rather, quantum companies are recruiting from fields spanning electrical engineering, AI, and semiconductors.
1. Start Early, and Reverse-Engineer Your Career Path
Although quantum computing companies recruit from a range of disciplines, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the different types of jobs in the field so you can build the right skills early. Before diving in, aspiring candidates should “reverse engineer” their career pathways into the kind of role they want and identify the necessary skills needed, according to John Barnes, founder of the quantum talent agency Entangled Positions.
“You need to first of all ask yourself, ‘What do you want to do? What are you driven by? What are your goals and aspirations?’ ” Barnes says. Then work backwards.
For a role in quantum hardware, for example, you might need to master laser cooling techniques or gain lab experience with cryogenic systems. Software positions might involve learning Python or Matlab for control libraries and C++ or Rust for low-level programming. Regardless of your chosen path, specificity helps tailor your learning journey.
2. Consider Getting a Ph.D.....
....MUCH MORE
So far, easy peasy.
