What jobs did you have in University?
I worked as a research assistant at the university at which I was studying.
What jobs or career path did your professors suggest?
Mostly, academics. One exception suggested financial modeling, since that was a draw when he was coming out with his PhD, but that now has its own certifications.
What jobs did your Master's classmates get?
They all continued their education in one way or another.
What jobs did your university job placement office suggest?
At both universities, I got blank stares. They had _NO_ idea what to do with me, and suggested I talk to my professors. Who like to pretend there is no world outside the ivory tower.
What employers came on campus to recruit you and your classmates?
None. They came to recruit engineering students, not astrophysicsts. At campus job fairs (I've gone every year) whenever they asked my major I would be met with a "WTF are you talking to me for?" look and they'd quickly end the conversation. The only exceptions were the Canadian Forces before the post-Afganistan drawdown (I'd have qualified for combat engineer or naval weapons officer), and the national intelligence agency.
Yes there is a glut of teachers in Ontario but there is always a need for science teachers. If you have no other alternatives, go to teacher's college and supply teach. If there are no full time jobs do this and find another part-time job in your field. If you ever need to follow your significant other to an other city your skills are portable and you will be able to get another supply teaching position or perhaps something else in your field.
School boards now are starting to create wait lists for supply and occasional teaching, according to relatives I have in the profession (all of whom are unanimous in their advice to stay the hell away-- only non-teachers seem to think it's a good option).
If nothing is available go to your local College and find out what programs that interest you have high employment
ratios for their graduates. All statistics are readily available from the College.
A Physics BSc has a very high employment ratio; that fooled me. It turns out they can and do count grad school as employment. McDonalds, too.
College tuition is a quarter of what you would pay for a doctorate.
In Canada universities are required to provide some level of minimum funding (usually ~20k) for full-time doctoral students, mostly through teaching assistantships; I am not paying for my doctorate, except opportunity costs.
My note to every student:
They will lie to you. Your teachers and guidance councilors will lie out of ignorance, because they think an impressive-sounding major is sure to be in demand, and because they're dumb enough to trust university recruitment materials. Universities and colleges willfully distort the truth to increase enrollment-- if they don't flat out lie. Professional associations will lie to get new dues-paying members. Trust nothing but what you see in demand on Monster.com and pray the economy is similar when you finish. Never take a major that doesn't offer a co-op program-- if they don't have co-op, it's because they can't find jobs to run it. And for the love of all things that grow bushy on the upper lip, don't go into debt for beer money.
(At least that last one doesn't come from personal experience.)