Going to work with an undergraduate physics degree

With an average 40{\%} of all physics baccalaureate degree recipients opting not to enter graduate school, it is imperative that departments build robust programs that prepare students for a broad range of career paths. However, the default focus of many departments is on preparing students for entry into advanced physics degree programs. Based on the statistical evidence and need for attention on students entering the workforce, the American Institute of Physics (AIP) has undertaken an NSF-funded research effort to understand, compile and disseminate effective practices for preparing undergraduate physics students to enter the STEM workforce upon graduation. The project entailed site visits to eight schools with strong records of students entering STEM fields, in order to discern effective practices in recruitment and preparation of students for those opportunities. We have developed targeted information to engage the students themselves, the faculty advisors, mentors and career professionals who have direct contact with the students, and the administrative ``decision-makers.'' Each of these groups requires information that addresses their particular roles in the collaborative process that will lead to not only an increase in the numbers of students who enter the STEM workforce, but in the quality preparation of those students. The tools for each of these groups will be discussed, with special emphasis on a set of career tools for students and their mentors.