This is probably bad advice. Better advice would be to just find a good experiment at a reputable school and latch on. Projects in experimental physics at a go

This is probably bad advice. Better advice would be to just find a good experiment at a reputable school and latch on. Projects in experimental physics at a good state school are typically a great place for access to a machine shop, computing resources, and the possibility for travel, in addition to the departments typically having a lower student to professor ratio compared to the engineering schools. You're also more likely to work for people with a variety of skills.