Reasonable careers for Math Major

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What level of college/program? What minor? What electives? What personal skilled interests/hobbies?

Undergrad in pure math is a professionally useless liberal art degree. It's a gateway to science and technology like History is for law school applications. It's a general foundational education, not vocational. It's an enhancer to your other skills, not a skill in itself.
You need to combine it with something.

Entry level jobs include actuary, auditor, something in data analysis, teacher in a district desperate for staff.
If you have a secondary interest, more options open.

you people are utterly clueless, this is why you don’t get your advice from the bone heads of DCUM.

This is a pretty reasonable response actually. The people who go from math degree to CS are overwelmingly CS double majors or students who had a deep interest in computer science. You don't walk into a computer science career willy nilly and do need the technical skills. Combinatorics and Galois Theory doesn't just create Python script alone.

IDK about that. I was required to program in my 400 level math classes and "walked" into a IT job straight from undergraduate Math.

OP said pure math. Pure math is not programming.

What kind of IT job? Did you have any out of class IT experience?

I went into software development but not a programmer. I was am now a project manager of a large agile development team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in math and econ, got an M.B.A., and worked for a broker-dealer on Wall Street.

Many "math" majors actually study statistics or applied math. Math and especially physics majors are low-maintenance. They are comfortable with computers, different operating systems, and learning new software.

Economics majors don't learn much about business. They don't know debits from credits, or stocks from bonds. Business majors don't know much, but they can wear a suit and understand the job. You don't need to be a business major. But that does not excuse you from being ignorant about the company and job. If you are applying to Wall Street, then you need to understand the difference between investment banking and sales and trading. You need to read the company's annual report, etc.

Math majors can easily pass the first two or three actuary exams. It is an excellent high-paying, low-stress occupation.

My math major friends at NSA did a lot of IT work.

Is there a big advantage in getting an applied math degree vs a pure math degree for job prospects? I have a mathy, navel-grazing kid, whom I'd like to steer towards a sensible path.

I don’t think so if you are talking undergrad level. Any entry level “mathy” jobs would be accessible to either.

Also, (again talking only entry level, just graduated from college jobs) in my experience some pps are underestimating the “you must be really smart” aspect. Not saying it’s valid but things like math and physics intimidate lots of people and I think these grads get a little boost at the beginning because of people assuming they must be very bright.

People who have that level of understanding tend to apply this reasoning to boys only

My math/physics-loving kid happens to be a girl, and this is my concern too.

It's sadly very very true. The career outcomes between my peers who are woman versus men is startling, and we all majored in pure math. Department awards 9 times out of 10 went to men, even though there wasn't a single man in the top 5. My career accelerated, while many peers of mine who are women did not get the special "Oh wow, math! I couldn't ever do that" treatment.

I actually submitted a formal complaint to the department and talked with the chair about this issue, and his response: no woman has complained about it, so why would it be an issue? You can imagine how much I've contacted him afterwards

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What level of college/program? What minor? What electives? What personal skilled interests/hobbies?

Undergrad in pure math is a professionally useless liberal art degree. It's a gateway to science and technology like History is for law school applications. It's a general foundational education, not vocational. It's an enhancer to your other skills, not a skill in itself.
You need to combine it with something.

Entry level jobs include actuary, auditor, something in data analysis, teacher in a district desperate for staff.
If you have a secondary interest, more options open.

you people are utterly clueless, this is why you don’t get your advice from the bone heads of DCUM.

This is a pretty reasonable response actually. The people who go from math degree to CS are overwelmingly CS double majors or students who had a deep interest in computer science. You don't walk into a computer science career willy nilly and do need the technical skills. Combinatorics and Galois Theory doesn't just create Python script alone.

IDK about that. I was required to program in my 400 level math classes and "walked" into a IT job straight from undergraduate Math.

OP said pure math. Pure math is not programming.

What kind of IT job? Did you have any out of class IT experience?

Yes it was pure math. It required programming

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in math and econ, got an M.B.A., and worked for a broker-dealer on Wall Street.

Many "math" majors actually study statistics or applied math. Math and especially physics majors are low-maintenance. They are comfortable with computers, different operating systems, and learning new software.

Economics majors don't learn much about business. They don't know debits from credits, or stocks from bonds. Business majors don't know much, but they can wear a suit and understand the job. You don't need to be a business major. But that does not excuse you from being ignorant about the company and job. If you are applying to Wall Street, then you need to understand the difference between investment banking and sales and trading. You need to read the company's annual report, etc.

Math majors can easily pass the first two or three actuary exams. It is an excellent high-paying, low-stress occupation.

My math major friends at NSA did a lot of IT work.

Is there a big advantage in getting an applied math degree vs a pure math degree for job prospects? I have a mathy, navel-grazing kid, whom I'd like to steer towards a sensible path.

I don’t think so if you are talking undergrad level. Any entry level “mathy” jobs would be accessible to either.

Also, (again talking only entry level, just graduated from college jobs) in my experience some pps are underestimating the “you must be really smart” aspect. Not saying it’s valid but things like math and physics intimidate lots of people and I think these grads get a little boost at the beginning because of people assuming they must be very bright.

People who have that level of understanding tend to apply this reasoning to boys only

My math/physics-loving kid happens to be a girl, and this is my concern too.

It's sadly very very true. The career outcomes between my peers who are woman versus men is startling, and we all majored in pure math. Department awards 9 times out of 10 went to men, even though there wasn't a single man in the top 5. My career accelerated, while many peers of mine who are women did not get the special "Oh wow, math! I couldn't ever do that" treatment.

I actually submitted a formal complaint to the department and talked with the chair about this issue, and his response: no woman has complained about it, so why would it be an issue? You can imagine how much I've contacted him afterwards

Why didn't you encourage your women classmates to speak up?

How do you rank math students?

All the women in my math program have incredible careers -- professors or VPs in careers like actuary or software. Boosted by diversity programs that seek out women with talent. Some mommy tracked later because they love children, and are still wealthy because they have their pick of the nerdy successful men (or sometimes women) about them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in math and econ, got an M.B.A., and worked for a broker-dealer on Wall Street.

Many "math" majors actually study statistics or applied math. Math and especially physics majors are low-maintenance. They are comfortable with computers, different operating systems, and learning new software.

Economics majors don't learn much about business. They don't know debits from credits, or stocks from bonds. Business majors don't know much, but they can wear a suit and understand the job. You don't need to be a business major. But that does not excuse you from being ignorant about the company and job. If you are applying to Wall Street, then you need to understand the difference between investment banking and sales and trading. You need to read the company's annual report, etc.

Math majors can easily pass the first two or three actuary exams. It is an excellent high-paying, low-stress occupation.

My math major friends at NSA did a lot of IT work.

Is there a big advantage in getting an applied math degree vs a pure math degree for job prospects? I have a mathy, navel-grazing kid, whom I'd like to steer towards a sensible path.

I don’t think so if you are talking undergrad level. Any entry level “mathy” jobs would be accessible to either.

Also, (again talking only entry level, just graduated from college jobs) in my experience some pps are underestimating the “you must be really smart” aspect. Not saying it’s valid but things like math and physics intimidate lots of people and I think these grads get a little boost at the beginning because of people assuming they must be very bright.

People who have that level of understanding tend to apply this reasoning to boys only

My math/physics-loving kid happens to be a girl, and this is my concern too.

It's sadly very very true. The career outcomes between my peers who are woman versus men is startling, and we all majored in pure math. Department awards 9 times out of 10 went to men, even though there wasn't a single man in the top 5. My career accelerated, while many peers of mine who are women did not get the special "Oh wow, math! I couldn't ever do that" treatment.

I actually submitted a formal complaint to the department and talked with the chair about this issue, and his response: no woman has complained about it, so why would it be an issue? You can imagine how much I've contacted him afterwards

DP: I really hope this was a while ago and that you preserved in your complaints (for my D's and others' sake)! Mine is very fortunate to have several female professors who are encouraging.

[Anonymous]

Woops meant persevered, not preserved!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know math majors that went on to be actuaries - one eventually went on to get an MBA in Operations Management and ended up working at a consulting firm in jobs that were heavy in data analyses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whenever talking about STEM Careers, people promote the most outlandish and hardest positions to get- FAANG techie, Quant for Citadel, and I've even seen Cryptographer for the White House. What are REASONABLE positions that a person with a bachelors in pure math could achieve without a significant disadvantage?

The answer is college dependent.

This genre of job and other top jobs (or entry to top phD) are reasonable and common paths for students at Ivies/Chicago/MIT with majors in math.

Math major from Missouri state? Not a reasonable chance for any of those jobs.

[Anonymous]

Attorney.

Pure mathematicians write proofs and are deeply analytical, which means they can disentangle and construct complex legal arguments and agreements with relative ease. I'll support hiring an attorney with a math (or math/philosophy) background any day over an otherwise comparable applicant with a poli sci degree. I feel comfortable putting them to serious work earlier. I think the challenge is often partner-track for math attorneys who are not government counsel, as they are more law-minded than client-minded.

[Anonymous]

My sister was a math major and ended up working for Goldman Sachs in NYC. It was a great, high paying job

[Anonymous]

DC is a math major and will be working at McKinsey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What level of college/program? What minor? What electives? What personal skilled interests/hobbies?

Undergrad in pure math is a professionally useless liberal art degree. It's a gateway to science and technology like History is for law school applications. It's a general foundational education, not vocational. It's an enhancer to your other skills, not a skill in itself.
You need to combine it with something.

Entry level jobs include actuary, auditor, something in data analysis, teacher in a district desperate for staff.
If you have a secondary interest, more options open.

you people are utterly clueless, this is why you don’t get your advice from the bone heads of DCUM.

This is a pretty reasonable response actually. The people who go from math degree to CS are overwelmingly CS double majors or students who had a deep interest in computer science. You don't walk into a computer science career willy nilly and do need the technical skills. Combinatorics and Galois Theory doesn't just create Python script alone.

IDK about that. I was required to program in my 400 level math classes and "walked" into a IT job straight from undergraduate Math.

OP said pure math. Pure math is not programming.

What kind of IT job? Did you have any out of class IT experience?

I went into software development but not a programmer. I was am now a project manager of a large agile development team.

NP

I went straight into programming, then to computer support, then to project management, then contract management for a large contractor.

[Anonymous]

Attorney.

Some of the best lawyers I know were math majors. They are able to juggle various options and arguments in their head at the same and are masters of logic thinking.

[Anonymous]

As shown by everyone here, math is a liberal arts major and so there isn’t a path you adhere to. It’s much more helpful to take apples math coursework as a lot of pure math (topology, number theory, complex analysis) are more helpful for scientific research/mathematical research, but that may not be the most beneficial if you aren’t seeking a graduate degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Attorney.

Pure mathematicians write proofs and are deeply analytical, which means they can disentangle and construct complex legal arguments and agreements with relative ease. I'll support hiring an attorney with a math (or math/philosophy) background any day over an otherwise comparable applicant with a poli sci degree. I feel comfortable putting them to serious work earlier. I think the challenge is often partner-track for math attorneys who are not government counsel, as they are more law-minded than client-minded.

This is a bad idea, because law is illogical, imprecise, and contradictory, so a mathematician will get poor results attempting a legal analysis.