Mathematicians and Statisticians: A brilliant future awaits you!!

Are you interested in mathematics, and wonder what sort of jobs might be available to mathematics or statistics graduate? Of course you can opt a career in teaching but that's not the end! The scope of mathematics and statistics has no boundaries. In fact, you can do just about anything you want to do. Majoring in subjects like mathematics and statistics simply opens the doors to a wealth of opportunities!! You are indeed ensured of a bright future ahead. The rationale behind this is that mathematics and statistics form the foundation of thinking abilities. These subjects teach a person to be a good problem solver, and that is the key of reaching the pinnacle of success in any career. Finding the efficient ways to solve problems inherent in your job is also a skill developed through the study of mathematics. The problems do not have to be quantitative since critical thinking and mathematics go hand-in-hand.

The largest percentage of students who major in mathematics pursue careers in education. There has always been and will continue to be a high demand for teachers of mathematics in high schools, colleges etc. Many of the most desirable careers are technical in nature and require some expertise in the mathematical sciences. In fact, the three top jobs on the 2009 list were mathematician, actuary and statistician- the study of mathematics achieved a trifecta!!

Mathematics has always been the language of science and technology. With the society becoming scientific at a rapid pace, it becomes all the more important to be able to speak and reason in that language. A recent study found that the top 15 highest-earning college degrees share one thing: mathematics. Of course, mathematics is more than just a useful tool. Many people enjoy mathematics for its own sake. They find deep satisfaction and indeed beauty in its order, precision and complex structures. Mathematics develops the skills of reasoning, developing new ideas and formulating new approaches and finally drawing logical conclusions. All these sills are sure to serve you well in the working world.

Some of the career opportunities available to a major in mathematics or statistics include:
Analysts:

Statistics and mathematics graduates have an immense scope of becoming analysts and that too in various domains. Some of the prominent domains include:

• Research Analyst
• Regional Analyst
• National Analyst
• Housing Analyst
• Intelligence Analyst
• Regional Intelligence Analyst

Operations Research:

The subject matter in this area, to a great extent is concerned with determining the optimal ways of doing things based on some mathematical model of a situation. Major mathematical tools that enter operations research are:

• Calculus
• Linear algebra
• Probability
• Statistics
• Graph theory
• Combinatorics
• Computer Science

Actuarial Science:

This is the latest budding vocation for mathematicians. Actuaries are specialized mathematicians predominantly working for insurance companies. Actuarial science essentially deals with the education of insurance risks and Financial Management of Insurance Companies. It involves the application of mathematical and statistical analysis to a wide range of decision-making process in insurance, investment, financial planning and management. It's another branch is casual actuaries and is meant for those interested in property and liability insurance. In recent years, employment in this specialty has benefited from the considerable diversification that has occurred in terms of the number of fields in which actuaries work. This has occurred both within their traditional fields, meaning insurance and pension plans, and in the emergence of new market niches.

Biostatistics, Biomathematics and Epidemiology:

Statistics has got wide applications in health sciences as well. Epidemiologists scrutinize the spread of diseases and model how to respond to epidemics. Biomathematics is chiefly concerned with the application of mathematics in health sciences. It is in fact the next big trend within mathematics. Biomathematics includes bioinformatics, a sort of cs/math/biology hybrid field.

Public Policy:

A mathematics graduate can also opt for an advisory role in educational and/or science policy as well as work in quantitative public policy. A master's degree can prove to be even more beneficial.

Statistician:

There lies immense scope for economics or mathematics statistician. As the need of information is increasing day by day, the demand of statisticians is also increasing. Various responsibilities of a statistician include:

• Collecting information
• Developing newer and more efficient methods of collecting data
• Organizing data
• Developing newer methods to analyze the information

Government Jobs

Mathematicians have immense scope in Government jobs also. The National Security Agency is the principal single employer of mathematicians in the country. It offers positions at all degree levels: Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. The responsibilities of these mathematicians include designing and analyzing complex algorithms and expressing intricate cryptographic problems in mathematical terms.

Applied Mathematics

This generally relates to working on problems in physics, geology, engineering etc but from a mathematical perspective. There exist incessant opportunities ranging from being a climate analyst who models long term changes in the global weather to working as a forensic analyst who investigates data collected at crime scenes.

Teaching

The job prospects for high school mathematics and statistics teachers are very good. Simple graduates can go for teaching in schools, while those with master's degree or preferably Ph.D can opt for becoming a lecturer or a professor. There is scarcity of teachers in this domain. Moreover, it is a very well paid as well as a reputed job. Those who are interested in sharing their knowledge with others must opt for this vocation.

There is no end to this list. In fact, Mathematicians and Statisticians are everywhere, in almost every sphere of life. A more intricate study will reveal that Mathematics and Statistics graduates are employed in many different areas. Some jobs require specific mathematical or statistical skills while others, although not directly involving these skills, require the ability to think precisely and reason logically which are gained from mathematical and statistical studies.

So all the Mathematicians and Statisticians...just gear up, a brilliant future awaits you!!

Source: Latika Leekha (Shiksha Team)