Math-related fields of work

[roboboticus]

I'm having a hard time settling on a line of work to pursue, and given the intelligence and maturity I often find here at B&B, it seems worthwhile to ask if anyone here could offer some input.

I graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics about 10 years ago, but I've been working mostly in food-service since then, partly because I've been trying to make a go of as a musician, and partly because I've found the few office jobs I've had to be suffocating (doing Q.A. work, and various temp jobs).

But I'm getting older (and more mature) and my interests are shifting: I want to find a more stable profession, doing meaningful work. Specifically, I'm interested in finding a field that integrates mathematics with other sciences, and I've been looking at things like bio-statistics, atmospheric science, quantitative ecological resource management, etc.
I also find paleontology and human origins especially interesting, so the burgeoning field of genetics crossed my mind.

I'd like to end up working in an environment other than hospitals and windowless labs (picky, I know). I expect I'll need to go back to school for an advanced degree, which I'm actually looking forward to.

So, if anyone has any advice or info that they think might be relevant to my situation, please share. I'm all ears!

Thanks!

 

[SiBurning]

Not science related, and even more boring than accounting, but have you thought about becoming an actuary? I hear it pays well and you can often work on the beach.

 

[Alacrity59]

Not science related, and even more boring than accounting, but have you thought about becoming an actuary? I hear it pays well and you can often work on the beach.

They say that actuaries are like accountants but without the sense of humour. . . .


I'm an accountant . . . by the way. My neighbour is an actuary and a very nice guy.

 

[Alacrity59]

I've a question for the Original Poster.

What are the things that "turn you on" about mathematics?

Are there things you are not comfortable with?
- Can you deal with situations where there is not one right answer?
- I'll not go on

There are some online things such as the Myers Briggs type indicator that might tell you a bit about yourself and what career suits. There might be some others available through career councillors such as DISC that examine how you interact with the world and suggest strategies that you can use to take advantage of your traits and mitigate the weaknesses.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Funny, I came in to recommend being an actuary, as well. I'm an accountant as well as an attorney, so you might want to look into accounting. Not all of it is boring, and you'll see some of the practical side of number-crunching.

And speaking of the law, you might want to consider law school. I think you might be strongly drawn to taxation and I think a degree in mathematics would let you sit for the patent bar. Working patents is a lucrative and interesting field, too.

Another line of work that might appeal is intelligence work for the government. The NSA, CIA and other departments hire lots of math geeks. I don't know if that line of work would appeal to you, but they could certainly use your work.

And how about teaching? You could get summers off, short work days, a nice pension, and the ability to work into administration. My sister made her way into a vice principal position. The pay is not shabby and she gets to spend plenty of time with her kiddos. If you're interested in playing music, the hours would be an advantage.

 

[SiBurning]

There are some online things such as the Myers Briggs type indicator that might tell you a bit about yourself and what career suits.

You need a Vocational Guidance Counsellor
[YOUTUBE]XMOmB1q8W4Y[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Pescara]

Bookie, card counter, poker player?

Seriously though the gaming industry does hire math grads.

 

[roboboticus]

They say that actuaries are like accountants but without the sense of humour. . . .

That reminds me of an Elmore Leonard quote: They say Detroit is like Cleveland without the glitz

The aspects of math that turn me on are:

• Logic
• Modeling
• Probabilities
• Optimization
• Understanding how things work

On the optimization front, I really enjoyed the coursework I did on Operations Research, but I get the sense that most operations research jobs are in business administration and the military. And I'm more interested in bugs, dinosaurs, and solar power. I mean, look at my avatar

What's this about actuaries working on the beach?

 

[swags]

I think a degree in mathematics would let you sit for the patent bar.

Unfortunately it won't. The patent bar is fairly hard science oriented. Even many computer science degree programs do not qualify because they do not have sufficient physics or chemistry requirements.

This doesn't make law school a bad option though. I think math and engineering minded folks are often well-equipped to deal with the analytical reasoning required. That's been my experience at least, with a computer science background, and all of the engineers I know here would probably agree. Financing law school is a completely separate issue though, especially with the current job market.

 

[Alacrity59]

You need a Vocational Guidance Counsellor
[YOUTUBE]XMOmB1q8W4Y[/YOUTUBE]

Yes I love that .. . I ran away from the Circus to become an accountant.

 

[mretzloff]

Why not go back and get a MS in computer science? That would put your mathematical knowledge to good use and give you knowledge in a field that is very relevant to today's world.

 

[mikromicke]

I'm stuck in science, at universities, since a couple of years back. I'm seeing more and more people, and companies, doing FEM simulations for just about every area you can come up with. Considering the development the major softwares there have seen the last couple of years you can virtually simulate anything now.

I've mostly been using comsol and I know they hire lot of people with really solid math skills but also general science background. They make sure that when people call or email their support they have people that really can understand the differential equations behind the software and are able to tweak and understand all the different applications within science they may see. I have a couple of friends working there and they seem to love it.

I'm sure the other simulation companies have similar attitudes and there are also more and more companies coming up that are aimed at doing simulations for people on a consulting basis.

 

[Alacrity59]

That reminds me of an Elmore Leonard quote: They say Detroit is like Cleveland without the glitz

The aspects of math that turn me on are:

• Logic
• Modeling
• Probabilities
• Optimization
• Understanding how things work

On the optimization front, I really enjoyed the coursework I did on Operations Research, but I get the sense that most operations research jobs are in business administration and the military. And I'm more interested in bugs, dinosaurs, and solar power. I mean, look at my avatar

What's this about actuaries working on the beach?

actuaries can't even see the beach . . . they just go there so they don't have to pay for heat . . . they stay out of the water . . . might be sharks . . but avoid avalanches. They wear spf 3000 cream . . . ack


Modelling and Optimization is big in the business world . . . maybe back office for a consulting firm?

 

[roboboticus]

I'm seeing more and more people, and companies, doing FEM simulations for just about every area you can come up with. Considering the development the major softwares there have seen the last couple of years you can virtually simulate anything now.

I've mostly been using comsol and I know they hire lot of people with really solid math skills but also general science background.

Wow, that looks very cool. Added to my investigation
And at the opposite end of the spectrum: urban agriculture.
I'd like to thank all of you for contributing to the conversation, and please feel free to keep it going!

 

[roboboticus]

Now I'm thinking Oceanography or Atmospheric Science.

 

[BCatl]

Physics or math teacher? My understanding is that highschools will roll out the red carpet for a physics teacher. Might have to go back to school and pick up some physics classes.

 

[mikromicke]

This may not sound very fun but banking is definitely a field where they want people with math skills. One of my colleagues left with an engineering degree in engineering physics, a phd in electrical measurements and biotechnology and was hired by a big national bank. We were all surprised, but he likes it

 

[jdeville]

I was thinking computer science like a couple other people recommended. You could probably take some basic programming classes (if you don't have the experience) and get a good job at MS, Google, etc. I'm finding that being a tester fulfils many of the things you like about Math:

The aspects of math that turn me on are:

* Logic
Kinda self explanatory
* Modeling
I'm learning and working with Model based testing which is basically modeling your software to gain better understanding and to identify test areas and design weaknesses
* Probabilities
* Optimization
Perf testing and optimizing your test strategies given the time allotted
* Understanding how things work
Another self explanatory.

Given your interest in life sciences, it might also be good to consider looking into Math and Programming based jobs in those areas. For example, (pulling from Jurassic Park), designing a program to understand radar signatures and visualize them requires non-trivial programming

Just tossing stuff out, so I'll stop now. Hope you find something!

 

[Hawkeye5]

I worked in the property and casualty industry for years, and continue work with actuaries daily.

Once the fellowship exams are completed and you have experience, the world is open to you. I know a married couple, both actuaries, who went to Australia to work just because they wanted to go to Australia for a while. You can work for insurance companies if you want the city life, work for a smaller actuarial firm in an area you like, or you can open your own shop as an actuarial consultant where ever you please.

Actuaries also are actively involved in modeling, earthquake, wind, and hurricane as examples, although the heavy lifting in this area is done by Phd.s.

 

[SafetyManiac]

And at the opposite end of the spectrum: urban agriculture.

There are companies out there who are working on vertical growing systems that are designed for areas with limited space and resources; urban, desert, etc. One company that comes to mind is Valcent. (I believe they are in England) They are also experimenting with creating fuels and oils from algae using the similar principles developed from the vertical growing systems. Maybe something to think about.

Just my 2 cents.