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My son (year 10) asked me tonight what jobs he could do if he did Maths at university. I really don't know but do know that someone here does! Anyone?

I did maths at uni. Good for accounting and working in finance.

A friend of mine became an Economics Professor, another became a senior Tax Accountant.

Lots of jobs in the City I'd imagine.

Some former maths graduates I know have these professions:Actuary,
Accountant, Patent Attorney, Systems Analyst

Lots of job in the City. Financial services industry loves maths grads. The examples already given plus I would throw in business analyst, portfolio trader and hedge fund manager.

Also quite a lot of Maths grads in IT

Actuary, epidemiologist, government statistician, hedge fund "rocket scientist". There be gold in them thar spreadsheets.

Serious games programming.

www.mathscareers.org.uk/viewItem.cfm?cit_id=383039

Teacher

All of the above - plus the degree makes you very marketable as a candidate for the best graduate trainee jobs, management consulting etc.
So you don't have to be restricted to number-crunching roles.

It's a pretty competitive subject to choose, since maths graduates are seen as desirable by future employers and are expected to earn more over their working lives than other graduates.

This guide looks useful.

My brother did Maths at Oxford, he then did his PGCE and became a teacher. 10 years later he left teaching, sat his exams and became an Actuary and then became an Actuary Tutor. He loves it. I personally think he's bonkers But I didn't get the Maths gene

I'm a public health analyst
Also been a software developer

DS is in his final year of Physics at a Russell Group uni - he took it because he can 'do' Physics, and is on course for a high 2.1 - not because he wants to work in the field, but because he was advised that it would open lots of doors.

He has applied for many different graduate schemes in the city, got through to several assessment centres, and been offered nothing. It seems that many of the larger finance firms are looking for economics graduates, and of course, there are very few places around this year.

He's been left feeling a little disillusioned, in that he's worked hard, achieved a lot and has a well rounded CV - but no job!

I would suggest that anyone selecting a degree subject tries to establish what they would like to do (if you can!!!), and perhaps researches what prospective employers are really looking for, before applying to UCAS.

Friends and relations who did maths at university went on to be

Actuaries (quite a few)
Accountants (ditto) ... although several of the accountants used their accountancy qualification as a springboard into more general business management roles
Retired early in mid-30s after working for a global investment and securities firm and and pocketing huuuuuuuuuuuuge sums in cash. Sigh.
Catholic priest
Cryptographer at GCHQ
Fund manager
Maths lecturer

It's a fantastic subject for those with the ability - your DS would be sensible to look at the Russell Group Facillitating Subjects list. Also bear in mind that Further Maths is usually expected as an A level as well.
Is his school giving him good advice on this, do you think?

Oh, and a medical statistician.

Computing and/or engineering.

If he likes maths remember that he doesn't necessarily need to study pure maths at uni... My dh loved maths, hated pure maths and ended up in mechanical engineering which suited him to a T. He is now, literally, a rocket scientist.
Hth. Pm if can be of any further use. Dh's workplace has students in for work experience etc

Perhaps he would like to study Computer Science. It is all about maths and nothing to do with IT It has great employment prospects (at the moment )
A maths degree from a good Uni is very desirable. THIS looks like it will tell you what you want to know.

There's very little that you can't do with a maths degree. With a one year conversion course (GDL), he could even branch out into law. Similar shifts are possible in many directions.

Thank you thank you thank you! He has an excellent careers department but there's nothing like hearing what real live people do. He came in last night and said "What can I do with Maths? Just maths, nothing else?" He's dismissed anything anyone else in our family has done, so no chemistry, physics, engineering or computer science. I am rolling my eyes. Of course, I'm jealous - I idly browse the economics and statistics courses and dream...

Previously it's been all about medicine, but really I think he's just thinking it through. Looking at the Informed Choices guide from Shotgun's link, he doesn't have to decide until university. For medicine, he was planning on doing biology, chemistry, maths and further maths a levels anyway.

ajandjjmum - good luck to your son! How frustrating for him.

Thanks again. He will really appreciate this - I definitely do!

Well said lunatic. There is money to be made by maths and physics grads in gaming. We had a games programmer come in who got his physics degree from Leicester (astrophysics) and he implied that the games companies do not teach maths and physics but will train programmers. Maths and physics is great for simulations and techie modelling stuff. But you do need a real interest in gaming so if he has spent hours on COD, Pokemon etc it may pay off in the end.

My Dh has a maths degree & intended to be an actuary. However student drama sucked him in & he went into backstage work. Bit random but he has made a good career of it!

I work in market research - number crunching and analysing data, working closely with and reporting on to marketeers. If he's also interested in medicine, then how about medical stats?

Data Analysis, Business Intelligence, Analytics etc - this is a definite growth area at the moment and I know quite a few maths graduates working in this area.