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Careers using Maths

57 replies

Berries · 10/01/2007 20:56

Ok, background. My careers advice at school was non-existant. Parents left school at 15 & so didn't really know about a lot of the different career opportunities. Although I ended up in a job I do enjoy, I do feel there were a lot of other things out there that I would have liked to have done if I had been more aware of the options.
So, dd2 is talking tonight and wants to know what career she can have which will use a lot of maths and I come up with.....

ACCOUNTANT

I'm just as bad as all those careers officers aren't I? Anyway, I'm sure you lot can come up with lots of careers which use a lot of maths and don't require any ability to spell write essays. Then my dd wont look back in years to come & wonder why mum was such a numbskull.

BTW she's only 9 (y5) but obviously believes in forward planning

OP posts:
Marina · 10/01/2007 20:59

Actuary - This PAYS WELL

Programming, the real stuff, can still be quite techy

Maths teacher

southeastastra · 10/01/2007 21:00

loads of computer careers

Emskilou · 10/01/2007 21:01

Actuary?? Bookkeeper??

Emskilou · 10/01/2007 21:03

Ooops crossed posts with Marina, I used to work with a marina when I worked with actuaries actually, what a coincidence! Sorry kinda gone off track!

Berries · 10/01/2007 21:04

Dh and I are both computer consultants so really should have got that one. It's just that we're both more into the management than the techie side.

What's an actuary, I though that was a sort of accountant? (I really am a numbskull aren't I?)

OP posts:
Marina · 10/01/2007 21:05

I am not one, I wish I were emskilou
Miss Most Likely to Succeed at my old school is though. Coining it and can name terms so has school hols off and everything.
She was a mighty whiz at maths

Marina · 10/01/2007 21:06

Berries, actuaries use mathematical formulae to calculate risk in setting insurance premiums.
They are the sods who conclude that because you nicked a toenail in Tenerife in 1992 you are now uninsurable

Berries · 10/01/2007 21:06

OOh, that sounds good, then she can keep me in my old age.

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Emskilou · 10/01/2007 21:08

They are also tight arses (no offence the ones I worked with were!!)

Berries · 10/01/2007 21:08

Sorry Marina, x-post. Actually, I can see her doing that, she will do maths problems for fun and is extremely able.

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Marina · 10/01/2007 21:08

Snort at emskilou. The one I know was lovely at school (and...careful with the pennies!)

Emskilou · 10/01/2007 21:09

Maybe I shouldnt have posted that I truly meant no offence, just speaking from experience

Berries · 10/01/2007 21:10

If a definition of a TA is 'not a team player' and 'doesn't tolerate fools' she would be perfect

Actually, she is lovely and obv this may all change & she'll go & be a bus driver.

2nd thoughts, knowing her sense of direction I don't think she'd qualify for that one.

OP posts:
Berries · 10/01/2007 21:12

She also waited 'til the last 20 minutes at the Christmas Fair until she bought something because 'it all gets reduced then'! (obv not bothered that she was buying her mum a pressie no-one else had wanted)

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Budababe · 10/01/2007 21:21

Isn't an actuary someone who found accountancy too exciting???

My DS is an accountant with a maths degree - he also reads maths books for "fun"!!!!!

You don't need a maths degree to be an accountant though. I remember being surprised when I worked for a large firm of accountants (where I met DH) to find they all had totally non-relevant degrees. In fact DH's was the most relevant but you don't actually use "maths" to be an accountant.

The careers advice I got at school ws rubbish too - i.e. you went to uni, got a degree and could teach. I didn't WANT to be a teacher so was not interested. Of course now I would love to be a teacher!

What I have learnt is that just getting a degree opens doors. So your degree may as well be in something that you enjoy - if that is maths then great. If it is English then great. Ok some weird subjects might not open many doors but in general a degree in anything will stand you in good stead.

Wish I had known that at 17.

julienetmum · 10/01/2007 21:25

Design Engineer

Estimator

I work in the office of a plumbing and heating company. There is lots of maths involved in all our jobs from me doing accounts stuff to the estimators pricing large jobs which include mathematical calculations when designing things.

Even the plumbers and gas fitters have to use mathematical calculations when working out gas pressure formula type stuff

LIZS · 10/01/2007 21:29

There are lots of roles in large companies which require people with some statistical or mathematical background as part of ther decision making processes. Economics, accountancy or just a good numerical background can get you into a support role in a finance or strategic planning dept. Also vocational careers such as Banking.

Berries · 10/01/2007 21:30

This is great. I can astound her tomorrow. Thanks everyone.

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TheWillowTree · 10/01/2007 21:58

Working in banking too needs good maths - from city banker delaing in stocks and shares, to local bank manager

also stockbroker types presumably

my dh is a naval architect (designs big ships) and there are also aeronautical engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical, electronic and marine engineers etc who need a good grasp of maths

teacher or lecturer, either in schools, colleges, universities etc or in private training places (eg BPP)

and accountant is a very wide ranging term - you could do corporate finance, restucturing, audit, tax ...

statisticians also need maths

Kif · 10/01/2007 22:13

Maths is a winner because it teaches you stuff that is very difficult to pick up on the job. It can start you off on a lot of paths. Even for seemingly irrelevant things, maths degree gives you an air of being a problem solving analytical type - which most decent jobs want.

In terms of examples:

one guy took maths to phd level. he's now working in the city, building computer models to trade complex financial products. Having such a concrete 'hard' specialism seems to mean the rewards are more meritocratic. Others seem to get much more bulls**t random stuff in interviews, which well coached kids from well connected backgrounds do much better in. He also works relatively short hours - his skills are rare and difficult to replace so they're nice to him. he loves it.

another friend works for the governement - something on the UKs defence/technology for the army

you can be a code breaker/codemaker. This is big business at the moment - internet security is just very sophisitcated secret codes. Likewise credit cards, mobile phone signals etc etc.

one friend works in 'risk' also in the city. You think about things that could go wrong, and what would happen if they did. you might have some rare things that would wipe out a bank - or many small things building up. You want to keep on top of your risks - a lot of people would suffer if a major bank went bust.

You can design computer games - find neat efficient solutions to problems to make the games feel natural and run smoothly.

you can study distant stars by applying mathematical techniques to try to make conclusions from the little bit of information that we can gather with our telescopes.

you can apply maths to scheduling things and optimising things - e.g. organising a big complex project.

you can apply maths to improve the design of things - anything from cars (my mum's job, incidentally) to medical drugs.

I've a maths grad friend who is now working as a research economist trying to find ways for developing world countries to improve their economies.

you can stay as an academin and learn about mind bending things like n-dimensional objects and countable infinity and imaginary numbers.

Utterly wonderful subject. If you're inclined to it, it won't let you down.

CanStarveWillStarve · 10/01/2007 22:15

Has no-one mentioned rocket scientist?

I have a degree in maths, and I'm.........an accountant. Though working in an IT finance type role for the last few years (pre dd).

jura · 11/01/2007 09:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

coffeepot · 11/01/2007 10:50

Astronomy, Cosmology, Meterology (won't
get paid much for those though!)

beckybrastraps · 11/01/2007 10:54

Engineering is maths-based. Dh is a mechanical engineer.

throckenholt · 11/01/2007 10:54

engineering of all kinds
most science
DH is a climate modeller - uses complicated fluid dynamics maths all the time (way above my head ).

There are quite a few subsets of maths (eg stats, applied maths etc)

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