<p>What kind of job do you want?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.maa.org/reviews/greatjobs.html[/url]”>http://www.maa.org/reviews/greatjobs.html</a></p>
<p>"In the portion of the book subtitled “Career Path”, there are four extensive chapters: </p>
<p>The math job you know best: teaching (at secondary or collegiate levels);
Math as a primary skill: actuary, mathematician, statistician and operations analyst;
Marketing, research or financial analyst (including the value of related graduate degrees);
Math in the marketplace: buyer, sales representative and purchasing agent.
In the portion of the book subtitled “The Job Search”, there are well-thought-out chapters on self-assessment, researching careers, networking, interviewing, job offer considerations (hallelujah!) and the graduate school choice (including reasons for going or not).</p>
<p>Some of the authors’ advice is music to a math teacher’s ears, reflecting some of our long-cherished beliefs about why mathematical training is important: applications, problem solving and reasoning are unifying themes in mathematically oriented career paths. They also advise students that computer and communication skills are very important, as is the ability to work with a team. The book also makes it clear that most jobs for math majors are not titled “Mathematician”. In fact, a recent ad for a “high end job” is quoted:</p>
<p>XYZ Analysis, Inc. is a management consulting company that applies sophisticated analytical techniques to real-world problems in the public and private sectors. XYZ’s strength is high-quality work in areas such as strategic planning, decision analysis, operations management, analysis of public policy, forecasting markets for new products, R & D planning and basic research… seek applicants with bachelor’s degrees for positions in our analytical staff … Candidates should have: a degree in mathematics, operations research, decision analysis, computer science, engineering or other technical field; a GPA of 3.3 or higher; an interest in solving important, complex problems; skills in a broad range of mathematical techniques; communication skills to present analytical results in a clear, concise manner; a high level of enthusiasm for challenging work in an informal atmosphere. Analysts work on teams … are involved in tasks such as data analysis, formulating and programming mathematical models. working with clients, preparing, presenting and assisting with report and proposal writing."</p>