MHB What Career Fits My Passion for Math and Learning?

[alexmahone]

I'm currently pursuing my undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Statistics.

About me:

I'm really passionate about mathematics. I also like physics and chemistry, though to a much lesser extent. I'm also very passionate about learning new things, regardless of the subject. For example, I recently bought an introductory economics book and loved it.

I'm not too keen about teaching. I also don't like any job that would be high-stress, like ones with lots of deadlines. I also don't like doing anything physical.

Could you suggest a suitable career for me?

 

[pickslides]

I also don't like any job that would be high-stress, like ones with lots of deadlines.

find a government job

 

[alexmahone]

find a government job

Are there ones offered to people with only an undergraduate math degree?

 

[pickslides]

Are there ones offered to people with only an undergraduate math degree?

I managed to snare one, but I'm sure it depends on where you are in the world.

 

[alexmahone]

I managed to snare one, but I'm sure it depends on where you are in the world.

I live in Canada.

 

[Jameson]

I think actuarial science is a great field that is highly paid and is attainable with an undergraduate level understanding of calculus and statistics. It takes some time though to pass the exams. I'm taking my first one in July. Other than that, I've heard that statistics in general can land good jobs although it is better to have or be pursuing a masters degree in stats for this.

This is from the American Mathematical Society but I'm sure that the information should be similar to jobs in Canada.

http://www.ams.org/profession/career-info/career-index

 

[alexmahone]

I think actuarial science is a great field that is highly paid and is attainable with an undergraduate level understanding of calculus.

Are actuaries employed by the government or by private firms?

 

[Jameson]

Are actuaries employed by the government or by private firms?

Both :) Check out this site for general info. There are different fields in actuarial science, both in the private and public sectors although I believe more jobs are not in government work than those which are.

www.beanactuary.org

 

[pickslides]

In general actuaries are employed by insurance companies.

 

[CaptainBlack]

I also don't like any job that would be high-stress, like ones with lots of deadlines.

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." - Douglas Adams

CB

 

[Swlabr1]

I think actuarial science is a great field that is highly paid and is attainable with an undergraduate level understanding of calculus and statistics. It takes some time though to pass the exams. I'm taking my first one in July. Other than that, I've heard that statistics in general can land good jobs although it is better to have or be pursuing a masters degree in stats for this.

This is from the American Mathematical Society but I'm sure that the information should be similar to jobs in Canada.

http://www.ams.org/profession/career-info/career-index

I believe the level of stress for actuaries depend on their specific field. I have a friend who is an actuary in a bank, and he thinks it is a cushy job. However, I have met actuaries who work for consultancies who have to really work for their paycheck!

To echo pickslides answer, I know in Britain the civil service do not mind what your degree is in. You do have to sit a "challenging" exam though.

 

[CaptainBlack]

I believe the level of stress for actuaries depend on their specific field. I have a friend who is an actuary in a bank, and he thinks it is a cushy job. However, I have met actuaries who work for consultancies who have to really work for their paycheck!

I'm tempted to say that if you have to work really hard for your paycheck then you are doing it wrong. Now that your employers think you are working really hard for what they pay you is another matter entirely.

To echo pickslides answer, I know in Britain the civil service do not mind what your degree is in. You do have to sit a "challenging" exam though.

I have been a UK civil servant (though a scientific one, not part of the administrative civil service), and I would not like to be employed as an administrative civil servant I don't like BS (dealing with, talking, ...) enough for that.

There was one time I phoned someone at the Department of the Environment, but they refused to talk to me, I was told that this was probably because he did no know my grade, and suspected I was too many levels below him (I wasn't as it happens but that seemed to be irrelevant).

I believe I was also categorised by the DoE head of our project as not being a team player because I usually calculated the error charateristics of the numbers we produced.

(irrelevant to this post but I will repeat this anecdote anyway: I was working with the Northern Irland Office at Adelaide House and had to visit to install analysis software. The following week it had its windows blown out by a (car?) bomb. On another occaision the project leader from Northern Irland was detained by the police on the London Underground for having an Irish accent)

CB