The Many Career Opportunities For Recipients Of Degrees In Mathematics
I have chosen to do Possibility 7. It states that once a person decides to study mathematics they are limited to the possible fields of work that is available to them. According to this statement the only possible jobs are teaching jobs at the school, college, and university levels. It also talks about how this can be dull to some and how a person can't become a millionaire this way.
I am in total opposition of this statement. I believe that if a person studies mathematics they have a world of options open to them. By no means does studying mathematics limit a person to the teaching profession alone. Mathematics majors are in demand in the work force. The jobs are out there if the perspective workers have good job search skills, which are essential. The teaching profession alone offers an assortment of different levels of teaching. One could teach at the elementary, middle school, high school, college, and university levels. There are also teacher's aids, research assistants, and student teachers, as well as substitute teachers. The demand for teachers is elevating at an alarming rate. This goes for teachers in general, but especially for teachers interested in teaching in the mathematics or science fields. Besides being a teacher, who technically is a mathematician, there is also the obvious profession of being a mathematician without being a teacher. There are also opportunities such as becoming an engineer, a research scientist, or a manager of a business. Mathematics majors work for such companies as IBM, AT&T Bell Labs, American Airlines, FedEx, L. L. Bean, and Perdue Farms Inc to name a few.There are also mathematicians employed in such government agencies as The Bureau of the Census, Department of Agriculture, and NASA Goddard Space Center.(Sources III and IV) Mathematicians are needed in the fields of law and medicine as well as in the arts, such as sculpting, music, and television. The possibilities are seemingly endless. When you think about it, almost every job involves mathematics. It is true that not every job opening could be properly satisfied by a person who majored in mathematics, but for the most part that person would have an advantage over other applicants because of their knowledge in mathematics. I believe that a strong background in mathematics is an asset to a person looking into just about any field of work.
Above, I have only named a few possibilities for a mathematics degree holder to pursue for a career. To attain one of these jobs a person must have good job search skills. Along with that there are seven easy steps to finding the right job. Step One is to know yourself. Step Two is to set your goals. Step Three is to prepare a powerful resume. Step Four is to establish a network. Step Five is to apply for positions. Step Six is preparing oneself for the job interview. Step Seven is to evaluate the job offers one receives. These seven steps will greatly increase a mathematics major's chances of finding the right job.
In 1986, only about thirty percent of mathematics degree recipients actually became teachers. The other seventy percent of that year chose to take on various work activities such as reporting, statistics, computing activities, research and development, management and administration, production and inspection, as well as a few other activities. Other 1986 statistics that I have found to support my thesis include the fields of employment of mathematics degree recipients. For people receiving their bachelors degree in mathematics only forty-two percent went into the field of mathematics and statistics. The other recipients of bachelors degree in mathematics went into other fields. Forty percent went into the field of computer science, fourteen percent went into the field of engineering, and two percent decided to go into the field of psychology. Similar statistics were found for people receiving their masters degree in mathematics, except for a rather large fifty percent increase in those entering the field of mathematics and statistics. Of those receiving their masters degree in mathematics sixty-two percent went into a field of mathematics or statistics; only fifteen percent went into the field of computer science compared to the forty percent of those who received only their bachelors degrees in mathematics; seventeen percent went into a field of engineering; and six percent went into a field of psychology. At the time of these statistics three quarters of people with mathematical science degrees were not classified as working as mathematical scientists. Also, one quarter of people with bachelors degrees in mathematics, one third of people with masters degrees in mathematics, and three quarters of people with doctorates in mathematics were employed at educational institutions. These percentages show that not even a majority of people who received any level of degree in mathematics were employed as teachers. This backs up my opinion that there are many other fields of employment open to people who receive their degree in mathematics.
Maybe most people who study mathematics won't become millionaires, but they do have the opportunity to. For example, many people who study mathematics become engineers or scientists, which contrary to the statement, can be a very wealthy profession. Also people who receive good jobs with successful companies such as IBM, AT&T Bell Labs, and American Airlines, to name a few, as well as people who work for numerous government agencies all earn a pretty comfortable salary. Besides all of this hard evidence, I believe that money isn't happiness. If someone goes into the field of mathematics, they generally like it and therefore will be happy doing it. This directly applies to me because I'm majoring in Secondary Education in mathematics and I plan on being a high school mathematics teacher. I already am aware that I probably will never be rich, but at least I know that I will be happy doing it.
