Mathematics and Statistics - using your degree
From CareersWiki
Contents |
Introduction
A degree from Scotland's first university is an excellent start to any future career. St Andrews has a reputation for excellence and the ability to attract the brightest students world wide. With this as a starting point you are well on the way to impressing future employers.
As a mathematics/statistics graduate you acquire and develop a range of skills, both specific and general throughout your degree. Your highly developed numerical skills will allow you to be able to use numerical concepts and arguments throughout your work.
You will develop an analytical approach and be able to apply logical reasoning to problem solving. You will be highly adaptable, being able to address new problems in new contexts and transferring knowledge from one problem to another.
You also develop more general transferable skills including:
- organising your work;
- working as part of a team;
- time management;
- meeting deadlines.
Mathematics is involved in more fields than you may have thought possible and there are many options to consider when choosing a career. Applied mathematicians and statisticians work for the government, the forces, financial services, scientific research and development services, and consulting services specializing in management, science, and technology. Software publishers, insurance companies, aerospace, pharmaceutical, and other manufacturing companies also employ applied mathematicians and statisticians. Many also work in academia, teaching the next generation and developing innovations through their own research.
“There is no branch of mathematics, however abstract, which may not some day be applied to phenomena of the real world.”
— Nikolai Lobachevsky
From N. Rose, Mathematical Maxims and Minims, Raleigh NC, Rome Press Inc., 1988.
The Careers Centre can provide information on a comprehensive range of careers including those detailed above. There are specialist advisers for different occupational areas. We offer 20 minute drop-in sessions on a first come, first served basis. Drop-in is available for all students and recent graduates of the University of St Andrews on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 2.00pm - 4.00pm.
Students who are in their penultimate or final year and those studying for a Masters or Phd, can book an appointment with a careers adviser. Booked appointments generally last up to 30 minutes. Visit Careers advice for further details.
| Print friendly leaflet on What can I do with Maths |
St Andrews student wins TARGETjobs undergraduate of the year award
Two students from the University of St Andrews have won top awards that will see them take up prestigious placements this summer.
Lorcan Morgan (Mathematics)and Adam Copp (Computer Science) were awarded at the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards in association with SHL.
Lorcan Morgan won the Mathematics Undergraduate of the Year Award, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
His prize is a placement but with a week spent in RBS’s US office. Lorcan beat 258 entrants to win this award.
The St Andrews pair were presented their awards by The Right Honourable Michael Portillo. He said: "I have been incredibly impressed by the motivation of the students that I have met here. They are dedicated to forwarding their careers and are doing all they can to present themselves as top class candidates both through their university work and extra curricular activities. I am sure that they will be very successful in their chosen fields."
Chris Phillips, publishing director at Group GTI, the organisers of the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards, commented: "TARGETjobs would like to congratulate all the nominees on their fantastic achievements. They have been put through their paces throughout the award assessment process designed by SHL and really do deserve to be recognised for their hard work. In today's climate, students need to do all they can to stand out from the crowd and we have seen some great applicants who are doing just this.”
The winners were announced at a special awards event at the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf attracting an audience of over 200.
Student / Alumni Profiles
Alice graduated in 2002 and is now a secondary maths teacher at Dunbar Grammar School. Find out the advice she would give to any current students considering a career in teaching Read her profile.
Where Our Graduates Go
| Year of Graduation | Organisation/Company | Position | Maths/Stats. Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Deloitte | Associate Auditor | Yes |
| 2011 | Community Energy Scotland | Monitering and Evaluation Development Officer | Yes |
| 2011 | Proctor & Gamble | Market Researcher | Not directly |
| 2011 | RSM Tenon | Accountant | Yes |
| 2011 | DSTL (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) | Military Scientist | Yes |
| 2011 | Capital One | Business Analyst | Yes |
| 2010 | Sky Bet | Risk Analyst and Sports Trader case study | Yes |
| 2009 | NHS | Clinical Information Officer | Not directly |
| 2009 | Metaswitch Networks | Software Developer | Yes |
| 2009 | University of Edinburgh | Computing Officer | Yes |
| 2009 | Ernst & Young | Trainee Actuary | Yes |
| 2009 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh | Maths PhD | Yes |
| 2009 | Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, USA | Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Yes |
| 2009 | University of Cambridge | Studying for an MPhil in Epidemiology case study | Yes |
| 2009 | PGCE | Primary School PGCE student (maths specialist) case study | Yes |
| 2009 | Ernst & Young | Trainee Life Actuary case study | Yes |
| 2007 | University of Cambridge | Research Assistant (Medical Statistician) case study | Yes |
| 2007 | BT | Graduate Trainee case study | Yes |
| 2008(CAN) | KPMG - Glasgow | Graduate Trainee Public Sector Auditor | Yes |
| 2006 | SIAS Limited | Transportation Consultant case study | Yes |
| 2006 | The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) | Risk Analyst case study | Yes |
| 2006 (CAN) | Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc (New York) | Investment Banking Associate | Yes |
| 2005 | Barclays Capital | Assistant VP, UK Insurance ALM Solutions case study | Yes |
| 2005 (CAN) | Florida State University | Graduate Teaching Assistant | Yes |
| 2004 | Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium | Postdoctoral Researcher case study | Yes |
| 2004 | Teacher case study | Yes | |
| 2004 | Forensic Science Service | Statistician case study | Yes |
| 2002 | Dunbar Grammar School | Teacher of Maths case study | Yes |
| 1999 | Dept of Statistics, University of Auckland, New Zealand | Associate Professor - case study | Yes |
| 1999 (CAN) | Goldman Sachs International | Chartered Accountant Product Controller | Yes |
| 1999 (CAN) | BBC | Broadcast Journalist | Not directly |
| 1997 (CAN) | Baillie Gifford & Co - Edinburgh | Accountant | Yes |
| 1995 | Albyn School, Aberdeen | Head of Careers/Teacher of Maths case study | Yes |
| 1994 (CAN) | JP Morgan - New York | Head of IB Strategic Initiatives Group | Yes |
| 1993 (CAN) | MFS Limited - Australia | Financial Services Chief Operating Officer | Yes |
| 1992 (CAN) | Deutsche Bank | Mathematical Modeller | Yes |
| 1981 | ESRC | ESRC Chief Executive (until October 2010) case study | Yes |
Careers Alumni Network (CAN) indicates these alumni are willing and keen to be contacted to help St Andrews students with their careers search.
Where Our Postgraduates Go
| Year | Organisation/Company | Position | Maths/Stats. Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | FOPRA | Financial Consultant | Not directly |
| 2010 | Maritime and Coastguard Agency | Coastguard Watch Officer | Yes |
| 2010 | AWE | Team Leader for Material Modeling | Yes |
| 2010 | University of Abertay Dundee | Mathematics Lecturer | Yes |
| 2010 | Forestry Consultancy | Consultant | Not directly |
| 2010 | JP Morgan | Investment Banking Analyst | Yes |
| 2009 | Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory | Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Yes |
| 2008 | Bank Of Scotland | Risk Analyst | Yes |
| 2007 | Goldman Sachs | Associate Commodity Strategist | Yes |
| 2006 | Morgan Stanley | Analyst | Yes |
| 2006 | 2H Offshore Engineering | Engineer | Yes |
Popular Jobs for Mathematics Graduates Nationally
Of students who graduated in 2009, 42% of mathematics students and a similar 45% statistics students, entered full or part-time work within six months. A further 12% and 15% respectively, were combining work with further study, often for finance-related examinations.
The areas of work chosen were wide ranging, with just over a third of mathematics students and 43% of statistics students were working in business, finance and associate professional roles. Other destinations for mathematicians included commercial, industrial and public sector managers at 7%, education professionals at 10%, and IT professionals at 6%.
Other destinations for statistics students included 8% commercial, industrial and public sector management, nearly 9% in clerical and secretarial roles, 3% were marketing sales and advertising professionals and 2% had joined the information technology profession. Almost 10% had jobs in retail and catering, many of them probably on a temporary basis and around 8% were believed to be unemployed.
Summer Internships & Work Experience
It can be very valuable to gain experience of work in various areas, but particularly in those areas that you are considering as a future career.
- The University Careers Centre has information on vacation jobs and internships in the US
- If you'd like to stay in St Andrews over the summer, you might want to apply for the St Andrews Summer Internship Scheme.
- Remember to network with students in more senior years, tutors, family and friends they may have suggestions and contacts.
- The Undergraduate Research Internship Programme (URIP) was launched in 2008 by the University of St Andrews. Under the URIP scheme, the University funds 20 undergraduates to carry out research over ten weeks during the summer vacation. The students work on independent projects under the guidance and supervision of a member of academic staff. Look out on the website for application forms which normally have to be returned by the end of April.
- Several penultimate year students have been successful in getting a paid summer internship with the Saltire Foundation. These are global experiences in USA, Japan, Cayman Islands and others.
- Summer Research Schools are also funded by organisations such as Nuffield and Carnegie.
- If you are interested in teaching or other work with children the University runs schemes in partnerships with local education authorities which give students access to school pupils. To find out more contact the staff involved by e-mail, schools.access@st-andrews.ac.uk .More Schools are offering the UK Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme, which requires students to spend up to 25 hours working within a Primary or Secondary school or Science centre. The module is assessed and contributes towards the final degree outcome.
- Joining a society and/or a professional body, particularly if you take on a role of responsibility, can impress future employers and also enhance employability skills such as - team working, negotiation, event management, controlling budgets, leadership etc. Have a look at the case study from a student who made the most of his time at St Andrews through involvement in societies. At St Andrews you have a wealth of societies to choose from. Here are a few relevant examples:
- The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications - Aims to provide information to students on careers, events, publications and has some grants to fund various activities.
- London Mathematical Society
- Royal Statistical Society
- Chaos Society - University run.
The table below gives some examples of the experiences of Mathematics/Statistics students.
| Year | Organisation/Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Ernst & Young | Summer Internship Programme case study |
| 2009 | Various volunteer work experience roles | Work experience and how to get it case study |
Employability Profile
Over the course of your degree you develop a good mix of subject specific and transferable core skills (communication, team work, time management, presentation etc). Consider these alongside your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.
Skills
The profile below identifies the skills that can be developed through the study of your discipline based on subject benchmark statements developed by UK higher education academic communities.
This table is able to help you to identify the valuable skills that you can offer to potential employers.
| A graduate in Mathematics/Statistics typically will have the ability to: | Evidence: |
|---|---|
| Demonstrate knowledge of key mathematical concepts and topics | All mathematics & statistic modules do this |
| Abstract the essentials of problems and formulate them mathematically and in symbolic form so as to facilitate their analysis and solution | All mathematics & statistic modules do this especially at honours level |
| Present mathematical arguments and the conclusions from them with accuracy and clarity | All mathematics & statistic modules do this especially at honours level |
| Have skills relating to rigorous argument and solving problems in general, and a facility to deal with abstraction including the logical development of formal theories | All honours level mathematics & statistic modules do this |
| Have skills relating to formulating physical theories in mathematical terms, solving the resulting equations analytically or numerically, and giving physical interpretations | All honours level applied mathematics & statistic modules do this for example classical mechanics, fluid dynamics, solar theory, dynamical systems, asymptotic methods, forecasting, population genetics,bayesian inference, spatial processes, financial mathematics, sampling theory and statistical research in practice |
| Focus on statistics that will have skills relating to the design and conduct of experimental and observational studies and the analysis of data resulting from them | All statistics modules do this especially population genetics, bayesian inference, spatial processes, statistical inference, sampling theory, statistical research in practice and all level 5 modules |
| Have skills relating to formulating complex problems of optimisation and interpreting the solutions in the original contexts of the problems | Various modules deal with this for e.g. advanced analytic techniques |
| Have the ability to learn independently using a variety of media | Independent study is required in all modules to further understanding of lecture material. In addition, all final year students must complete a supervised project. The project allows students to work independently and in depth on a topic of their choice. They must use a variety of media when seeking and presenting information e.g. books, internet, research papers, radio extracts, archives, TV, newspapers, statistical data etc etc. There is also an independent study module available at level 5. |
| Work with patience and persistence, pursuing problem solutions to their conclusion | All mathematics & statistic modules require this |
| Have good general skills of time management and organisation | Due to the workload and depth of understanding needed, all mathematics & statistic modules require this |
| Transfer knowledge to assess problems logically and to approach them analytically | All mathematics & statistic modules require this. Modules do not stand alone and require students to build on previous knowledge and experience gained. |
| Have highly developed numeracy and ICT skills | Several opportunities exits for students to develop these skills for e.g. mathematical information technology, computing in statistics, mathematical programming and computing in mathematics |
| Have communication skills such as the ability to write coherently and clearly | All final year students complete a supervised project which leads to a substantial written report. Assessment of the report focuses on how well a student assimilates and understands a mathematical or statistical topic and how well they present their ideas to their intended readers. |
| Demonstrate appropriate transferable skills and the ability to work with relatively little guidance or support. | The final year honours project requires this. |
Mathematics Careers/Employability Link
Each School has a Careers/Employability Link who "champions" employability. Yours is Dr Magda Carr (pictured taking part in extra curricular activity coaching primary school football) . If you have any information you consider important for your fellow students please let her know. Alternatively you can contact the Employability Coordinator for the University, Pamela Andrew,at pea1.
Links to Useful Resources
- Destination Statistics of St Andrews graduates
- Options with your degree.
- Maths Careers (comprehensive list of careers suitable for maths graduates produced by Kent University)
- The Institute of Mathematics
- Science and Industry Advance with Mathematics (SIAM) - this article gives useful information on emerging careers
- Council for the Mathematical Sciences (CMS) - has an extensive and well researched section of Career Profiles
- Travels in a Mathematical World - is an audio podcast from the IMA. Episodes are around 10 minutes long and feature mathematicians speaking about their work as well as episodes on maths history and maths news
- Research Gate research jobs
