The University of KentCareers Advisory Service

Careers for Careers for

MathematiciansMathematicians

You can download a copy of You can download a copy of this presentation atthis presentation at

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

Skills gained on a Maths/Actuarial Degree

Maths/Actuarial graduates are attractive to many employers outside science because of their:

Ability to analyse information in a logical way

Investigative and problem solving skills.

Numeracy

IT skills

Especially finance & computing

One third of graduate jobs accept any degree subject.

BECAUSE: Learn new skills

quickly Analyse & solve

problems Communicate well Open to new ideas,

adaptable and flexible “Managers of change”

Marketing and Sales

Retailing Social Work Personnel Civil Service Accountancy Banking Computing

Destinations of Kent Maths Graduates

MATHS/ACTUARIAL JOB AREAS

Actuarial Work - insurance firms (Friends Provident) and Consultancies (Mercer)

Pensions Analyst Deloitte Touche, Nat West Bank

Accountancy – KPMG/PWC

Banking – Lloyds TSB Tax – Coutts Bank

Statistical Work - GSS

Operational Research – GORS

Defence – GCHQ, DSTL

Computing - Logica Teaching - PGCE Risk Management

Accountancy Biggest recruiter of graduates in the UK.

PWC and KPMG recruit 1,000 graduates each

3 years training whilst working – paid a salary

Audit, tax and consultancy Some similarities with actuarial work Main area is Chartered Accountancy (ACA),

but also Certified, Management and Public Sector Accountancy

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/accountancy.htm

BankingTwo main areas:Retail banking – High Street banking – mortgages, loans, current accounts etc.Investment banking – very competitive, long hours, pressure, well paid. Must apply early in final year and od lots of researchwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitebank.htm

Statistician Analyses and interprets data. Collects information, analyses it using statistical methods and computer programs such as SPSS. Interprets data for clients and users. Writes reports.EMPLOYERS: The largest employer is the Government Statistical Service GSS which employs 700 staff in more than 30 departments. Medical Statistics is also another large area with some major hospitals having statistical units.Biometrists work as statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry, as researchers in medical schools and hospitals and in agricultural institutes. SATISFACTIONS: intellectual stimulation of work.NEGATIVES: spend most of time in the office.DEGREE: Normally mathematics, statistics, economics or other statistics-related degrees. Graduates in other subjects can do an MSc in statistics.

The Government Statistical Service (GSS).

GSS is the UK’s largest provider of statisticians: 1200 professionals in 30 departments and agencies.

Two graduate entry routes into the GSS - the Fast Stream and the Statistical Officer programme. 

Entry requirement for both schemes is a first or second class honours degree or a postgrad. Degree.

Assistant Statistician Closing date Usually AprilNumber of posts usually about 30

Apply online at www.statistics.gov.uk/gssjobs

Operational Researcher Aiding & developing management strategies & decisions

through the use of analytical methods. Consulting with clients. Collecting & analysing data. Developing mathematical models on computer. Identifying solutions & presenting these to clients.

EMPLOYERS: Finance industry, Government Operational Research Service, local government & OR consultancies.

SATISFACTIONS: Assuming a senior role within major organisations. Can be very well paid. Intellectually stimulating. Varied project-based work.NEGATIVES: Can be working under considerable pressure.SKILLS: numeracy, analysing & investigating, planning, problem solving, verbal communication.DEGREE: business, computing, engineering, management, mathematics, psychology, sciences & other numerate subjects.POSTGRADUATE STUDY: A Masters degree in Operational Research or Management Science will aid entry

Government Operational Research Service Graduate Trainee OR Analysts – 50 posts Government OR analysts work to inform decisions in

developing policy, formulating strategy and delivering programmes. In HM Revenue and Customs for example, issues might include "what duty rates should be levied on tobacco?" (policy), "how should we tackle smuggling?" (strategy), or "how do we organise the staff at Dover?" (operations). Emphasis on structuring problems and helping customers to help themselves, rather than on producing standard answers to standard problems. Analysts employ a wide variety of techniques depending on the particular problems they tackle, ranging from basic spreadsheet modelling, forecasting, databases, univariate statistics, project management and problem structuring to data mining, system dynamics and simulation.

www.operational-research.gov.uk Closing date usually March

COMPUTING

has become a popular area for maths graduates in recent years, partly due to the availability of postgraduate conversion courses, such as the one year MSc in Computing at Kent. Employers here include: Tessella www.tessella.co.uk   developer of Scientific Software.LogicaCMG www.logicacmg.com recruits science and maths graduates into computer consultancy.IBM www.ibm.com/uk at CAREERS FAIR - Nov 4th

SCIENTIFIC MATHEMATICS Scientific Officer - Qinetiq (2),Research Project Ass't - Pfizer Defence industry and other science and engineering companies:

mathematical modeling and designing algorithms. The work is often research orientated and can be intellectually stimulatingGCHQ www.gchq.gov.uk national intelligence and security

HM Government Communications Centre www.hmgcc.gov.uk QinetiQ (an agency of the Ministry of Defence) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (dstl)

(explosives/weapons technology) www.dstl.gov.uk/careers/index.php Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG

www.desg.mod.uk BAe Systems global aerospace and defence AWE www.awe.co.uk   (Atomic Weapons Establishment) Roke Manor Research communications research lab. of Siemens

specialising in AEA Technology www.aeat.co.uk does contract research

The Met Office

OTHERS Teaching Risk Management Quantity Surveying Bioinformatics - application of

information science, computer science, statistics & maths to biological issues

Biometrics & computer forensics www.gradcracker.com

Maths Job Sources University of Kent Vacancy Database

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm Maths-jobs www.maths-jobs.co.uk includes maths jobs in banking,

insurance, finance, statistics, biology, medicine, bioinformatics, data mining, marketing, computing and OR.

Council for Mathematical Sciences. Maths Careers www.mathscareers.org.uk links to career profiles and further study.

Institute of Mathematics www.ima.org.uk/Careers/careers.htm careers section. Careers Advice leaflet for mathematics students/graduatesNow has a Facebook group www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7633226353 can ask questions of “real mathematicians” about their careers and what they do.

Plus Magazine http://plus.maths.org/interview.html Maths Careers London Mathematics Society www.lms.ac.uk/jobs academic jobs American Mathematical Society www.ams.org/careers  

What can I do with a Maths degree

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/maths.htm

CHOOSING A CAREER Choosing a Career Booklet - available in

Careers Service. Choosing a career pages

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Choosing/ChoosingCareer.htm

Prospects Planner - powerful career choice program in Careers Service. Also cut down web version at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/PPlanner

Careers Talks and Employer Presentations

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/casevents.htm

VACANCY AND WORK EXPERIENCE DATABASE

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm

Bruce Woodcock Normally on duty TUESDAY

MORNINGS (10.30 am - 12.30 pm) and WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS (2.00 - 5.00 pm). You don’t need to book an appointment to see me at these times.

Email: bw@kent.ac.uk - for enquires that I can answer BRIEFLY

Location of the Careers Service

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays including vacations.

The Careers Web Site www.kent.ac.uk/careers is available 24/7

The University of Kent Careers Advisory Service

You can download a copy of You can download a copy of this presentation atthis presentation at

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

Postgraduate Study MSc – 1 year PhD - 3 years Teacher training – 1 year

(bursaries available) See

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm

VACATION WORK Careers Databasewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm Also Sandwich placements STEP Paid project work in smaller companies

for second year students. 1400, 8 week projects each summer. Pay £190 per week www.step.org.uk

Also see www.ukc.ac.uk/careers/vacwork.htm

Videos APPLICATIONS INTERVIEWS ON-LINE APPLICATIONS SELECTION CENTRESNow on-linewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/IntVid.htm

WEB PAGES

Kent Vacancy Database www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm

Prospects Web www.prospects.ac.uk Applications and Interviews (includes

assessment centres and psychometric tests etc.) www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm

Example CVs & Covering Letterswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htm Practice Interviewswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/mockivs.htm Interview Reports – lots of actuarial

interviews!www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ivreps/ivrepsmenu.htm

Actuarial CVwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/actuary-cv.htm

Other points Check you campus emails regularly

as I will send you emails on vacation work, careers talks, vacancies etc.

Get actively involved in university life so you have evidence of teamwork, organising, leadership etc. skills for your CV.

Apply early in your final year – closing dates are often in the first term.