Landing an Industry Job as an Applied Mathematician
By Lina Sorg
Career preparation customarily begins in school, especially for those who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). When students feel that they are in control of their applied mathematics education, they are more likely to turn an early passion into a lifelong vocation. But upon earning a degree in applied math, recent graduates often wonder how to best pursue a career in business, industry, or government (BIG), as that path may seem less straightforward than academia.
During the PIC Math (Preparation for Industrial Careers in Mathematical Sciences) Spring Faculty Workshop, which took place virtually last month, Rachel Levy (executive director of the Data Science Academy at North Carolina State University) offered advice for students who aim to secure employment in BIG settings. Levy, who co-authored the BIG Jobs Guide, encouraged them to think in the context of their next move. This type of thinking is less stressful than deciding on a forever job, as switching positions is not uncommon in BIG.
Levy divided her presentation into five distinct tips and elaborated individually on each one. She first recommended that students find a placement that aligns with their own values and goals, which involves looking beyond an institution’s traditional metrics of success. “It can be extremely frustrating if what you value isn’t a good match for what your institution values,” Levy said. Personal values can pertain to culture, collaboration, opportunities for advancement, mentorship, or even lunchtime protocol.
Second, jobs in industry typically require short, succinct resumes instead of lengthy academic CVs. CVs list published papers and projects, but industry employers are more interested in their candidates’ contributions, roles, and the ultimate impact of their projects. As such, industry resumes should be project-based and ideally show how previous work relates to the goals of the institution in question. “That requires a bit of homework,” Levy said.
Applicants should make sure that key words and concepts from the job posting are reflected in their applications and supported with evidence. Levy urged students to try to obtain a resume from someone who works at a company they admire, or seek feedback from somebody who already holds a position to which they aspire. It is important to get a sense of an organization’s preferred format, style, and priorities, especially since different businesses prioritize different things.
Levy also encouraged students to apply for jobs even if they do not have every skill that is listed in the application. Even if one possesses only three out of 10 requirements, for example, a job is still worth pursuing. In such a case, candidates should be able to clearly articulate how they plan to acquire these skills, identify a pathway to do so, and provide concrete evidence of their learning processes.
For her third bit of advice, Levy noted that the government employs STEM Ph.D.s in nearly all sectors, including national laboratories, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Institutes of Health, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Agency for International Development, and even Congress. Fellowships can provide a window into government environments for anyone who is interested in exploring this type of employment. Every branch of the government—federal, state, county, etc.—offers various opportunities for applied mathematicians.
Fourth, Levy promoted the BIG Math Network website as a source of math-related job information. She also discussed the Mathematical Association of America’s BIG Career Interview Game, which helps players practice coping with legal and illegal interview questions. Detailed directions for this cooperative card game, which professors can play with their students, are available online. A portion of the deck is comprised of questions that employers should not ask during job interviewers but often do anyway. These queries—which may pertain to maternity/paternity status, immigration, wealth, transportation, and so forth—can lead to discrimination against nontraditional or minority students. During the game, students can guess whether a proposed question is legal. If it is illegal, the game offers tips on how to best address the question and pivot the conversation to a new topic.
When interviewing, prospective employees should frame their nontraditional experiences as positives. “What will that history do for you in the future?” Levy asked. “A lot of places want to know about overcoming struggles.” This is especially important as early-career employees learn to speak up, correct mistakes, act with confidence, trust other employees, and collaborate effectively in BIG settings. Therefore, candidates should remember—and believe—that their presence will add value to their employers.
In addition, Levy spoke briefly about keeping online profiles—and online interactions—clean and professional. “The ‘e’ in email stands for eternal,” she said. “Once you send it off it’s not yours anymore, but it can come back and hit you on the head.” She encouraged faculty to conduct a so-called “treasure hunt” with their students, where the students find the three most embarrassing things about themselves on the internet and remove them if possible.
Levy’s fifth and final tip for students is simple: network. “I feel like the world is really small,” she said. “You never know who you’re going to cross paths with again.” Students should begin to pay attention to individuals who serve as assets to their own personal growth — especially early in their careers. “If I’m writing with a person who I have fun with, I’m going to want to write more because I’ll want to have fun,” Levy continued. In contrast, she chooses not to collaborate with people who distract her from the tasks at hand. She also urged students to surround themselves with people from different backgrounds who bring a range of perspectives.
Levy then recommended that faculty members attend careers fairs to inquire about job openings, serve as ambassadors for their students, and advocate for their students and their work. For example, some companies are initially hesitant to hire math majors but are interested in data science because they care about data. Faculty can help these organizations visualize the connections between math and data and understand that they should be looking at math majors if they are interested in data scientists. “We have to talk about ourselves in a way that people can relate to,” Levy said. Staff can then relay this information back to the career centers at their own colleges, which will help them better guide future career fairs and navigate company questions.
Students should actively seek out internships, which introduce participants to different BIG work environments. Many companies will offer internships if someone reaches out to them, even if such opportunities are not always immediately visible online. In some cases, applicants can even pitch their own internships or opportunities to smaller companies.
Applied mathematics students who are preparing to enter the workforce have many factors to consider. Rather than put too much pressure on themselves to immediately find a forever placement, they should research companies and people with whom they would like to work, practice their communication and interview skills, rely on professors and mentors for advice, and build networked connections along the way.
PIC Math is a program of the Mathematical Association of America and SIAM, with support from the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency.
|
Lina Sorg is the managing editor of SIAM News. |