Career Advice Needed

jetpunk2000 · 01-20-2005, 12:06 PM

I need a bit of guidance on what type of jobs are available for someone a math degree. I am eventually planning to teach, but I am eligible to graduate in May with the math degree. In order to become permanently certified I need a 34 credit sequence in education, so I most likely would not be able to teach in public schools with just the degree in math. I can possibly graduate in December with the education portion of the degree done(that is assuming I cram about 18 credits over the summer), but I'm not making any money being a full time student. Anyway, I've been told to look into actuary work or risk assessment, but I know there is a lot of training attached to those jobs (actuarial work requires 10 oir so tests) and I don't want to spend time training for a job I'm probably only going to have for 2-3 years.

So, I guess, I stay in school and finish the education or I graduate with the math degree. My question is, is it worth it to graduate early? Will I find a job?

henry296 · 01-20-2005, 12:23 PM

My fiancee has a math degree and teaches without being certified. It is very difficult to find a job in a public school, but private schools don't require certification.

Crapshoot · 01-20-2005, 12:25 PM

Math is a good degree if you want to do finance etc as well- you have to have some degree of intelligence, unlike many a business degree out there. But are you only interested in teaching ?

thealmighty · 01-20-2005, 01:28 PM

jetpunk, I know nothing about where you are, but I am a HS math teacher and, at least in Dallas (where I am), they have Alternative Certification plans.

Basically, you get hired with a Deficiency Plan, which gives you so many years to get all your needed hours and certification. You take classes and go to training while teaching.

Also, I don;t know about where henry is, but around here (unless you are an idiot at the interview- or one of the people in the Teacher Sex thread), it is easy to find a spot, relatively, as math is one of the subjects with a shortage- and therefore an extra stipend each year.

Swaggs · 01-20-2005, 02:45 PM

With the job market as crappy as it is and interest rates so low, unless you are feeling a real push to get out, I would finish up the education degree, as well.

lurker · 01-24-2005, 12:09 PM

I graduated with a math degree and I'm an actuary now -- well, technically an actuarial student or an actuarial anaylst since you're not fully certified until you pass all your exams. It might not be a bad idea to do that for a few years if you really want money now. True, there are a lot of exams that you have to take twice a year, and they're insanely difficult (they recommend studying at least 300 hours per exam and the first one alone covers three semesters of Calculus, linear algebra, and diff eq) but most companies give you some study time for it, and raises and bonuses for passing. Also, you could just take the exams without really studying or expecting to pass since you don't want to do this forever. There's no need to tell your employer that you're not going to take all the exams. People move around a lot in this profession, so it's not like you'd owe them any loyalty if you left before finishing.

You also might want to consider tutoring while you're going to school -- could make good money doing that.

damnMikeBrown · 01-24-2005, 12:22 PM

Tutoring is for junk money here at school. I think it's $6.50/hr, with a book of restrictions on what you can do. That's through the school however, privately may be harder to get into, but easier to do.

I know my "big" finance professor just loves you guys...he's all about mathmatics...you don't know anything until you can show it mathmatically...If you asked him, he'd tell you to get your PhD in Finance/Statistics and hit the street making $500k per year... That'd be his theory anyway

lurker · 01-24-2005, 12:35 PM

Wow. When I was a freshman 8 years ago I tutored through the college and I made that much (around 6 or 7 bucks). Upperclassmen and people who had already graduated that were tutoring privately were making around $25 an hour.

Eaglesfan27 · 01-24-2005, 05:00 PM

I tutored people privately at USC about 12 years ago for 20/hr. I can't believe you would only get 6.50 for tutoring.

damnMikeBrown · 01-24-2005, 06:27 PM

Geez...I had no idea. Yeah, I was a finance tutor last semester, and that's what we made. It was a real pain in the ass. The system that is set up has everybody going through the school to get tutoring. To my knowledge, there isn't an independent system set up. I could easily be wrong. Again, only my experience here at Miami.

01-20-2005, 12:23 PM	#2
henry296 College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	My fiancee has a math degree and teaches without being certified. It is very difficult to find a job in a public school, but private schools don't require certification. __________________ "It's a great day for hockey" - "Badger" Bob Johnson

01-20-2005, 01:28 PM	#4
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	jetpunk, I know nothing about where you are, but I am a HS math teacher and, at least in Dallas (where I am), they have Alternative Certification plans. Basically, you get hired with a Deficiency Plan, which gives you so many years to get all your needed hours and certification. You take classes and go to training while teaching. Also, I don;t know about where henry is, but around here (unless you are an idiot at the interview- or one of the people in the Teacher Sex thread), it is easy to find a spot, relatively, as math is one of the subjects with a shortage- and therefore an extra stipend each year. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

01-20-2005, 02:45 PM	#5
Swaggs Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	With the job market as crappy as it is and interest rates so low, unless you are feeling a real push to get out, I would finish up the education degree, as well. __________________ DOWN WITH HATTRICK!!! The RWBL Are you reading In The Bleachers?

01-24-2005, 12:09 PM	#6
lurker High School JV Join Date: May 2001	I graduated with a math degree and I'm an actuary now -- well, technically an actuarial student or an actuarial anaylst since you're not fully certified until you pass all your exams. It might not be a bad idea to do that for a few years if you really want money now. True, there are a lot of exams that you have to take twice a year, and they're insanely difficult (they recommend studying at least 300 hours per exam and the first one alone covers three semesters of Calculus, linear algebra, and diff eq) but most companies give you some study time for it, and raises and bonuses for passing. Also, you could just take the exams without really studying or expecting to pass since you don't want to do this forever. There's no need to tell your employer that you're not going to take all the exams. People move around a lot in this profession, so it's not like you'd owe them any loyalty if you left before finishing. You also might want to consider tutoring while you're going to school -- could make good money doing that. Last edited by lurker : 01-24-2005 at 12:10 PM.

01-24-2005, 12:35 PM	#8
lurker High School JV Join Date: May 2001	Wow. When I was a freshman 8 years ago I tutored through the college and I made that much (around 6 or 7 bucks). Upperclassmen and people who had already graduated that were tutoring privately were making around $25 an hour. Last edited by lurker : 01-24-2005 at 05:08 PM.

01-20-2005, 12:25 PM	#3
Crapshoot Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003	Math is a good degree if you want to do finance etc as well- you have to have some degree of intelligence, unlike many a business degree out there. But are you only interested in teaching ?

01-24-2005, 12:22 PM	#7
damnMikeBrown College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Cincinnati, OH	Tutoring is for junk money here at school. I think it's $6.50/hr, with a book of restrictions on what you can do. That's through the school however, privately may be harder to get into, but easier to do. I know my "big" finance professor just loves you guys...he's all about mathmatics...you don't know anything until you can show it mathmatically...If you asked him, he'd tell you to get your PhD in Finance/Statistics and hit the street making $500k per year... That'd be his theory anyway

01-24-2005, 05:00 PM	#9
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	I tutored people privately at USC about 12 years ago for 20/hr. I can't believe you would only get 6.50 for tutoring. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

01-24-2005, 06:27 PM	#10
damnMikeBrown College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Cincinnati, OH	Geez...I had no idea. Yeah, I was a finance tutor last semester, and that's what we made. It was a real pain in the ass. The system that is set up has everybody going through the school to get tutoring. To my knowledge, there isn't an independent system set up. I could easily be wrong. Again, only my experience here at Miami.

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