Question:
What other jobs can a PhD in math do? Failed at all attempts to get a faculty job! Please help! Important!?
Superwoman
2010-09-01 01:45:26 UTC
My husband received his PhD in Math from a highly accredited university in Canada in May of 2010. He also has a B.Sc in Math from a good university in Turkey. He has a near perfect GPA. He has been applied all over the world and we have received nothing but rejections for the last 4 months. We have mainly been applying to faculty positions around the world. He has also applied to other types of positions as well.

I feel that I would be more comfortable living in Canada rather than moving to a foreign country. Well, if there is a good opportunity abroad then we wouldn't let it pass either. But is there anything else he can do to further his studies...or say do some kind of short 1-2 year program that will increase his chances of getting a job in Canada...even outside the university faculty positions circle? Something that could be combined with the Math background and that won't waste his PhD. Please I would really like some information from someone who knows what I'm talking about. Also if you know of any other helpful information, please do share. Thanks in advance!
Six answers:
RoaringMice
2010-09-01 07:26:23 UTC
You're kind of in a bind, so I'll throw out a bunch of ideas, in the hope that some of them might be of interest. I know that some of these aren't exactly what he thought he'd be doing, but I suggest them none the less.



In the US, he could apply to be a math instructor at a community college. He could also apply for adjunct teaching positions, which he'd hold while he looked for a tenure track job. If a similar system of community colleges and/or adjunct teaching exists in Canada, he could try for such positions now.



In the US, he could take the actuarial science exam, and become an actuary. That would be a change of career path, and while his math skills would be highly valued, a PhD is not normally required. But actuaries are in demand here, and the job pays well - and the actuaries I know really enjoy their jobs. If the situation is similar in Canada, it's something he could look at.



He could try to go into industry or government - although I don't know how well a match his research area is with their needs. But in general, math PhDs can be useful in economics, for example. Insurance (ala the actuary example I gave). Finance. Even computer science, if he knows how to program. The US government's National Security Agency is the #1 employer of mathematicians in the US, and I'd imagine that the Canadian gov't would also be a heavy employer of math PhDs.



In fact, if he were American, the CIA would be interested in him for his math skills and his language abilities. If the Canadian government has a similar agency, he may want to look into what sorts of jobs are available there.



Microsoft and other computer and telecommunications companies all employ research mathematicians.



He could work for a pharmaceutical company, if he has enough of a background in statistics.



He could also consider focusing his search on countries where his skills would be in very high demand. For example, Dubai has been a hotbed of foreign uni development, and have been actively seeking PhDs to teach there. And I'd imagine his home country of Turkey would be a good place for him to use his North American PhD.



These are some suggestions. I hope he's able to find something that suits him!
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2017-01-02 00:18:12 UTC
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2016-07-22 17:51:34 UTC
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2016-11-12 13:22:53 UTC
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lercio
2010-09-01 01:50:31 UTC
Maybe looking at what branch of mathematics he did his PhD in would help. What are the practical applications of it (if any) and then look at the companies in that field. They might offer a job or fund further research.
?
2016-07-09 13:18:22 UTC
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