Where Are You in This Picture? First of all, consider the following scenarios to see if any fit your current thinking or situation:
Scenario 1: You've enjoyed your math major and done pretty well academically, but you're not certain about exactly what kind of work you should look for. You majored in math because you were good at it, but really haven't given a lot of thought to how you'll use it. You're confused about what you can do in the workforce and who will hire you.
Scenario 2: You're approaching graduation or you've just graduated. You've tested the job market and it doesn't seem like a good time to be employed. Jobs are hard to come by, low paying, and don't seem to value your degree. Maybe you think it would be better to stay in school, get an advanced degree and then try the job market.
Scenario 3: Perhaps you've done the kinds of job search activities suggested in the opening chapters of this book and seen all the better Jobs and big money go to those who have a master's. You think, "Okay, I'll get a master's," but you're worried about your own lack of work experience in a professional environment. Most of the math jobs you are attracted to require a master's degree. You wonder if you could get one of these jobs if you could get through the degree. You have to ask yourself if you have what it takes.
The Reason for Any Confusion
You may begin to feel as confused and frustrated as Shakespeare's Hamlet, wrestling over the question of whether to continue your education with a master's or get out of school and go to work. Certainly, given the uncertainties of the job market and the shifting paradigms of employers and employee bases, it might seem a wise investment to continue to add to your math education, earn an advanced degree, and hope to make yourself more competitive than the typical undergraduate job candidate.
Graduate school has always been a popular option for those who could afford it when the job market is demanding. Enroll in grad school, wait a couple of years, and then hopefully enter the market at a more propitious time. The strategy is that, hopefully, not only will your chances of employment be better, but once you have an advanced degree you may be a candidate for more and different jobs than you would have been previously and at a higher salary.
Identify The Career
Thinking About Which Master's Degree? Reading this book, talking to your friends or faculty advisors, you're sure to hear suggestions about taking an advanced degree. As a math major, your options are many when it comes to graduate school. If your undergraduate degree was in math education and you are pursuing a career in teaching, then you might consider the Master of Arts in teaching or a master of education. Naturally, a master's degree in mathematics or some specialty within mathematics would seem obvious, especially for some of the directly related math positions discussed. However, you have many other choices with your undergraduate mathematics degree. For example, you may be interested in using your undergraduate mathematics degree in a business field, so you might want to consider a master of business administration (the M.B.A.) or a master's degree in economics (M.A. Ec.). But there are many other choices than these two. There is Master of Arts in finance (M.A.R), master of applied mathematical science (M.A.M.S.) or a master in applied statistics (M.Ap.Stat.).
Think About the School
However, not all master's degrees are created equal. Graduate programs, curriculum, and faculty (not to mention costs) can vary dramatically from school to school. The master's degree has been referred to as the working professional degree as so many management and leadership positions demand an advanced education. Every graduate school program comes with its own faculty, and that faculty has particular professional interests. You'll want to be certain that the research interests of the faculty match your needs in pursuing graduate education. Many of you may attend graduate school at night and on weekends as part of the educational benefits offered by your employer. You'll be working two jobs, in effect, your day job and your education after hours. When you think of the energy demands that will require, you'll want to be assured you're getting the kind of education that will serve you best.
The Question of Experience
There's no question that, in most cases, an advanced degree brings more responsibility and greater rewards, especially financial. But those rewards are not based entirely on the degree; they are also based on the breadth and depth of experience you bring to an employer. If you stay on for graduate school and earn your master's degree immediately, you'll find yourself in the unenviable position of being top-heavy with education and but weak in practical experience.
Most of the positions that require an advanced degree, such as a master's, include responsibilities such as budget management, staff supervision, or strategic planning responsibilities. Those positions are going to be reserved for individuals who have both the master's degree and the work experience to go with it.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. There are some isolated research or staff positions where your educational exposure is of a higher priority than your work history. However, if you've been giving this book a close reading, you'll have understood how many of the positions we have cited in the career paths outlined involve working on teams and collaborative approaches. So while there may be some autonomous positions out there, you'll have to ask yourself two questions: 1) Where are they? And once you find them, 2) Do you want them?
The other exception to moving on immediately to graduate work may be those individuals who already have acquired exceptional work experience through high-level internships in their chosen field, or teaching assistant or research assistant positions while undergraduates. As career counselors, we occasionally see undergraduate resumes that are startlingly rich in high-quality work experiences.
But in most cases, a master's degree without the attendant or expected experiential component means a job where you're given work that requires your degree but your pay and responsibilities match those with an undergraduate mathematics degree. We find our clients who have weak experience but advanced degrees have no trouble securing interviews and offers. Of course, who wouldn't be happy to have all that talent, especially when you only have to pay bachelor's degree rates for it? Employers are unwilling to hire and pay for a master's degree without an accompanying high level of practical experience.
Finding a job is hard work, whatever shape the job market's in. It means putting yourself on the line, answering tough questions, going out on your own, day after day, and facing a lot of rejection and wondering why. For these reasons, a graduate degree starts to look good to all those math graduates who feel that getting another degree will add something to their resume and maybe, while they're doing that, the job market conditions will change and things will somehow be easier. This is not a wise strategy! You continue to add unproven education without experience. Sadly, many of your peers who have taken masters degrees with no real-world experience will tell you their salaries and job descriptions are little different from those of another employee with a bachelor s degree. In our own career counseling practice, we have seen this type of client all too frequently.
