Most students who major in Mathematics do so because they genuinely like it. They enjoy the challenges of problem-solving and appreciate the subtle beauty of mathematical abstraction. Students also discover that studying Mathematics develops such skills as arguing logically and rigourously, thinking abstractly, formulating and solving problems, and so on.

The cultivation of these practical abilities has the happy effect that Mathematics majors find themselves in demand by employers, for careers in a wide variety of areas.

When thinking about mathematically related jobs, students typically think first about teaching, either at the K-12 level or the university level.

This profession does indeed employ many graduates, although hiring trends tend to go up and down in cycles. Fortunately, employment prospects in teaching are currently quite good, due to high numbers of expected retirements over the next few years.

Mathematics students also find many exciting opportunities in industry, working on computer software or scientific programs, usually as members of teams comprised of scientists, engineers, computer scientists, and others.

Examples of such projects are:

• investigating the air flow across the wing of an aircraft,
• improving security of internet transmissions,
• optimizing the administration of insulin to diabetics,
• implementing an airline schedule that makes best use of planes and crew.

These career paths may not always be highly visible to students (and others), perhaps because the official job title is something other than "Mathematician," or because the use of mathematics in creating the end product is not readily apparent.

Graduates may find work as statisticians, who collect and interpret large amounts of numerical data, in support of the operations of governments and industries. These include such activities as conducting opinion polls, analyzing clinical trials of experimental drugs, setting insurance rates, and managing investment portfolios.

Mathematics graduates have also found eager acceptance by professional schools, such as medicine and law, who recognize the value that a mathematics education and its associated "skill set" bring to their disciplines.

For further information, you can check out the following resources:

• Job Futures in Mathematics, from Human Resources Development Canada
• Undergraduate Mathematics Majors, from the American Mathematical Society
• Careers in Applied Mathematics & Computational Sciences, from the Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics
• Careers in Mathematics, from the Association for Women in Mathematics
• Careers in Statistics, from the American Statistical Association
• Be an Actuary, from the Society of Actuaries