Mathematician
What the work is
Develops and applies mathematical principles and techniques to solve problems in all areas of the sciences, engineering, technology, social sciences, business, industry and commerce.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Conducts research to extend mathematical knowledge in areas such as algebra, geometry, probability and logic
- Applies mathematical theories and techniques to the solution of practical problems in business and management
- Develops mathematical or statistical models of trends to be used for analysis or for software simulation
- Performs computations and applies methods of numerical analysis to data
- Addresses the relationships of quantities, magnitudes and forms using numbers and symbols
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in the analytics team of a fictional general insurance company. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A model you built predicts what actually happens, and the team trusts it more
- A tangled problem finally becomes a clear picture you can draw on a whiteboard
- You explain risk to a non specialist and see them understand it
Hard days
- Data that does not add up and a deadline that does not move
- A senior person asks for one certain number when the honest answer is a range
- Weeks of checking work that nobody will notice unless it goes wrong
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 223132, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.