Choices to count on

Prateek Bhargava

Does your mind respond really fast to equations, numbers, and logic? Is your idea of fun is solving complex problems and discussing series, and sequences? 

If so, then, you’ve been bitten by the mathematics bug. And if so, you’re not alone. There are many, who can’t go to sleep without solving some mathematical puzzles as these present a  perfect balance between logic and creative flair. 

In today’s data driven age, when data processing, information analysis, and trend examination is a norm across careers, it is natural that people with high level of interest, and aptitude for mathematics, are an asset. 

For long the applicability of mathematics has been limited to research, academia, engineering, IT, economics, and statistics. With the advent of new-age careers, and increased fusion between the requisite skills and cross careers, the prospects of unconventional and exciting careers for maths lovers have increased manifold. Here are a few that you can check out if you are in love with numbers:

Financial Law

Students today have the option of putting their love for maths to law, and specialise in Financial Law. 

Financial lawyers find immense application of their skills in the corporate setup, and governance, where they help identify financial frauds, and non-legit tax evasion activities. Financial lawyers, also keep a general intelligence on the happenings in the market, and also seek to understand, and imply the legal, and financial aspects to mergers, acquisitions, and corporate moves.

Psychometrics

Psychometrics, the study of theory, and technique of psychological measurement, also requires ardent professionals, adept at mathematics. 

Psychometricians focus on the quantitative analysis, of aptitude levels, personality traits, knowledge, and skills in a psychological setting. Psychometricians work extensively on test development, like on the GRE, GMAT, SAT and other standardized examinations. A lot of psychometricians tend to work in human behaviour analysis, and career development.

Of course, conventional careers like actuarial sciences, banking, and accountancy, economics, and stock broking present significant opportunities for maths lover, but most promising, and rewarding careers today, are the ones with a little sass.  

— The writer is CEO, MINDLER (an advanced career guidance platform)

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Biomathematics & Biostatistics

The allied fields of biomathematics and biostatistics form an enthralling career option for a person who holds equal zeal towards mathematics, and biology. While biomathematics deals with the application of principals of applied mathematics to biological processes, and treatments, biostatistics focuses on the application of statistics — data collection, summarisation, analysis, and interpretation — to biological experimentation, such as those in pharmacy, medicine, and genetics. 

Biomathematicians, and Biostatisticians can work in ecology and ecological forecasting, drug experimentation, genetic mapping and population genetics, experimentation design, and research, nutrition, environment, and healthcare policy formulation, and management.

Mathematical Physics

Maths lovers are in for an exciting career in this field,  which deals with the application of mathematical logic, techniques, and methods to address problems in Physics. From innovative product development, to analysis, trend identification, and inference deduction from monumental chunks of data, mathematical physicists work across industries, and in academia to address problems in physics. They also find application in military, where they focus of the design and development of equipment, computer aided modelling, and lab research in bombs, and missiles. 

Market Research & Business Analysis

Market research, and business analysis present another set of careers open to people who love mathematics. While market researchers inspect market conditions to analyze potential revenue, including competition mapping, and need estimation, business analysts pack a knack for identifying business needs, and determining solutions to a wide range of business problems. With the ever-changing dynamics of careers, we believe that great numerical skills are going to come in handy, as complex problem solving gains precedence, as a new age skill to have. 

Operations Research

Operations Research, deals with the application of advanced analytical methods to help make better, and cost-effective decisions. It is a sub-field of applied mathematics, and finds extensive use in inventory management, logics and supply chain, and operations management. An operation researcher can use his/her skills to solve complex problems, such as those pertaining to transportation and distribution, network flow, scheduling and assignment, and corporate application of the game theory. 

Epidemiology

People gifted with numerical and logical skills also find a great career in epidemiology, which is a discipline concerned with the study, and analysis of patterns, causes, and effects of health, and diseases and epidemics. The discipline forms the base for effective public health policy formulation, preventive action, and disease control. Epidemiologists control the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of results.