No wrong answers: A career guide to maths pathways
So, you want a cool next-gen maths job? There are plenty of different ways to study and work in maths. Here we nut out ways to land one.
As in most STEM disciplines, there’s more than one way to kickstart a maths career! In fact, maths has become so essential to the future workforce that new courses are being developed to cater for the specialist knowledge required for new, in-demand careers.
Degrees in data science have become increasingly popular, and maths skills are being incorporated into existing VET, cyber security and technology pathways. And if creativity is your thing? You’ll need maths skills too – because being good with numbers can boost your chances of getting a great gig whatever your path.
Do the maths!
Add maths to your non-numbers-related passion to find your dream role! The opportunities are literally infinite, but here are some ideas to start you off:
Career guide: maths + tech
Maths + Bachelor of Computer Science, Monash University (opens external website in a new window) = software engineer
Maths + Certificate IV in Cyber Security, TAFE NSW (opens external website in a new window) = cyber security analyst
Maths + Bachelor of Data Science, Western Sydney University (opens external website in a new window) = data scientist
Career guide: maths + engineering
Maths + Diploma of Engineering - Technical (Mechatronics), Swinburne University of Technology (opens external website in a new window) = Engineer (mechatronics)
Maths + Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours), Bachelor of Environmental Engineering (Honours), University of Newcastle (opens external website in a new window) = civil engineer
Maths + Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) / Mathematics, University of Queensland (opens external website in a new window) = literally any engineering discipline – you choose!
Career guide: maths + social impact
Maths + Bachelor of Social Science, Macquarie University (opens external website in a new window) = policy analyst
Maths + Graduate Certificate of Epidemiology, Charles Darwin University (opens external website in a new window) = epidemiologist or clinical researcher
Maths + Masters of Social Policy, University of Melbourne (opens external website in a new window) = analyst or urban planner
Career guide: maths + trades
Maths + Certificate III in Carpentry, Melbourne Polytechnic (opens external website in a new window) = builder
Maths + Certificate III in Plumbing, TAFE SA (opens external website in a new window) = plumber
Maths + Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician (opens external website in a new window) = electrician
Career guide: maths + retail
Maths + Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Data Science, Griffith University (opens external website in a new window) = data scientist
Maths + Diploma of Information Technology, TAFE NSW (opens external website in a new window) = UX designer
Maths + Bachelor of Computer Science, Adelaide University (opens external website in a new window) = blockchain developer
And what about the fun stuff?
Read!
… anything and everything that’ll clue you up on new, future-focused jobs! Careers sites such as Get into STEM (opens external website in a new window), Future You (opens external website in a new window) and My Future (opens external website in a new window), eMags and other people’s pathways are a great place to start.
Watch!
… YouTube, TikTok and Instagram stories! Yep, your careers homework is to hang out on social media. Find your favourite career idols (LinkedIn is great for this) and see what they’re sharing online. Search hashtags like #dreamgig, #mathsjobs and #CVgoals
Listen!
Along with soaking up wisdom from teachers and mentors, sometimes it’s cool to hear from real-life industry experts living the career goals you’re dreaming of. Podcasts like Her STEM Story and STEM Ed and Work Life are great for real-life pathways chats!
Want more details on some of the roles listed above? Head here for a rundown.
