What to do, what to do?

[battletoad]

Been searching for the proper place to submit this post, seems to be in this section. Soz if not.

 

So 2010 has come along, with it implications for my future, i.e. which discipline i'm to follow in post grad. Desperately in need of some advice.

 

I've been accepted for mathematics, physics and statistics post grad courses at my uni. Problem is, ideally i'd like to pursue mathematics (number theory, modern algebras, that sort of thing) but i'm not sure if i'd be able to get a job within an industry with these disciplines. Seems as if (in my country, South Africa, at least) companies favour a financial based mathematics qualification, in which i suppose i'm competent enough to pursue, but my interest isn't really there. If i'm to deviate from math, i'd ideally want to go down the physics route, perhaps even an applied math degree with an engineering/physics slant (my lack of interest in financial math would rightly correlate to my lack of interest in statistics-type occupation).

 

Question is, if i'm to stick with my math, which type of jobs would i be setting myself up for? Same question would go for physics (here again physics qualifications would lead more often than not only to research institutions if one's lucky enough). I'd love a job within an industry and not forced to stay within academia/research for employment, although i definitely wouldn't be opposed to academia/research if the opportunity arises.

 

Advice would be much appreciated, the new academic year starts roughly at the end of Jan.

 

PS I have a BSc in math and stat sciences and was unable to get a job in the last six months which explains my current disillusionment i guess. Hopefully with the recession ending sometime soon companies can start hiring people with degrees again like before.

[CharonY]

Actually I am curious as well. While I have quite a few colleagues and friends in biological and chemical sciences who made successful transitions into industry, the majority of people I worked with in the area of physics and mathematics have stuck to academia. The only exceptions were a few experimental physicists who essentially continued working with the systems with which they worked during their PhD. I.e. they are now mostly application specialists or selling the instruments in question.

 

I am thinking in the area of applied statistics, for instance. I assume that few actually require a PhD (but I may be wrong).