Purpose

Many job sectors have a growing need for people with mathematical and analytical skills, increasing the number of opportunities for mathematicians outside of academia. However, many mathematicians on the job market are simply unaware of potential careers and the need for skills outside of academia. The goals of Math Careers Beyond Academia is to try and rectify this! Our goals for this program are:

• Exploring Careers: Expose graduate students to potential career paths outside of academia, which utilize the skills they are developing during their Ph.D.


• Identifying Skills: Discuss the skills one needs to pursue the highlighted careers, as well as how one can develop these in graduate school.


• Encouraging Career Management: Encourage graduate students to think about career management as a lifelong process, one they should beginning early in graduate school.

The symposium will feature 30-minute talks and panel discussions with individuals who successfully made the transition to careers outside of academia. The discussion will focus on exposing audience members to potential career paths as well as the skills needed to work in these areas.

This symposium is only possible thanks to the generous support of the Department of Mathematics and the Graduate School at the University of Wisconsin.