"So, what are you going to do with that?"

This is probably the most annoying question that I get asked on a semi-regular basis. I'm finishing a Master's degree in applied math, and I'll be out looking for work or more school in only a few months. Clearly, I'm asking myself this question as well. But answering this question is tricky sometimes; it's not easy to be specific, and sometimes my response may appear flaky. The result is some awkward situations when "what I do for a living" comes up in oh so casual conversation. Also, saying that I'm a graduate student leads to some funny reactions. Here's why I think this is the case.

First of all, people really don't like math. Some people would rather boil their hair and drink the broth than talk about math. They hated it, had a bad teacher experience, failed some courses or just plain "didn't get it". This means that saying "I'm a math student" or "I do research in math" kills social interactions almost instantly. People just aren't interested. That's why I sometimes say I do mathematical biology, because at least some people like biology. Or that I research the evolution of cooperation, of why animals and people cooperate with one another. That at least goes over well sometimes. But in general, mentioning math is cocktail party suicide. I think this is really unfortunate, but such is life.

Of course, saying I'm a graduate student doesn't fare much better. I think that individuals who aren't in or have done postgraduate work get a little confused by this. They hear "student" and think "poor, unemployed, possibly lazy, but working towards something good hopefully". But there's also the "graduate" part in that statement. Most individuals in the non-academic world went to school at least partially to have better job prospects, perhaps even pursue a professional career like law or medicine. They certainly didn't go to school for the sake of going to school (right?). So when they hear "graduate student" I think some "working world" individuals think I went to school to go to more school, to avoid "working for Man" as it were. "If I'm in school I don't have to grow up and get a real job and be an adult, so why wouldn't I stay in school?" must be my line of reasoning.

Well, it isn't. Why I went to grad school will likely be a topic for another day, but I can say that avoiding "the Man" was not a large factor. Instead, I'll offer my insight to what a graduate student "does" in terms of it being a job (which it is). In some ways, it's like being an apprentice; you learn the in's and out's of research, what's going on in your field of study, and general professional conduct of being a professor/researcher/university teacher. For example, I'm currently writing my thesis, and it needs to include certain things and particular details. With this, I'm also reading up on current research and being exposed to what's happening in the field at the moment. I'm also a TA for a course in linear algebra, which involves marking tests and preparing tutorials each week for a section of around 75 students. Lastly, I engage with other students, professors and researchers on a regular basis to discuss other academic issues and research areas. These are typical duties of a grad student, and add up to a pretty involved "job". I also find time to have fun and prepare for a wedding in less than a year. I enjoy my current line of work, even with its downsides.

So in a nutshell, that's "what I do". What I'm going to "do" with this experience is obviously not as clear. I will likely be looking for work in the "real" world, and likely job positions are things like software developer, actuary, some kind of "analyst" or even teaching at either the high school or college level (university level is not looking good at this point for me). But those are just ideas, and I'm sure there are other things out there for me. Really I'd like a position that let's me do mathy stuff all day, so something quantitative. I'm also comfortable with computers and programming. However, I'll just have to see what I do with my Master's degree.