Case studies - mathematical sciences and IT

• Computer studies
• Mathematics
• Software systems for the arts and media

Mandy

Graduating from the University of Salford with a degree in computer studies Mandy initially wanted to go into the IT industry.

'When I started my degree, I was very clear that I wanted to pursue a career in the IT industry. On completing my degree, however, I realised that IT employers wanted people with experience. So I went about trying to get this experience, spending months contacting different employers and asking them for an opportunity. I soon learnt that I was facing a no win situation. To get into IT you need experience, however no one was prepared to let me gain the experience. It was at this point that I started to look at other options.

A career in buying was not my first choice. I had a background in retail and started university as a mature student, so I was not looking to go back to that type of work after my degree. I went to speak to a careers adviser and she told me about other areas of work where I could utilise my skills; buying was one of the jobs she mentioned although I did not think much of it at the time.

I later saw some advertisements in the local press asking for graduate buyers in retail, construction and timber industries and decided to apply for all the jobs. I spent hours completing application forms and was over the moon when I got a letter inviting me to an interview.

I got the job. I have been here now for two years and have enjoyed every moment of it. When I started out there were three things I was looking for in a career. First of all I would have to enjoy the job. Secondly, it needed to be different each day. Thirdly, it would have to give me the opportunity to gain some new experiences.

I am happy to say that this job has satisfied all three criteria. I currently work on maintaining the supply chain functions, dealing with purchasing documents, negotiating profitable deals with suppliers and working closely with colleagues in other departments to ensure appropriate stock levels. I get to travel overseas as well.'

Jacobina (graduated 2002)

During her final year, Jacobina made some job applications and by January had been offered a job with an independent firm of actuaries and consultants, which meant she was able to concentrate on her degree.

At the beginning of September, she started with the company along with two other recent graduates. The first two weeks in the job were spent on a training course and now she is working in the pensions area combining work with studying for actuarial exams, for which time off is given. The actuarial examinations are hard work on top of a job, but rewarding. Some student actuaries can complete the training in three years, but Jacobina predicts she is likely to take the more usual five to six years.

According to Jacobina, actuarial work is a logical choice for a hard working mathematics graduate who is after an interesting and fun job. She enjoys the variety in her work, ranging from detailed mathematical calculations, to reporting and letter-drafting along with contact with other professionals.

Simon (graduated 2000)

After graduating Simon took a year out. He made a number of applications to firms over the summer immediately after completing his degree, took a temporary job to bring in some money, and by the time he went travelling in 2001, he had the offer of a job with a firm of actuarial and management consultants.

Simon works in pensions consulting and points out that there is a professional responsibility to the job. ‘It isn’t just about making money, like many City jobs’ he says, adding that many of his friends work in the City and their experiences had influenced his decision not to follow suit.

Simon was attracted by the variety of the work and thought he could be good at the tasks involved. He is a student actuary, so has some time to complete the professional examinations, which the firm like to see completed within four years. Meanwhile, he works regularly on projects within teams that consist of associates (with two to four years’ experience) and analysts (like himself). Such teams are usually led by a consultant, a qualified actuary.

Client contact is likely to increase over the next few years as his experience develops and qualification as an actuary draws near. Simon’s plans for the future include a desire to move towards more financial modelling, such as Asset Liability Modelling (matching assets and liabilities, for example to reduce the risk of the assets not being sufficient to meet the liabilities).

Anthony

Anthony has a BSc in Software Systems for the Arts and Media from the University of Hertfordshire. He works for a company which specialises in the use of ICT in education, producing a range of interactive products such as games for pupils and training tools for teachers. These include CD-roms and websites. His work encompasses both programming and design since his skills cover both areas.

'At school, I was interested in things like design and technology, art and music. However, it was really only at university that it all came together. The course I did was multidisciplinary, covering programming, graphic design and interactive design. After graduating with a First Class Honours degree, I got a job in my present company as a graphic artist. The job was advertised in The Guardian newspaper and as part of the selection process I presented my portfolio of work on CD-rom. I later became an interactive designer. I have been working in this company for over four years now. Initially, my skills were more focussed on the graphical side of production, but as I went along I also developed my abilities in other areas such as client liaison. Currently, as lead designer, I co-ordinate the work of the design team in terms of quality and budget, as well as programming and design work. A lot of the work is created for CD/DVD-rom and the web, the programming skills we use are Action Script for Flash and Lingo for Director along with web languages such as D-HTML, Javascript and ASP.

When we seek to recruit new programmers to the company, we look for strong coding abilities along with people who can communicate ideas visually and systematically. They must have an understanding of layout and an appreciation of areas such as image manipulation, audio and video compression techniques.

I like the flexibility and diversity of the job. Some days I'll be doing graphic design layout, other days programming and other days working on storyboards for product specifications. I can switch around easily like this because of the sort of skills I have. I also enjoy keeping up with current trends and contemporary design, seeing what new techniques and ideas are out there.'