Charting a Career in Mathematics: From Teaching to Actuarial Practice Term Paper

Reasons to Teach Mathematics

The career that intrigues me the most is teaching mathematics.

Teaching mathematics in middle school intrigues me in several ways as I interact with children. First, it is the most delightful moment when I influence the future of young minds by giving them the skills they need to acquire for success in the future. Teaching mathematics is also fun and creative as it involves interacting with numbers. Thus, it makes learning fun for children because you help them build their self-esteem by performing different mathematics tasks. Moreover, mathematics is a scientific and technological tool not only through calculation and computational help but also by aiding scientists to idealize and explore concepts and models before applying them in the real world.

How to Explore Delightful Part in Teaching Mathematics

Middle school children have different levels of understanding mathematics. Grasping basic skills acquired in middle schools, such as addition, division, multiplication, and subtraction, forms the foundation of a child’s advancement to a successful future career in mathematics. Thus, I will explore my delightful part of influencing the future of middle school children by aiding them to familiarize themselves with basic skills in mathematics. Acquisition of these skills will be essential in building their self-esteem while handling different tasks that require calculations.

How Teaching Mathematics Matches Worldview

Mathematics is a broader subject that has infinite levels of advancement in one’s career life and journey. Mathematics is a discipline that bears a strong correlation with many subjects and operations in the world. It is easier to advance to higher levels while teaching the subject in schools. Skills required in mathematics are vast and differ with different levels of studies and job requirements. Thus, diversification is an advantage that eliminates the aspect of market saturation. Further, mathematics is built on values that promote logic and consistency at work which factors out cases of impartiality while performing career duties. Mathematics follows a logical structure that contains blocks connected to gap-free reasoning upon a few fundamental propositions for professional efficiencies. Working conditions for mathematics careers are conducive and serene, free from interruption for quality output, and education requirements are favorable. Acquisition of higher skills in the field of Mathematics becomes an added advantage for individuals to work in better-paying jobs in different institutions. The future outlook of careers in mathematics is promising due to advancements in technology. Technology is gradually evolving in developing efficient software and integrated gadgets that streamline complex mathematical calculations. For this reason, knowledge in mathematics in the future guarantees exposure and interaction with machine learning that facilitates the programming of formulas and equations for simple measures.

Skills and Competencies Needed to Be Successful in Teaching Mathematics

The most common skills and competencies required in teaching mathematics are conceptual knowledge and systematic carrying out of basic instructions and routines. Teaching mathematics requires strategic competence in solving problems during class time and adequate instructions to learners. Teaching mathematics needs adaptive reasoning that explains and justifies instructional practices in class and reflection on those practices to make adjustments and improvements. However, new competencies and skills are expected from an individual to be successful in teaching mathematics in middle school and higher learning institutions. Mathematics heavily relies on reasoning and critical thinking in the 21^st century because it involves the justification of methods and recognizing the problematic natures of different situations. Teaching mathematics needs a skilled professional with modeling and communication. Communication should be open and effective while incorporating a sense of humor in content delivery. Knowledge of mathematics is a competent skill that enables one to successfully teach mathematics through solving problems¹. These skills are essential to advance in the profession and future career in mathematics successfully.

Target Occupation and Qualification

My target occupation in studying and teaching mathematics is to become an actuary. Being an actuary requires one to be a holder of a bachelor’s degree in mathematics-related analytical fields, statistics, and actuarial science². It is intriguing that one can advance to higher levels by completing economics coursework, corporate finance, and applied statistics to become a professional actuary. The actuarial profession exposes one to a broad career market in mathematics. I will be doing professional papers and a series of examinations while taking undergraduate studies. I will also seek internships in corporate finance and risk management institutions to gain skills and an overview of the job market.

Mentors

I will seek mentors from the Actuarial Mentoring Programme (AMP) who will foster professional growth and development of my professional by sharing insights and knowledge in the actuarial practice.

Key External Professional Networks

I will apply for membership in actuarial regulatory bodies and societies such as the International Actuarial Association and Casualty Actuarial Society to build and maintain a successful actuary profile.

Keeping Skills Up to Date with Changing Technology

Further, I will actively participate in international actuarial product development conventions that offer room for actuaries to showcase expertise in tech-related fields such as machine learning in the financial market and insurance. Participation in such activities will sharpen my skills in integrating technological applications into the real market, increasing efficiency.

My objective in the next ten years is to start an actuarial consultative firm that guides the knowledge of risk management, pension, and customers’ investment plans. I also plan to become a chief examiner in the Society of Actuaries (SOA).

Employers and Work Environment That Meet Expectations

I will submit my cover letter and resume to different bodies and institutions to find an employer. Moreover, I will avail myself of interviews to display my skills in the actuarial profession. During interviews, I will ask questions about the skills required to find a work environment that meets my expectations. Furthermore, I will use resources such as social media accounts to read employee reviews about companies of my interest to find a good employer and appropriate work environments of my expectations.

The Employment Conditions and Opportunities That Allow to Achieve Their Career Goals

I understand that the workplace environment in the world today has become multi-generational. The environment consists of the millennial generation and the older generation. Therefore, once employed, I will enhance and promote respect for each member at work, focus on similarities rather than differences, and be open-minded to learn from each other³. These factors will improve employment opportunities and conditions that will help everyone to achieve their career goals.

Reference

Chritton, S. (2014). Personal Branding for Dummies (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Footnotes

1. From Personal Branding for Dummies (2nd ed.) by Chritton, S, 2014, John Wiley & Sons.
2. From Personal Branding for Dummies (2nd ed.) by Chritton, S, 2014, John Wiley & Sons.
3. From Personal Branding for Dummies (2nd ed.) by Chritton, S, 2014, John Wiley & Sons.