From: Doug Magnoli <dmagnoli@home.com>
Subject: Re: Are there jobs for mathematicians???
Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 07:08:48 GMT
Newsgroups: sci.math
Summary: [missing]

My graduate career was in chemistry.  Most every PhD student at some point
decides it's probably time to hang it up and do something else.  In my case
(and in the cases of many whom I know), the thing that prevented that
was--yes, and just what might that something else be?  In view of lack of
answer to this question, the implicit decision was to go to school and
pound the ol' head against the wall some more.

On the door of one of the labs was posted the following little tale.

A youth in the kingdom set as his career goal the job of Royal
Dragon-Slayer.  He studied and practiced and worked and sweated, and after
years of this, he considered himself the most qualified in the land and
therefore ready to approach the throne and request the job.

He asked for an audience with the king, which was granted, and when the
young man came into the royal presence, he told the king that he'd worked
for years perfecting his dragon-slaying skills and had come to apply for
the post of the Royal Dragon-Slayer.

'Fool!,' answered the king.  'There have been no dragons in this kingdom
for  centuries!  What would I need with a dragon-slayer?'

The young man, much disheartened, as his life's goal has just been crushed
with a few words from the throne, now faced the question of what to do with
his life.  He totted up his skills and abilities and looked to find a
profession where these would best apply.

So he opened a school and began to teach dragon-slaying.

Speaks volumes, no?

-Doug Magnoli


philipbrown@hotmail.com wrote:

>     I have a degree in Mathematics but I do not have the slightist idea
> of what type of professional jobs I can use it in.  Jobs requiring
> accountants, engineers, and financial managers require a knowledge of
> mathematics but an employer would want to hire someone who has a degree
> in those particular areas.  Is there any job besides school teacher that
> would allow someone to use a degree in Mathematics?
>
> --
> The Truth is Out There (X-Files).
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.