3 Possible STEM Careers

You may be wondering – what exactly is STEM? STEM is an acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” These are four fields that many jobs and career opportunities are becoming increasingly available in. Unfortunately, there is a lack of qualified job applicants to fill all the job openings. Graduating with a degree in one of these fields will provide your child endless future career opportunities.

If your child obtains a degree in math it does not limit their career choices to only being a mathematician… because math is the foundation for so many other fields of interest. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics even cites that the Mathematics field of STEM has the fastest projected growth from 2019 – 2029, of 33%.

We would like to layout 3 examples of math-based careers that highlight the importance of math education while also showing the versatility in the job world that this knowledge provides.

• Statistician AKA Data Scientist

  • A statistician’s job is rooted in their math knowledge, using their math skills to analyze data and interpret the results. This job requires them to not only get the data, but also determine the best approach for procurement of this data through surveys or other various methods. If your child is inquisitive and loves spotting trends or patterns this may be an ideal job for them!
  • A cool real-life example of a job a statistician may hold is working on the 2020 U.S. Census that is being sent to every home. This national survey will be carried out with help of statisticians. The data that is compiled will be used nationally to aid in state’s funding and various other decisions. While the federal government employs many statisticians there are also many careers in the private sector for a candidate with this knowledge.
  • Becoming a statistician requires at least a bachelor’s degree for entry-level positions. To climb the ladder to more experienced positions you will want an advanced degree and additional field-specific certifications.

• Robotics Engineer

  • Have a kiddo who loves playing with remote-controlled toys or maybe even deconstructing their toys to determine how they work? A career as a robotics engineer may be perfect for them! As a robotics engineer, they will design and build robots to carry out tasks that humans cannot. The future is trending towards automating everything possible, even today many of our services have the assistance of robots. One example of robots assisting us present day is in the automobile industry while they help put together parts on the assembly line.
  • A bachelor’s degree is necessary to become a robotics engineer. Depending on which college or university your child goes to, they could even get a focused degree in their robotics engineering program; or a degree in engineering with a specialty such as mechanical or electrical engineering. Some job duties a robotics engineer is responsible for include drafting and designing the creation of the robot, assembling it and doing any testing post-assembly and providing technical support.
  • A robotics degree requires an understanding across all the STEM fields. If this sounds like a career path that may be fun for your child, see if your school or community offers a Robotics Club (even virtually) to give them some experience in cyber robotics.

• ​​Actuary

  • As an actuary, your child would combine many skills – math, knowledge of finance and field expertise to analyze a policyholder’s potential risk. With their expertise using data and probability, they can assist insurance companies in forecasting the cost they may assume based on individual events. This information aids the insurance company in creating policies for the policyholder surrounding the risk-assessment presented by the actuary.
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics outlines that jobs as an actuary are expected to increase by 18% over the next 10 years – increasing much faster than the 4% projected average growth of the overall job market.  With their work centered around insurance companies you may be surprised to know that an actuary will also need a solid understanding in statistics. Knowledge in statistics is important for when they work directly with finance areas such as accounting, creating the financial impact portion of the risk-assessment.
  • To be an actuary your child will want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or statistics thereafter passing an exam to become a certified actuary.

There are so many STEM focused career opportunities available, but we hope an outline of these three jobs will spark some excitement and interest for both you and your child. Our Mathnasium program can help build and grow your child’s excitement surrounding the “M” discipline, while keeping it fun, engaging and rewarding. We can provide your child with specialized math instruction that not only caters to their needs, but to their interests. Give us a call today!

Mathnasium of Fort Collins

(970) 221-1432