Real world qualifications?

Mrs_pbradley936

Real world qualifications?

Can anyone comment on the value of a university education in the real world. My son is mathematics graduate from a good university and is considering going back to take a Masters in something to do with accounting and finance. He has had two years in the city as a trader but says although it is well paid and fast paced it is not intellectually stimulating. Most people that cannot do maths are impressed by those that can so you almost always get through to the interview stage when you apply for a job. However, the maths you need in an office has absolutely no bearing on what you learn at university. Even actuaries who are the mathematicians of the finance world could get by with a B at A level (that is the minimum qualification for entry into the profession set by the governing body). So for all these top city jobs you need to know statistics, a bit of modelling and group theory might come in handy and that is that. The trouble is people assume that you will have knowledge of what to them is common sense (after all they have never been to university) and you are out of your depth.

When I was young the thing to aim for was a degree in something we had all heard of from a Redbrick university. In fact when I was young you did not even choose what you would study. The school would stream you towards Arts or Science based on your O level results.

aurora_borealis_2

Well my qualifications are working for me. I work across several settings mainly outside academia, in research, education and charities.

I would not have been offered my position without the levels of qualifications that I have.

Mrs_pbradley936

aurora_borealis wrote:

Well my qualifications are working for me. I work across several settings mainly outside academia, in research, education and charities.

I would not have been offered my position without the levels of qualifications that I have.

Yes, you are quite right. The degree will open the door to the job and perhaps that is its purpose.

themoffster

It depends on the qualification and how much relevance it has in the world.
My computer science degree has the world at my feet quite literally - I can disappear anywhere for a year working abroad if I fancy. Should be off to NZ in January.

Best advice - the hardest degrees are usually the best. Don't get one for the sake of saying that I have a degree as my mate did that and his practically is not worth the paper it is written on.

kittiwoz

From what you say about your son not finding his job stimulating I'm wondering why he wants to do another qualification in finance when it doesn't sound like that is something he actually enjoys. It sounds like perhaps he would be better speaking to a careers adviser and employing a bit more lateral thinking to look for a job that uses the logic, pattern recognition and problem solving skills involved in maths rather than assuming such a direct maths=accountancy/finance link. As you say things like engineering, architecture and computing use way more maths than finance does anyway.

BigBouncyBall

A masters in a compting subject could make a better use of a maths degree.

Almost any area of computing at masters level will need a good advanced knowledge of maths, e.g E-commerce, Computer Graphics, Crypto etc.

Best advice i'd give is to look at

https://www.findamasters.com

that lists many of the masters courses in the UK (and abroad - Oz and EU i think) and go and see a careers advisor also, they'll be able to tell you about applying for masters courses