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Development
You, not your employer, are ultimately responsible for your professional
life. You will need to look actively for opportunities to increase your
personal satisfaction and nurture your career. Within your organization
try to identify plum assignments, possible leadership roles, projects that
will force you to stretch your wings, and coworkers from whom you can
learn new skills. Graduate course work, professional societies, a network
of mathematicians at other organizations, and a devotion to life outside
of the office will also help develop your career.
 Dual
Tracks
Some organizations offer distinct career paths for their employees. After
a certain number of years you may choose to move into a management track,
enabling you to administer and supervise technical groups, or you can
remain an individual contributor and concentrate solely on mathematics.
Other employers do not provide explicit tracks, and mathematicians take on
management responsibilities as they are willing or able.
Continuing
Education
Although
you may decide to go back to school to acquire another degree, continuing
education is not limited to the classroom. Attending industry conferences,
reading technical publications and journals, as well as networking with
other professionals will enable you to acquire and develop the skills you
need. Your employer may sponsor educational opportunities, either by
off-setting some of the costs associated with formal education programs
and travel to conferences or by providing seminars and training in-house.
Life Outside
Balance between your professional and personal life is a necessity; you
cannot perform at your peak as a mathematician unless you have a firm
commitment to life outside your work. Spending time with your family,
working out, going to a concert, hanging out with friends, spending a day
in the mountains -- these are just as important to managing your career as
industry conferences and mentoring opportunities. Concentrate on becoming
fulfilled as a person, and your career will take care of itself.
Note:
Some resources in this section are provided by the
American Mathematical Society,
Mathematical Association of America,
Society for Industrial and Applied
Mathematics,
and the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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