Uchechi Moses


It is not a new thing anymore that you can work in various industries without studying the basic course required for the industry. Unless for specialised professions like Medicine, Law, Engineering, Law etc. Those disciplines and few others require you should the basic degree in the profession before practising. However, there are myriad of others where you do not have to study the course before practising. For instance, you can become an accountant without studying accounting. Ditto being a computer programmer without studying Computer Science. There are many others.

The business nay corporate environment requires graduates with the necessary cognitive abilities, creative thinking and a strong work ethic. These are not studied as courses in tertiary institutions. However, these characteristics can be found across disciplines. What does this imply? It does not matter if your first degree was in Biotechnology, you can work in a professional services such as PwC. With a degree in English and Literary Studies, you can work in the bank. Even with an engineering degree, you can work in a consulting firm and so on. You must not work in the industry related to your first degree. You can work anywhere you desire provided you fulfil the requirements of the role. Tertiary education teaches you how to become a well-rounded thinker. And with this, you can learn from any course and fit in any industry.

However, statistics have shown that the best and high paying jobs are in fields that are quantitative. That is, these fields require people who are numerate and comfortable with numbers. What this means is that: For you to get a job in such industries, you need to have at least an average understanding of mathematics. From being an aerospace engineer to an investment banker to computer scientist to a quant working in high-tech to artificial intelligence engineers to the geologist working in an oil field in the Arabian Desert. The highest paying jobs have one thing in common: You must know mathematics. Not knowing it reduces your chances of earning a good amount. Unless you have skills of a top athlete or entertainer, both which are rare. However, not everyone can be a Tiwa Savage o Mikel Obi.

The Nigerian labour market has become extremely competitive in the last few years (it has always been, but has just gotten extreme). The best jobs are domiciled in few industries and tend to require a numerate background to get them. One instance is in aptitude tests. Aptitude tests do not test your knowledge of what you studied, rather it tests your aptitude. And these tests, ranging from Dragnet’s organised tests to SHL to TalentQ to the PST or Saville, have quantitative sections or popularly known as numerical reasoning. Although, McKinsey’s PST requires logic not mathematics to scale through the test, logic is maths. Other notable sections include verbal and abstract reasoning. For an individual aspiring to get a good job, you must pass any aptitude test before going to the next stage. Guess what? The test assesses your numerical reasoning. You might say what about the verbal and abstract reasoning? Both are answered using logic, which is related to mathematics. What this implies is that you are likely to lose out of the competition for good jobs not because you are not qualified, but because you do not know mathematics. When I mean mathematics, I mean the basics. Talk about ratios, percentages, fractions, simple and compound interest etc. Which is why engineering graduates tend to surpass this stage due to the analytical knowledge acquired over the years. Also, not forgetting fellows from the pure sciences (Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics).

Note: Biology does not teach you mathematics. At most, biostatistics which is very minimal in mathematical pedagogy.

It is easier for a first class graduate of physics to get a job in McKinsey and Company than a counterpart from Sociology. Why? Physics is a numerate discipline and the knowledge aids the physics fellow to scale through the PST. Same applies across other firms in good paying industries

Finally, it is important for current students, job-seekers and even those in secondary schools to have a good grasp of mathematics. As this knowledge, no matter how little, will aid them during job search and career. Do not hate mathematics, your future lies in it.


http://www.jarushub.com/getting-good-jobs-why-you-should-learn-mathematics/

great piece

Enlightening piece!
I tell you mathematics is applied in almost every field. Even the most popular demand of computer literacy before applying for a job requires the knowledge of maths.

But buhari no know maths o

Learn Microsoft Excel to expert level.

Trust me, this will cover you to a huge extent.

Absolutely right.

Mathematics as a field, subject or what have you is overrated.

Nice one the job market is getting more competitive by the minute and the impending danger that robots are going to steal our jobs hunts us

agreed

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.

if u like knw maths more than anyone, without English, its nothing... who maths EPP? I REP ENGLISH

Mathematics is the easiest major in the world.

Yeah, B.Sc. Mathematics no be beans

I agree with you.
But how about being a Politician or a Pastor? They afford good money with less or No Mathematics.

lilfreezy:
But buhari no know maths o

..Buhari na person?

Mathematics is the Queen of all subjects, while English is also the the King of all subjects

Bullsheet....

If you're looking to learn arithmetics or calculus for the sake of making money or looking for white collar jobs in the financial world, I'm sorry to bust your bubble....you're only deceiving yourself......


If you're not doing mathematics for the sake of it's purity i.e doing it to create new theorems, lemmas,conjectures, hypothesis etc in fields of pure mathematics, you're only deceiving yourself because you'll never understand what it feels like to do Maths......

Constructing your own proofs is as good as having an orgasm.....even a better feeling than making money....



PS: if you're a pure mathematician reading this, I want you to know that I respect you even though I don't know you....

PPS: i wasn't referring to applied mathematicians or statisticians..... Y'all should fvck yourselves.....

PPPS: and also the engineers....go fvck yourselves too....if you can't fvck yourselves, fvck the statisticians

I don't know, I have never been a fan of maths. It's boring and nerve cracking.

But, at least I can try with the basics; addition, subtraction, division, average, percentage, etc.

Maybe, I need to revive a zeal for maths, since I have seen its importance in the real world of work.

I like maths...
But i no sabi...
How about that?

Fantastic!

AndriaRich:
I like maths... But i no sabi... How about that?

Dyscalculia.

Your post is only correct for the numerate fields.

Get a Masters in Development, learn MS Excel and learn small Hausa and you'll get better job than all these ones you stated above. NGOs are looking for people with Masters in development and you're telling me about mathematics.

If you want know maths like Cheukwu Obi without proficient computer skills you are finished. now that the industries are computer centric.

okonja:
Yeah, B.Sc. Mathematics no be beans

I greet you isomorphically

I tried my best power to love mathematics but unluckily, it's not cooperating with me. It makes me sweat and crack my head so much.

Your write up is so on point. A couple of years ago I missed out on a fantastic Job offer in Abuja after the aptitude test because of this same point you raised...

Dutchey:
if u like knw maths more than anyone, without English, its nothing... who maths EPP? I REP ENGLISH

Wetin this one dey talk?

dyangprof:
Mathematics is the Queen of all subjects, while English is also the the King of all subjects

Kindergarten postulations...

So, English is the king of subjects to the Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Russians..?

Hotfreeze:
Your post is only correct for the numerate fields.

Get a Masters in Development, learn MS Excel and learn small Hausa and you'll get better job than all these ones you stated above. NGOs are looking for people with Masters in development and you're telling me about mathematics.

And that's where the vast majority of graduate jobs are domiciled. How many fresh graduates can be absorbed by developmental agencies compared to banks? How many of these graduates possess an MSc? And yet again, mathematics is important because the high paying roles in these NGOs are mainly project management, finance and advanced administrative roles. What do they have in common? An understanding of mathematics!

The author is on point!

Mathematics is where the action is.

Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Finance, Advanced Programming, Consulting, Data Science etc

Ignore the Queen of the Sciences at your peril.