Woes of the Unemployed, Not-Quite-Graduated Student

I’ve heard that this has been one of the worst years for college graduates to find employment. In fact, while the U.S. national unemployment rate is 9.1%, the underemployment rate is 19.1%. That means people who have been unable to find full-time positions or jobs that fit their skills and experience have been forced to seek part-time employment or positions at low-wage jobs normally employed by high school and college students. On average, job applicants are competing for a position against 20.1 other hopeful hires.

Warning: Jobs may be given to others with more
experience who are also suffering from this
economic crisis and willing to work at the
same low price as recent grads.

I can feel the pain of those unemployed recent college graduates. Even more so because I haven’t officially graduated. Oh internship, how I long for thee so that I may number myself among the B.S. graduates*. But even then, I fear that it would be of little help in my unemployment status.

I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place**. Most desirable positions require a degree. A summer actuarial internship program requires an undergraduate student. These two added together equals an unsatisfied and unemployed undergraduate who has already completed all necessary coursework.

I’ve had several interviews (both phone and face-to-face), but so far they have gone nowhere. I feel that there’s no one willing to hire someone with my skills***. Granted, I’ve been a tad choosy about the types of places for which I’ve filled out applications. I mean, I’ve done my share of the minimum wage food establishment summer job. I wish to not add on to that experience†.

It gets tedious filling these out. It's especially
annoying to fill out the previous work experience
section when I have no relevant work experience
Yeah, thanks, real world.

What am I lacking†† that dissuades employers/HR personnel from giving me an interview or offering me the position—any position? I had a forty-five minute, decent and promising phone interview for a part-time bank teller position†††. But that was three weeks ago, and still no phone call/email for a face-to-face interview. Am I being overshadowed by other applicants with more experience or *gasp* completed college degrees? You’d think having (almost) completed a degree in mathematics would make me a highly desirable candidate. But apparently not.

The immature side of me wants to complain about the unfairness of it all. But my mature rational [sic] side reminds me that life isn’t fair. I just need to suck it up and keep trying. Which stinks‡, because I’m at the point where desperation may drive me in lowering my standards and applying to “undesirable” locations‡‡. Urgh… How am I supposed to get work experience if no one is willing to hire me‡‡‡?

Maybe I’m just feeling conflicted from all the dreams and aspirations I want to foster which sadly have little promise in a steady financial future. I feel like I’m at a crossroads. I’ve begun to explore my options, expanding my creativity and dabbling in those long-held dreams♦. But I feel like I have to hold myself back from fully devoting myself to those things in favor of finding a reliable, financially secure career path, which requires professional experience.

In all honesty, I want a balance of both.

The pressure to find a decent job, pressure♦♦ to work on those creative projects, mixed with my low bank account and impending student loans make for an unhappy not-officially-graduated college student—who may spend copious amounts of time in the coming months banging a head♦♦♦ on the wall intermittently between applications for jobs and summer internships.

I fear that there is actually truth to this. In which
case, I'm doomed. I don't even have my Bachelor.

I almost wish there were more classes I had to take so that I could go back to school. Back to studying, tests, and lectures, away from this depressing business of the unfruitful job search. Then I remember that another semester (or two) would also require money. I’d be better off working part-time at McDonald’s♪. Under the assumption that they’re hiring, of course.

In short, “I can’t get no satisfaction”.

¡Adios amigos!

P.S. It would be ironic if I got a phone call for a face-to-face interview this week after posting this entry. I probably just jinxed myself by saying that though.

* Unemployed graduates

** Forgive the cliché

*** Which are completely awesome, if I say so myself

† I still have nightmares about it. Or at least, I’ve had one that I remember from a few weeks ago.

†† Besides relevant experience, a “diploma”, and required skills—which, again, requires the previously mentioned relevant work experience

††† I’m not giving up hope quite yet for a bank teller position. After applying at four different banks, I’ve had interviews with three of them. One of them is still an option, I hope. It takes almost a month before they schedule a face-to-face interview. I’ve spoken personally to the branch manager and he seems interested in hiring me, but he can’t interview me unless he gets the okay from the recruiter.

‡ I imagine the smell to be a mixture of sweat-soaked socks that were worn a few days too long inside manure-caked work boots. And someone tried to cover up the smell with moth balls and an overly flowery Glade aerosol freshener.

‡‡ Minimum-wage, dead-end jobs with no “relevant work experience” for my future career

‡‡‡ Even my own mother can’t offer me a job as an assistant to her position as manager of an apartment complex. And not because I lack the skills or anything like that.

♦ Underwater basket weaving is unfortunately absent from the list. Accumulating knowledge of the Harry Potter world via Pottermore, while a recent goal, is on the list.

♦♦ It’s more welcome than the pressure of finding a job at any rate.

♦♦♦ Including my own

♪ The day I work at a McDonald’s is the day after the zombie apocalypse ends and before extra-terrestrials invade to enslave our minds. Actually, the day I work at any establishment which involves frying shreds of chemically-enhanced potato spuds is applicable to the previous statement as well.

Three is the Magic Number (Yes It Is)

Words cannot describe the feeling of elation I am experiencing. Three times. Three times is what it took for me to pass the first actuary exam SOA/CAS/CIA Exam P/1. I thought I studied the first two times, but after what I did for this third attempt, I now realize that I hadn’t truly “studied” those other two times. Sure, I read through the material that would be tested on and I took a few practice tests. But my heart wasn’t really in it. Well, it was a little bit, otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered to take any of the practice tests. And I thought I was busy the semester I took the test a second time*. Apparently, the secret is to overbook yourself. Not only was I taking 17** credits, working 16 or more hours a week, and fulfilling my duties as president of the university’s math society, but I devoted at least an hour of actuarial study each night. I actually got to the point where I would put off my computer science homework (which was really discrete math*** and therefore not that horrendous§) and willingly do practice problems from past SOA/CAS/CIA Probability exams.

Despite all that study, I was terrified the day I had to take my test. I felt like it was (and never would be) enough. I was fortunate to have a friend who was visiting me that weekend and had offered to drive me to the testing center (an hour and a half away). She made sure I went to bed relatively early (something I lacked the first two times I took the test), had a proper breakfast (something else I had lacked), and reassured me that everything would be fine (much better received in person than by your mother via text messages). But even with all her encouraging words, I felt like I had signed away my soul when I entered the Prometric Testing Center and was seated at one of the computers.

Three hours is a long time to sit in one spot. It’s even longer when your brain has to keep sending messages to your heart to slow down the pace before the poor girl goes into cardiac arrest. But I finished with 20 minutes to spare, even with double checking and making the best guess I could on one problem I just could not figure out dog gone it! The moment of truth. Click the submit button. Heart rate increases as I fill out a survey of my Prometric Testing Center experience. No, I don’t have any comments for improving the testing experience§§. Uh oh…next click will give the preliminary score (“successful” or “not successful”). Eyes squinting. Heart rate increases some more. “Congratulations! A preliminary analysis of your test results shows that you were successful in achieving the passing score established by the SOA/CAS/CIA for Exam P/1 (Probability).”

o_o

I passed?

O_O

I passed!

^___^

That was more than a month ago. And it was a great cause for celebration§§§. So the next step would be to find out what my score is. Which means having to wait approximately eight weeks.

A little explanation on how the scores work, since it’s not like normal standardized testing. During each testing window, the exam has a certain passmark (say 63%) where a person has to get at least that percentage of correct answers in order to pass. 63% is at least a 6 (out of a possible score of 10, but depending on the passmark, sometimes 10 is impossible to get). The higher the percentage above the passmark, the better score you get.

Okay, so I passed. Please let it be a 7 or an 8. I don’t want to have worked my butt off for the last three months† to get a mere 6. All I ask for is at least a 7. Proof that this was no fluke.

Well, the scores are officially out. And my prayers were answered. I got a 9. I’m still doing a (mental) happy dance.

I know that none of this would have been possible without divine help. I had to put in the effort to learn the material, but I got the extra help I needed. Not only during the three hours it took to take the first (of five or more) actuary exams, but also in my college courses this last semester††.

Now I can officially begin my career as an actuary. The next step is to find an internship†††, and then graduate with my degree in Applied Mathematics. I should also start studying for the next exam, Exam FM/2 (which is financial math, dealing with interest rates and such, at least what I have gathered from the few classes of the audited class I attended).

So my fellow bloggers‡, I wish you the best as summer approaches. Maybe some of your dreams or prayers will come true too.

Ciao!

~Hazuki Goldair

* Where my test was rescheduled due to a blizzard and I had to travel to another state to take the test a week later…which meant I spent most of that week not studying since I had finals coming up and major projects due as professors are wont to do at the end of every semester.

** 3 of those were audited, and I ended up not going to the class as I got so absorbed with studying for Exam P/1

*** From a computer science perspective, and much more torturous than the discrete math class I took my sophomore year

§ If you consider three hours worth of homework problems per section, along with quizzes on each reading before class, and mind-numbing torture three times a week as not being horrendous

§§ Except maybe playing classical music in the background. It wouldn’t be distracting at all. And if it is, the testing center has noise-cancelling headphones. Psh…classical music calms the soul.

§§§ I awarded myself by purchasing How to Train Your Dragon on DVD. :D

† Of serious studying

†† I somehow managed to get an A in my computer science class, despite my complete lack of studying for the final exam(s) and still somehow getting better than a 75% on both. Though acing the last project that I was tempted to turn in only half complete (before I felt guilty and finished it with an hour to spare) probably helped. Along with some extra credit.

††† Which has been proven difficult since I passed the exam so late, and most actuarial firms with internship programs already have their summer interns. I may not find something until next summer…which means I won’t be able to graduate (even though all my college course work is complete) until next summer. I sometimes curse the fact an internship or senior project is needed for my degree.

‡ People who follow this blog, invisibly stalking, or people who are randomly web surfing and upon random happenstance found this blog and actually spared a few moments to read all this hullabaloo (my hat’s off to you).

Math Insults

You would think after failing to pass the SOA/CAS Exam P/1 for the second time (that was an adventure*), I would be too consumed with studying (so that I finally pass and be able to find an internship for this summer), that I wouldn't even have time to think about writing a post on my blog. Especially when I have 17 credits**, work 16+ hours a week, and somehow manage to waste time on my computer every single day. *cough* And now I've just shamed myself***. Excuse me while I go study.

---several hours later---

Now onto the real reason for this post. Over the last few months, I've heard some awesome math "comebacks", thanks to the students I tutored.


"My relationships are like square roots. Most of them are irrational."


"You are the third derivative of position."




Gotta love math insults. Speaking of which, I decided to find more (via our good friend Google). And right off the bat--

"He probably thinks googol is a search engine."

"The intersection of her brain and reality, is the null set."

"You're as exciting as the derivatives of e^x."

These are non-math related, but some interesting tidbits I picked up from my classes thus far this semester.

• SCHOOL: Six Crappy Hours Of Our Lives
• Pedantic: using big words for the sake of big words
• Polysyllabic: word of many syllables (oh how I love irony...and self-explanatory words)

And my favorite, while learning about the law of marginal utility§ in my economics class, my professor shared how it also applies to dating.

The "Law" of Marginal Utility of Dating

• The first (maybe even second) date is great
• Each date after that gives you less additional satisfaction
• You realize the same thing is occurring to the person you're dating
• That's why you marry in order to prevent him or her from finding someone else who will give them higher additional satisfaction, and before you reach zero additional satisfaction

Well, this was a really random post. But that's okay, because randomness is what makes a good (unbiased§§) sample in statistics.

May your derivatives eventually reach zero, and your integrals be constant.

*Blizzard, test rescheduled, had to take a shuttle to take my test a week later in a city four hours away >_< Not to mention I did worse than the first time I took the test
**Technically 14 credits and a 3 credit class I'm auditing, but still taking up time
***Happens quite frequently actually. Only when I tell others the things that I should be doing will guilt me into finally doing what needs to be done.
§This basically says for each additional unit of consumption (say a Snickers bar), the less additional satisfaction you get (your fifth Snickers bar isn't as good as the first).
§§[sic]

Careers in Math

Seems like I've been plagued almost everyday this semester with the fear of trying to find a job in the future. First, it was the career fair (well, a couple of them), then receiving my official score of the Exam 1/P actuary test (and being resigned to the fact that I have to retake the test), constant worry about finding an internship for next summer so I can graduate, and a professor from BYU coming to speak about different careers that involve math. Which is what this post is on.

So I was very excited when the first career this professor mentioned was actuary. And he didn't even talk about careers as math teachers (whether high school or university), though he briefly mentioned them. But these are some of the awesome careers that require math:
Actuary (booyah!)
Animator
Architect
Astronaut
Attorney
Biologist
Biostatistician
Chemical Engineer
Chemist
College Professor
Computer Scientist
Cryptanalyst
Economist
Electrical Engineer
Epidemiologist
Forensic Analyst
Geologist
Mathematical Biophysicist
Mathematical Physicist
Mechanical Engineer
National Security Analyst (NSA...supposedly more secretive than the CIA)
Physician
Political Scientist
Quantitative Financial Market Analyst
Statistician
Stockbroker

...among others. For more details about any of these, check out this awesome site.

The main thing I learned from this forum was the fact that a lot of these jobs are looking for mathematicians. For example, many companies who hire computer programmers prefer mathematicians who know how to program. Who would have guessed my computer science cluster would actually come in handy? The reason employers look for mathematicians? It's because students who have studied math have been trained to logically think through problems and come up with solutions (though at times it seems more headache than what it's worth).

All through this semester, I've discovered something about myself, with the help of all this "career talk". Speaking with my peers in the Applied Mathematics bachelor program, a lot of them enjoy delving into the theory and abstract concepts of math. I, on the other hand, hate it. So why am I in a math degree? Honestly, I had no idea I'd dislike the theoretical part as much as I do when I decided on my major. But I don't regret it either. I just choose to apply my math rather than try to understand concepts that frustrate but eventually bring a great satisfaction to the people who are willing to put up with it. It's just not for me.

Which brings me to another point. Many of these careers, especially the theory-involved ones, require more than just a bachelor's degree. Except for actuaries. But that's because actuaries get their additional training in the field (and taking the 8+ tests in order to become a Fellow of the SOA--Society of Actuaries).

And now a shameless plug about an actuarial career.



I'm off to study some more. Pray that I score better than my first test--and since it was a 5, a better score means passing! ;D Ciao!

So you want to be an actuary? Good luck.

Whoo boy! It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? My apologies. And I have no excuses whatsoever. I was just being lazy (as in too busy doing fun stuff along with important stuff to actually think about my blog). But since today is a very nervewracking day, I decided it’d be perfect to share a post. Right now, my stomach is forming tiny little knots (can’t feel them, but subconsciously I know they are there). Why, you ask? Well, even if you didn’t, I’m still gonna tell you anyways. Just cuz I can do that

Anyways, for the past couple months, I’ve been studying for this thing called Exam 1/P, an exam about probability. It’s the first test to take in order to become an actuary. Now since I get this a lot (I think only one person actually knew what I was talking about before I tried to explain it…and I’ve told 20+ people), an actuary is someone who calculates risk, usually in a business setting. For example, life insurance companies will employ actuaries to calculate how much the company should charge someone for life insurance based on gender, age, demographics, or other important key details that come from previously collected data. That’s my definition anyway. There’s different kinds of actuaries, but I have yet to figure out how they’re different.

So this test I’m taking today…I’ve heard brutal things about it. Like how it has a 40% pass rate (whether that’s overall or just for people taking the test for the first time, can’t be sure). And it’s three hours to complete 30 multiple-choice questions. Okay, so the time limit I can deal with. It’s the grade that has me nervous. Cuz it’s not like other standardized tests I’ve taken. It’s not based on how many right out of how many wrong (well, it is, but in a very difficult roundabout way) and it’s not judged against everyone else that took the same test in the same testing window (like the ACT and SAT…at least, that’s what I’ve been told).

*Several hours later*

So…yeah…just got back from taking the exam. Thought I did pretty good on it. Unfortunately the paper that gives me the preliminary pass/fail score said otherwise. Now I’ll have to wait eight weeks to get my official score. I swear, if my score is 5, I’ll be SOO mad (6 to 10 is passing, btw). Looks like I get to study even more and prepare for the exam again in November. And I was looking forward to concentrating only on Exam 2/FM and the Putnam this semester.

On that note, I now go to dig mushrooms in a corner.

Are Mathematicians Insomniacs?

Are mathematicians insomniacs? Well, if we say that is true, and I'm a mathematician, then I must be an insomniac. But then that means that I just IMAGINE that I konk out within minutes of my head hitting the pillow. So then does that mean I'm not a mathematician? Or does it mean mathematicians have potential to become insomniacs? Grrr...I always hated these kind of logic questions. There's no POINT to them.

Hmm...(to quote one of my previous math professors). I started this entry about a month ago...but never actually finished it until now. But on to tonight's program--"ACTION!"

My roommate, who shall remain anonymous, shares the most interesting math details with me. First I would like to share the most AMAZING website EVER!!!! It answers math problems, plots graphs (including 3D), is a search engine, and is a much nicer name search than urban dictionary (*grumble* stupid urbandictionary.com and its disturbing entries). Anyways...I introduce to you *trumpet blows* WOLFRAMALPHA.COM!!!!!

Okay, that looks kinda weird in all caps. http://www.wolframalpha.com/ That's better. Go ahead. Explore. Ask questions. Enter an equation and have it be solved. Enter your birthdate and see what happened on the day of your birth. Enter your name and see how popular it is. Go ahead, I dare you. Hey, are you still reading this?

Sorry, lame attempt to quote Brian Regan. I digress.

Something else my roommate shared with me: a female mathematician by the name of Hypatia. http://www.coachlightpress.com/bygone/hypatia.shtml (the most interesting story is found in the sixth to last paragraph).

Happy belated Pi Day! I've been too busy this semester to properly write a post for the blog virtually no one reads. But I'm still here. Mainly so I can claim that I have a blog...no matter how unpopular it is. (Who cares about popularity? What else does one need besides math? This is, of course, disregarding all essential things to live, i.e. food, clothes, shelter...the Maslow Hierarchy of needs must be satisfied.)

This semester, I have learned loads about abstract algebra, numerical analysis, and a small understanding of the theory of probability and statistics (where you prove stats by using calculus...makes for very time consuming homework). I just wish I could remember what I learned. Maybe then I wouldn't fear the finals that are coming up so soon. (Three weeks?! *dies*)

On another note, it's really hard to find an internship for an applied math degree. So far, I'm looking at actuarial jobs just because I have virtually no idea what the job is (and therefore intrigues me) and because I have no idea what else to look for in a math specific job. I may very well do a senior project...and thus die from research and lack of money, since I'll have spent it all during a summer of unemployment. I spit on the economy for being sucky while I have to pay for college. *spit* Ewww...I'm not cleaning that up.

And that reminds me of something I heard in my philosophy of education class (cuz apparently I enjoy mind-numbing pointless work for a class that has virtually no use for me in the future...unless I do actually work for a public school since the country will become so desperate for math and science teachers, and thus the school will pay for my teaching certificate, and tell me what I can and can't do according to the state laws, and blah blah blah...).

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.
These are the things I learned:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don't hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don't take things that aren't yours.
• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm

I leave you with this haphazard entry, and wishing you all a happy March (soon-to-be-April), go do math-related things! (This includes taxes, balancing checkbooks, math homework-any homework for that matter-, counting the number of ceiling tiles and always losing count in the 60s or 70s because someone keeps interrupting your personal time to bond with the ceiling tiles-I told you...give me five more minutes, and THEN I can answer all of life's questions...except the questions about life itself...you'll have to see a shrink for that one.)

For the Love of Math

"I'm acute, you're acute, maybe together we can make it right."

I love having a fellow math major as a roommate. We understand each others' math jokes, like the above pick up line we made up on the spot. We speak math to each other, help each other understand math concepts (like when I was trying to explain what rings are in abstract algebra...and another of my roommates kept insisting it was a piece of jewelry). This same math-loving roommate understands my affinity for math...something my other roommates (including previous ones) don't seem to understand.

But aside from that...third week of the latest semester is completed. Second semester of Abstract Algebra (what in the WORLD am I thinking?!), numerical analysis (I'm going to learn how my calculator works...and become smarter than it), and probability & statistics (calc and stats combined...I think my brain imploded just typing that). And yet I still love math. ^__^

Oh, and the next time someone Z-snaps at you, Z-snap back saying, "I do the integers. What now?" (You know...Z, the symbol for the integers...the symbol at the right...right over there. You DO see it, right? Sheesh...)