Many recent PhDs in math, physics and engineering are finding exciting careers in start-up companies these days. Curious about what all the buzz is about? Check out the Start Up Career Fair run by the Office of Entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering!
Even our own little Ann Arbor has a rich community of Start-up companies which hire mathematicians, such as SkySpecs in the alternative energy sector (which develops drones to inspect wind turbines) and Clinc in the banking sector (which develops electronic personal assistants for banking). These are just two of Ann Arbor’s many start-ups, which I happen to know about because they have tried to hire our former Math PhD students in the past year to assist with Artificial Intelligence challenges.
Perhaps you already knew that mathematicians are desperately needed to help with the Data Revolution? Whether you intend to work in academics, industry, government, or non-profit, it is a good move for both your career and your mental health to pay attention to the major trends of our profession. Even right now, it is worth knowing how to clearly articulate “what is this good for?”
Other upcoming events to mark on your calendar: we will have our own Non-Academic Careers panel in Junior Colloquium featuring PhD alumni on March 1 (although only one participant will be from a Start-up). In addition, Rackham will have its own Non-Academic Career Panel on April 5 which will feature at least one Math PhD now at Google. Details in future posts.
