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I am a math major with a minor in accounting. What are my career options for someone with a combination of degrees like me?

#careers #majors #career-choice #accounting #accountant #math

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James’s Answer

Accounting / Finance is different in all industries, my suggestion would be to search for an industry / company which intrigues you. Once you have a few, I would check to see if they have any rotation type jobs, (Domestic or International) where you may experience different career opportunities and learn what you enjoy. Honestly, experience and taking risks are the only ways to find your true calling. Try not to get bogged down with an everyday transactional type job, find your passion. Technology, Hospitality, and Real Estate come to mind with the skills listed. Working international, is something I would consider as well. Good Luck!
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Dhaval’s Answer

Hi Namia,

Hope you're doing well.
There are various career options for you.
Just to name some:
1. Math Tutor
2. Accountant
3. CPA
4. Engineer and so on..

If you inclined to any of above, help to expand more for you.

Regards,
Dhaval
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Allison’s Answer

Hi Namia!

I can speak to the accounting side of your degree. If you are really interested in accounting you could look to see if your school offers a five year Masters of Accountancy, which is what I did. You would complete your normal accounting undergraduate degree in four years and take your last semester of your senior year off to intern with an accounting firm. Once you graduate undergrad, you come back and do one more year for your master's degree. If you are passionate about the tax side of accounting, then you could specialize in a tax track of the master's program as well.

Aside from the formal educational aspect, you would want to consider getting your CPA exam, which is comprised of four different exams.

I would be happy to expand on this further if you would like more information.
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Nadia’s Answer

My 1st question would be: did you enjoy any or both of them, and if yes - did you have any favorite classes? :) I believe it's good to take a look at your university career and see if you actually love what you have been learning. Sometimes, we don't even take other options into consideration, because we're so focused on following the current path. But, if you still want to continue this journey, there are a few options.
If you are more into math, you can think about going into statistics, data science, Business Intelligence (I strongly recommend this one in particular), coding.
Accounting: obviously, being an accountant :), both in a corporate or private sector. Also, everything that is related to banking or finances.
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Steven’s Answer

Hi Namia,

Actuarial would be a nice fit with your educational background, as not only actuaries measure and manage risk, but they also have to be aware of how their decisions impact financial reporting. Having a educational background in accounting would round you out a bit when communicating to accounting.

If you interested in going down a more accounting only path, I would recommend also getting a masters degree to fulfil educational requirements for the CPA. With a minor, you will not meet the hours required to sit for those exams.
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Jacqueline’s Answer

I was also math and accounting! From a career option perspective you could look into being:
- An actuary (An actuary uses math and statistics to estimate the financial impact of uncertainty and help clients minimize risk - from investopedia)
- A CPA - Certified Public accountant - you could work publicly in an accounting firm and/or in industry
- A teacher of Math
- A professor who does research for math and/or accounting topics
- You could even become an engineer, business owner, or researcher
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Paula’s Answer

You have so many options with your skills and degree! One thing I'd recommend is to see what industry is most promising to you. Currently as you probably have heard, tech industry pays really well. You can start at Data analytics/ science world. If you like programming, definitely try to maintain that in career world since the skill is highly valuable. Minor in accounting helps you to understand how business works. I would use that as a competitive value, which means you can balance technical and business perspectives at your job.
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Mohamed’s Answer

You degree is fantastic, since you have an accounting knowledge, which is not much, but eventually you do have. You can start working on a professional qualification, i.e ACCA which will prepare you in different ways related to audit, accounting or financial career generally. keep in mind that you will find yourself familiar somehow with it, because you do have a math and accounting knowledge already. As it's comprehensive and include much information related to the accounting and finance business overall.
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Molly’s Answer

Those are both great fields of study! There are so many potential options! You could become an actuary and work for a big accounting firm as one possibility. The accounting world and actuarial world intersect in so many places and a lot of what accountants rely on when auditing large companies are the actuarial assumptions. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it's something you enjoy. Work is a constant and enjoying what you do really does make such a huge difference. Good luck to you!!
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Ramzi’s Answer

You can become a financial analyst or auditor. If you want to focus on finance/corporate finance, valuations and other capital markets related services, I recommend you complete the CFA certification
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Andrea’s Answer

Math and accounting can be used separately or together - that's what is so interesting! First items that come to mind are finance analytics and actuarial science. Finance more so if you find you like the dollar/investment aspects and interactions with clients/customers. Also see which college classes you enjoy most.
Pursuing a MBA would also be a good move for these avenues.
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Seda’s Answer

I'm in data science and I met many people in data coming from so many different fields in the past few years. Seems like you're building good analytical thinking and data, strategy, business intelligence would be all welcoming fields for you. My advice to you is to find what you want to do, because you can do it! And you should only do what makes you satisfied and happy!
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Paula’s Answer

I can speak about the accounting side of your major. I have a BSTM (Bachelor's in Science in Technical Management) with an emphasis/minor in accounting. I also have a Master's in Accounting & Financial Management. I took quite a few accounting classed while attending my under grad. I would say that there is quite a bit you could do with your math degree as well. Like I know some states allow you to teach high school math with a Bachelor's in math ... if that is something you are interested in.
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Amanda’s Answer

Hey Namia! You must really love numbers and data!

One career path you can consider is actuarist, where you measure and manage risk and uncertainty. You would require knowledge of balance sheet, liability and asset management and understanding of valuation. You would probably require further studies on this as not many organisation would offer an entry level role. All the best :)
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Stuart’s Answer

Data Scientist may be something to look into (it may require some programming)
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Alex’s Answer

You are in a great position! You have many opportunities including public accounting, private accounting, consulting. I recommend taking classes in IT if possible. The industry is shifting to automation and it will be very beneficial. Good luck!
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Mohamed’s Answer

One of the major changes in major audit firms and especially big4 is that they are changing the way they work to incorporate data analytics and automation, The investments made in these areas to both upskill their employees digitally and to acquire new businesses and employees are significant, The need for these rules are increasing and incorporating both accounting and math degrees in the equation will sure make you stand out comparing to other job seekers.
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Victoria’s Answer

an auditor
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Solomon’s Answer

Hi Namia
My suggestion will be to pick your strength and focus how you can develop that.
few options - the big 4 audit orgs have graduate leadership programs, explore that if you want to have a fast career track
other options include doing CA or CPA.
doing masters with institutions that specializes in disciplines where you want to grow.

All the best!
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Rachit (Richi)’s Answer

You have a plethora of opportunities my friend. I like the answers above. A short list of just a few others:

https://www.geteducated.com/careers/jobs-for-math-majors/
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Tova’s Answer

Oh wow, you have so many options! I recently graduated from business school, and a lot of companies are looking for your skills. You can consider roles in tax, consulting, banking, finance, analytics, strategy, investment management, etc. I recommend taking a look on LinkedIn for what paths your classmates who graduated before you took - you'll probably see a large diversity of roles. An important thing to keep in mind is that it is very common for people to switch careers. The first job you take is not necessarily permanent, so you can potentially explore several roles through your career.
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Carson’s Answer

The degrees mentioned are fantastic and present countless opportunities. I will keep it short, as many others have addressed the gist of what I would share; however, a few key points for anybody looking for advice. Follow what you are passionate about. There is no definitive career path that a Mathematics or Accounting major/minor should follow. Do what you enjoy, what you find exciting and what challenges you. Whether you choose Public Accounting, as I did, or another path, be bold and follow your instincts. Excel and work hard in school before searching for that first job out of college and utilize your resources like counselors, professors, friends, job fairs, parents, the internet, etc.

Best of luck!
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Alonzo’s Answer

Hi Namia,

I would recommend you look into banking, the background of math and accounting would allow you to make connections easily. You would be able to apply what you've learned everyday while being submerged in a challenging/rewarding environment. I am not sure how important compensation is to you, but banking could definitely provide you with the means to live a good lifestyle.

Hope that helps!

Alonzo recommends the following next steps:

Look into roles
network with professionals on linkedin
apply to roles
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Simeon’s Answer

You could look into being an accountant or a math teacher. There are small time accountants in addition to ones that work for larger companies, so you have a variety of options to look at. Since you are unsure what to do, being an accountant means you have a lot more freedom to figure out what you want by comparing companies and finding a good fit. Every company needs accountants, so you have unlimited options for making up your mind. Math teacher is the only career I can think of that exclusively uses a math degree; however, you would be able to teach accounting as well if you pass the teaching certification exam for it for your state.
Thank you comment icon Hi Simeon! Could you add a little bit more about both of those careers, specifically why they might be a good fit? Alexandra Carpenter, Admin
Thank you comment icon Howdy Alexandra, I've added those details now. Thanks for the feedback! Simeon Snow
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Lina’s Answer

You have a lot of options with your degree.

Like others have said, you could go for your CPA and become an accountant. Or, definitely could look into other fields in finance, such as IBD, PE, Hedge Funds, etc. Or you could becoming an engineer as well! Your major and skills are extremely valuable and you should definitely look around to see what best suits you and your desired career goals. I'm personally in M&A Accounting Advisory in the Financial Due Diligence group. In other words, if my client would like to buy a company (also known as the "target"), we look at the target's financials and produce analysis that is beneficial for our client and for financing purposes. We would also think you're a good candidate if you ended up becoming a CPA as well!
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Pratiksha’s Answer

FinTech might be a good industry for you to start in. You can look at data science related jobs in the FinTech industry, check the job description and see if it interests you.

Pratiksha recommends the following next steps:

Check Linkedin for companies in the FinTech Space
Narrow down on some of the companies which Interest you
Look for job opportunities in the Data Field
Compare different job descriptions and see which interests you the most
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Jordan’s Answer

Hi Namia,

As many have suggested below, I’d recommend trying to find out which industry interests you. It’s important that you enjoy what you do or what you are involved with. Personally, I’ve worked within the insurance company from the start of my career (both P&C and Healthcare). Through the years, I’ve learned an exponential amount and seem to keep learning as I take on different roles/positions. My passion for knowledge and working for a company that serves/helps others is important to me.

Depending on what industry you choose will present different job opportunities. If you find analyzing information and trends, I would suggest looking into a financial analyst role. This would allow you see the company’s financial position and use the data to assist with future growth/projections. I’ve found that our financial analysis and performance team is vital part of the success of our company going forward. They prepare the budgets, forecast for future years based on current conditions, and calculate financial ratios. If you like working with numbers but also enjoy the accounting aspect (whether that’s preparing journal entries or financial reports), you may want to consider being an actuary. Actuaries analyze data to determine the financial risk of the company. They use mathematics, statistics, and understanding of the industry to make there estimates. They also usually work very closely with the financial reporting/accounting department. You can also seek certification as an actuary by passing a series of exams.

Other potential jobs you may want to look at are an economist, a project management role, an operations research analyst, or a financial planner.

I hope this helps!
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Jennie’s Answer

Hi Namia,

Congrats, you must love numbers. I would recommend the field of accountancy, or becoming a CPA. Even within this career, there are lots of different options. I work in tax, but I used to work on the consulting side. I like the seasonal work aspect of tax, although this year has been very different than usual. Earning your CPA license is arduous, but very rewarding.

I like Dhaval's answer too. Being a math-tutor might be a good first step. I tutored SAT Math when I was just out of college.

Hope this helps, best of luck!

Jennie
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Trevor’s Answer

A bunch of great answers. You can do a lot with a Math major, but think people have hit on some of the obvious ones that would make sense (e.g, Accounting, Math Tutor, Actuary, etc.). Focus more on what you WANT to do and then see how your education supports you getting there.
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mouna’s Answer

Audit or Banking can be good option career for you to start with giving your skills on Math but also on Accounting
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Aaron’s Answer

Hi Namia,

You have many options with your degrees. I would suggest you look at the insurance industry where you could have a number of options available (Accountant, Finance, Actuarial, Data Scientist, Predictive Modeling). The ability to analyze data and make conclusions on that analysis drives many roles in the industry.

I wish you well!
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Jim’s Answer

Hi Namia - you are obviously an analytical person which is a great foundation for a wide variety of careers. In addition to traditional accounting/CPA and corporate finance careers, think about what industries interest you. The analytical skills you are building blocks that can be applied to being an actuary in insurance industry, data scientist for a variety of industry. Follow what you are interested in and what you are good at doing. Good luck.
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