Abstract:
How do mathematics graduates make the transition to the professional workforce? This study reports
results from in-depth interviews with 18 graduates who have moved into a range of industries. The
study is from the perspective of graduates who have graduated within the past five years from five
universities. Weinvestigate how they perceive that their university study has helped them move into the
workforce using communication as an example. Language is powerful and is mediated with workplace
interactions. Whilst there is an argument for other university services, such as careers programs, to help
with some of the transitional processes, we argue that most career preparation should be done within
the teaching and learning of the technical subjects themselves due to the discipline specific nature of the
language and communication required.
