Mathematics communication for graduates

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.