Algebra Explained: Which Jobs Use Algebra?
Last week, we looked at the skills that you get from algebra. This week I want to look at the jobs that would use it. Now, we know that a lot of the jobs our young people will go into don’t even exist now, but the skills will be the same. It’s expected that we will change careers 5 times in our lifetime, so we need to be ready for that world of work and that includes the skills that algebra gives us (see last week’s blog post for more on that).
Let’s have a look at a few of the jobs that use algebra. This is just a selection – there are many more out there.
The obvious ones…
include Mathematician, Computer Programmer, Engineer, Data analyst, and Maths Teacher. These are directly using algebra and are generally the ones we think about. If your child knows they want to do this, then they will definitely need algebra, and they will know it!
The less obvious ones
Have you considered that a baker needs algebra to work out the ingredients they need or for converting measurements? Animators use algebra, this article explains some of the physics that Pixar use for their movies.
Logic skills, learned through algebra, are used by lawyers, doctors, and accountants.
Do you use a spreadsheet?
Any job where you need to use a spreadsheet needs algebra, algebra gives you the fundamentals for making formulae work. If you are really into them then you might programme with VBA too, so that your spreadsheet is really powerful! There are a variety of jobs that use spreadsheets: finance managers, accountants, office clerks, business management, financial analysts, data analysts (any other analysts!), project managers, sales and marketing, personal assistants, and much more.
The jobs that don’t yet exist
According to Careers with STEM, a self-driving car mechanic will need programming skills. Then there’s the 3D-Printed chef who cooks using a 3D printer and needs to programme it, that might be a bit far fetched, but who knows what the future holds.
You’ll notice that a lot of these are good paid jobs too, so giving your child the support they need with algebra will improve their future. If algebra isn’t your strong point, then what’s holding you back from improving and maybe even changing your job prospects?
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