Graduate Profiles

Many graduates from the Department of Mathematical Sciences have gone on to have successful and varied careers. 

Below you can find a selection of profiles from some of our recent graduates. Find out what they made of their maths course, hear about their current job roles and read their top tips for future students.

Marianne Scott

Degree Details : BSC in Mathematics and Statistics 2017

See below case study with Marianne - PHD in Applied Mathematics

Tell us about the steps you took whilst studying at the University of Liverpool?

Alongside making sure I got the best grades I could in my course, I spent a lot of time looking for placement opportuinites so that I could try out all the different kinds of career options.This in turn helped me to network and meet new people to further my career.

What do you enjoy?

I enjoy the freedom that comes with it.I get to define my own ours,manage my own project,and implement my own ideas,which is cool.Researching something thats so interesting to me is a massive part of why i love the job and all the opportunites that come with it.

Advice to Students?

You need to make sure that you have a passion for what you're looking to research and that you're gaining knowledge to be able to do that research.Get some experience within the area you want to look at,as that will tell you whether or not you want to do that and if you're capable of doing that.

 

 

 

Dr Jaclyn Bell

Degree Details : MSc in Mathematical Sciences 2016- PHD in Theoretical Particle Physics

See below case study with Dr Jaclyn Bell 

Tell us about the steps you took whilst studying at University of Liverpool?

When my friends were doing internships, I was doing other bits of work.Then i ended up going into academia, and started planning to do more research.I was reading around my subjects and focusing more on theoretical physics through my module choices.

Career Progression you took ?

I moved to London working on public engagement in the science museum.I then worked behing the scenes in community engagement with the British Science Association, and then became a project manager.After, I ran National stem programs right across the UK and now I've gone back into academia.

Advice to Students?

My advice in getting involved in public engagement is to volunteer within a university department first.Getting involved in British Science Festival, British Science Week, and local festivals is a good start,and if you are serious then look into doing a masters in science and communication.

In this short interview, Dr Jaclyn Bell highlights her journey from a Bachelor to Masters and finally completing a PhD at the University of Liverpool and her experiences not knowing what career she wanted at the end. She explores the mistakes she made along the way and regrets she has about her University time. 

 

 

Lydia Dutton 

Degree Details : Master of Mathematics 2016

Organisation: Associate Consultant ( Pensions Actuarial) Lane Clark & Peacock LLP

See below case study with Lydia Dutton

Tell us about the steps you took whilst studying at University of Liverpool?

I took part in the summer research internship organised by the Maths Department during my second year.I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to present my final year project at the Insurance Mathematics Economics conference in Atalanta, Georgia.

Describe the Challenges you faced?

The biggest challenge is learning how to explain complicated concepts in the simplest way.Going from sitting quietly at the back of lecture theaters to presenting work to clients is a huge change,and is quite overwhelming at first

Advice to Students?

Focus as much as you can on building strong comminication skills.There are thousands of bright math graduates out there - what makes a great acturary is being able to explain complicated concepts in the most simple way. 

 

Katy Gallagher

Degree Details: Mathematics (MMath) 2012 and PhD in Singularity Theory 2017

Current Role: Higher Statistical Officer

Organization: HMRC

What was your best experience while studying your course at the University of Liverpool and why?

I loved my time at the University of Liverpool, so much so that I stayed there for 8 years! I enjoyed meeting new people, making friends and then having the opportunity to study a variety of modules. By having the freedom to choose what modules to study I was able to find areas of Maths that I enjoyed most. This led me to stay on after my undergraduate degree to study for my PhD in Singularity Theory and work with my supervisor Victor Goryunov. Graduating with a PhD is my proudest achievement and gave me many opportunities such as attending conferences in France and New York!

While you were at university, what were the beneficial things outside of your course that helped you to get ready to begin your career?

I helped with the Further Maths Support Programme which involved weekly study sessions for 16-18 year olds. This involved catering explanations to individual students, a skill that has translated to my current role as I have to explain the results of analysis to various other teams and make sure it is in a format that can be easily understood by anyone.

As I neared the end of my degree and began to consider what to do next, I found the Careers and Employability team to be extremely helpful. I was able to have someone check over my CV and give me advice on how to improve it. I also attended various talks on application processes such as interviews and psychometric tests, these gave me an insight into what to expect. 

In which ways did your course help you to prepare for your current role? 

My course helped me to prepare for my role by giving me the opportunity to study different statistical modules such as introductory modules which introduced me to different statistical models and applied modules such as medical statistics which demonstrated how they can be used in real world environments.

Although my PhD was in Pure Mathematics and I now work as a Statistician the skills I gained from working on my PhD have been invaluable to my current role. The analytical skills I developed I now use daily and the presentation skills I acquired have been crucial to delivering the results of various pieces of analysis in a format that can be understood and used by other teams.

Can you please share an insight into your current role, what do you enjoy the most?

I am currently a Higher Statistical Officer in HMRC working in KAI (Knowledge, Analysis and Intelligence). I am part of the team that carries out analysis on the Error and Fraud in the Tax Credits population. This involves an annual publication on gov.uk and carrying out analysis which can then be used by other teams to reduce the amount of error and fraud.

There are many elements of my role that I enjoy. I work on variety of projects which means every week in my job is different so there is no chance of getting bored. Being able to work on a project from the start to the end and then presenting the findings to my colleagues. Also having the opportunity to learn new skills such as coding which I only had a limited knowledge of before starting in my role.

What challenges did you face as a recent graduate in a new workplace? How did you overcome these?

My biggest challenge when starting was a lack of confidence in myself and my abilities. I felt like an imposter and I was waiting for them to change their mind. After a few weeks I spoke with other new colleagues and found they also felt the same about themselves. I realised that they would not have hired me if they did not think I would do the job well. I also worried about asking too many questions, especially since I began my job remotely due to the pandemic. The quick questions that you would normally turn to the person next to you in the office and ask now required an email, call or message. I quickly realised that everyone was happy to help, as I was for others. It is better to ask questions and do something right, rather than waste time worrying or guessing and making a mistake.

Do you have any top tips to share with future and current students? (in terms of preparing for work?)

When I finished my degree, I found the process of applying for jobs to be quite daunting and disheartening at times. Few people are successful on getting the first job they apply for so I started to look at every application and interview as practice, if I wasn’t successful in getting the job then I just made improvements to my application or interview technique. I found this took pressure off myself and I was more relaxed when it came to interviews.

  • Megan Danby

    Degree Details: BSc Hons Mathematics 2017
    Job Title: Graduate Auditor
    Organisation: Computershare

    Tell us about your overall experience while studying at the University of Liverpool?

    My experience at the University of Liverpool was life changing and the 3 years I spent there were the best 3 years yet. I met lots of new friends and made unforgettable memories. The university is very welcoming and offers a variety of extracurricular activities to get involved with - I joined the Maths Netball team which was very enjoyable. Liverpool is a great city to be a student in as it is affordable and has a big town centre with lots going on. Graduating with a first class honours degree made my experience at Liverpool very rewarding. The 3 year's flew by and I would love to go back!

    Read more

    What did you think of your mathematics course?

    The Mathematics course at Liverpool was challenging but exciting. There was a large variety of different module choices to choose from and all the lecturers are very talented, approachable and are keen to offer extra help when required. The mathematics department provides every student with an academic advisor who were available to help with both academic and personal issues. The Maths Society was also very welcoming and very sociable!!

    Can you describe your current role?

    My current role in Audit is varied and has the opportunity for further studying to enable me to pursue my career and take on increasing responsibilities. The skills I learnt from my Mathematics degree enable me to successfully complete the figures for the audit reporting at month end. I am solely responsible for the completion of this task after only 2 months - this would not have been possible without the skills I learnt at university.

    Do you have any top tips to share with future and current students?

    Enjoy it as much as you can! I would recommend joining the Maths Society - going on the social events may seem daunting at first but it enabled me to make lots of course friends and interact with students in other years which was very beneficial when it came to choosing modules for the next year.

  • Elizabeth Davies

    Degree Details: BSc Hons Mathematics 2017
    Job Title: Associate Auditor
    Organisation: Deloitte

    Tell us about your overall experience while studying at the University of Liverpool?

    Liverpool University has been the best experience of my life, to date. It has allowed me to develop academically and personally. During my time at Liverpool University I have made friends for life, both through my course and through living independently. In addition to this, I attended a number of the maths society social events which I would highly recommend getting involved with. My favourites being the Christmas Balls and trip abroad to Budapest.

    Read more

     What did you think of your mathematics course?

    Initially I found the course slightly over-whelming, as it may seem like a step up from A-level. However, once I settled in and realised what a good support system there is available, I soon found my feet. The range of modules and the flexibility in selecting modules to suit me, helped me tailor the course to my interests. In particular I enjoyed modules that followed on from Decision mathematics modules at A-Level, such as Networks and Operational Research.

    Can you describe your current role?

    Since graduating I have been working for Deloitte as an audit associate in the financial services sector. The University has allowed me to develop transferrable skills such as confidence, adaptability and time management, which I believe has allowed me to secure a job at one of the top four professional service networks in the world.

    Do you have any top tips to share with future and current students?

    Take advantage of all the help that is available, such as peer mentoring and make the most of your academic advisor. I would really recommend utilising the placement year and summer internships that are available as they can greatly increase your employability.

  • Chloe Clarke

    Graduate profile student 1 Degree Details: BSc Hons Mathematics 2017  

     

    Job Title: Student Experience Administrative Assistant

     

    Organisation: University of Liverpool

     

    Tell us about your overall experience while studying at the University of Liverpool?

    I have loved my time at the University of Liverpool. From living in Carnatic Halls to trying out new societies and sports. I’ve found Liverpool to be a great city to live and study in, everyone is really approachable and I have made great friends throughout the three years I have lived here.

    Read more

    What did you think of your mathematics course?

    The Mathematics course was great, you have to attend around 12 lectures and 4 tutorials a week. In the tutorials you can ask lecturers for help or you can attend the many office hours they have available. The modules available are really varied and the lecturers always keep them interesting. As well as tutorials you can get additional support, from the academic advisor that you are assigned in first year and you can also contact the math student support office. There are also many opportunities to take part in extracurricular activities. I joined the Maths Society Netball team and attended many of the socials hosted by the them. There is also a chance to join the math society committee in a number of roles, so you can help plan events for future students.

    Can you describe your current role?

    I currently work for the University of Liverpool where I have completed an internship in Events and Communications and have gained a role as a student experience administrative assistant. I am based  in the Math Student Support office and I am hoping to give an invaluable insight into how we can improve the student experience for current and future students. I have gained key skills from my Mathematics course which I now use in this role. Such as team work and presentation skills which I gained from the group project module.

    Do you have any top tips to share with future and current students?

    I would definitely recommend getting involved with societies and sports, even if you’ve never tried them before. It’s a great way to meet additional friends, other than from your accommodation and course. Also always ask for help whenever you need it, particularly if you have questions about Mathematics lecture content and homework's.

  • Anne Barber

    Degree Details: BSc Hons Mathematics 2011Graduate profile student 4

    Job Title: Trainee Forecaster

     

    Organisation: The Met Office

     

     

     Tell us about your overall experience while studying at the University of Liverpool?

    I started my three year degree in Mathematics at Liverpool in 2008. The degree as you might expect was challenging; yet I thoroughly enjoyed my three years and discovered that the field of mathematics is more diverse than you might think. Liverpool itself is a fantastic city to live in, with its abundance of art and culture, nightlife to suit all tastes (one which I haven’t found rivalled yet in any other UK city) and a great music scene.

    Read more

    What did you think of your Mathematics Course?

    Towards my final year I decided to specialise in applied mathematics and theoretical physics, studying modules such as quantum mechanics, relativity and chaos and dynamical systems. Whilst I had always harboured an interest in the weather since school geography lessons, the chaos module really made me think about the possibility of a career in such a topic. After graduating I decided to apply my mathematical skills to the area of meteorology, so I moved onto Birmingham University to do a postgraduate degree in Applied Meteorology and Climatology. Here the skills I learned in Liverpool proved very useful when learning about the fundamental physical laws of the atmosphere, and how numerical modelling systems are created.

    Can you describe your current role?

    I am currently employed at the Met Office working as a trainee forecaster hoping to be qualified by the end of the summer. The Met Office, despite its slightly intimidating position as being a world-renowned company, offers an extremely friendly work environment- I’ve already made some friends for life in the short time I’ve been there. It is a very challenging career, but one that seeks to get the best out of you, and it offers plenty of exciting travel opportunities. When I am qualified I will be working as a civil forecaster in Aberdeen, however many of my colleagues will be forecasting at military stations around the UK. It’s worth pointing out that forecasting is not the only possible career within the Met Office or indeed the wider meteorological community- there are plenty of opportunities for people with strong mathematical and programming backgrounds as the area of weather forecasting is increasingly moving towards advances in numerical weather prediction

    Do you have any top tips to share with future and current students?

    A degree in maths can literally take you anywhere- yes it teaches you to solve differential equations and perform operations on matrices (and so forth…), but fundamentally more than that, it teaches you to think logically and reasonably and to solve problems- something that any employer will find valuable.