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Communication skills in mathematical careers

BanachL

Joined
12/16/16
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I posted before during my undergrad - I'm about to start an MSc in statistics. I apologise if this post is a little left field from the usual career advice questions (also I'm not intending on entering a quant finance, or any finance role).

I've noticed a few posts here (and personal contacts that are in mathematical careers have mentioned this) have emphasised the importance of soft skills in maths careers and how some math/physics graduates neglect this. At the moment I feel comfortable preparing for technical interviews, but the 'soft skills' angle is a bit worrying sounding.

I'm just wondering - have other members any ideas in terms of improving communication/soft skills in preparation for entering a mathematical career? What impact have any measures had? Or is it something that can only be developed 'on the job'?
 
Learn how to sell yourself and to communicate clearly. This is not that difficult but requires practice. It is like a sport. The more you do it, the better you get at it.
 
"Communication skills" is an ambiguous term. It can mean lack of fluency in idiomatic English (commonplace with foreign students); it can mean lack of ease in social situations (frequent with math and physics students, who are autistic in disproportionate numbers); it can mean an incapacity or unwillingness to translate technical matters and quant argot into layman's language. Also keep in mind that what might count as "communication skill" in the USA might not count as such in the UK -- and vice versa.
 
I've hired dozens of quants. Most are relatively weak communicators. Poor communication skills are probably the single largest impediment that most quants have to overcome.

When you're a junior quant at a bank, you work for a quant. When you're a senior quant, you don't. If you're lucky, your boss will be numerate. There's a good chance, however that he or she will be an MBA or a lawyer.

You must be able to communicate complex concepts in simple terms. If you don't learn how to do that, you will peak very early in your career.
 
it can mean an incapacity or unwillingness to translate technical matters and quant argot into layman's language

This can be an issue in software development in general. Speaking the voice of the customer is not what is taught in CS education in general. It's a hangover from the 70s when CS was considered a science (which it is not IMHO) and not a branch of engineering (which it should have been).
 
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I know you say you don't want to be a quant, but regardless of whatever maths/stats career you embark on a huge part of your role will be to translate data into simple meaning.

I'd first assess what you mean by poor communication skills. If the issue is social then I would take tests on social anxiety disorder and aspergers (AQ/Simon Baron Cohen test). Guessing (and this is a guess) from your posts I'd say you'd get 19 or less on the AQ test (I score 11 nowadays), which means you don't have aspergers and the issue is likely to be social anxiety and very easily remedied. The only issue is that good counselors are like gold dust, particularly if you are a student, but you can practice social skills with a little awareness.

Also I suspect, as Daniel Duffy seems to be implying, you have those skills from your teens. A lot of the time the problem isn't not knowing what to say or do but not having the confidence to allow yourself to say or do the right thing. Think about it - name any social situation and you will probably be able to tell me the right thing to do, yet you don't achieve that.

In terms of expressing complex subject matters to non-technical people I'd start with Toastmasters and other speaking groups. It will improve your ability to think on your feet and improve your voice immediately. But it's not the whole solution - I find it to be a little generalised, plus criticising shoddy speeches is eschewed as they use the CRC approach. You will need an honest mentor that understands your field of stats/maths to kick your arse and not hold back with feedback.

Also consider writing technically for a publication. In my finance career I wound up in some non-quant roles and learnt how to write about technical ideas in a succinct way that many quants don't. In my spare time I write for a data blog using writing skills many quant/data people don't have. It's hard to replicate the conditions of the finance jobs I did, but you could try if you find someone willing to work with you. Just remember your thesis or thesis presentation won't have to match that standard and will only ever get read by technical people, so you ain't gonna get that experience in college.
 
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Is there a student run investment fund at your college's B school? I was a pretty shy math + comp sci major and got into the student managed fund at my college where I had to work with and communicate with all the eloquent finance students. I attended networking events with alumni and had lunch with people working in the industry. And for the first time in my life I got a ton of public speaking experience and now I'm at the point where I don't really get that nervous in front of a crowd. In my opinion, communications skills can only be learned through high pressure experiences. If you have this type of opportunity I highly recommend you pursue it.
 
One of our maths lecturers at university used to invite us to present a work-out solution on the blackboard which was a cool idea.

Joining an amateur acting society?
 
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Also, this hasn't been mentioned enough, but whatever role you get into it will involve networking, even if just for information requests. It's important to know how to talk to professionals in your chosen career. Play it by ear as different professionals look for different things.

This is an opportunity to develop communication skills - under pressure to find a job as a graduate I started seeing very fast who knew their stuff and who didn't.

I think it's also important to keep a handle on uninformed people that try and interfere with your career, particularly those that have no math/physics background. Even at high points of my career I found some family and friends very hard to deal with with their condescending (an usually inaccurate) 'advice' - you have to learn quickly how to fight the instinct to reason with them (they have zero logic plus will extrapolate stuff you never said and develop amnesia when it suits) and to drop them and have zero tolerance for their shit. The thing is until I learnt to drop people and be tight lipped it held back my personal development from being on edge constantly.
 
Daniel Duffy said:
Indeed. I had 211,411 courses.
Trevor was very interested in sports as well. He was also president of our judo club. Must say I really liked those Trinity maths profs. Mid seventies .. it was like private lessons in #37, in our Special Honours Mod only 6 students.

He was a very motivating lecturer.

I ordered a book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trevor-West-Collegian-Maura-Lee/dp/1843516764
Click to expand...
Rugby guy aswell.

We were talking about him in the Pav once when an engineer asked 'Which of your classes is he in? Maths or TP?' - I guess he sounded like such a character...

I liked his 121 course because it felt like a continuation from Leaving Cert, even though it brought in basics of convergence. Others disagreed and were a bit confused, but it was a good transition from equation solving into formal proofs.
 
Rugby and cricket big time.

The maths dept also had a football team and Trevor W, Ulick O Connor, Trevor Orr (Triple Crown rugby), Colm O D and moi were on it. They lost most games :D

When maths played soccer against judo club I switched allegiances. Those judo guys were not very good, they kept upending their opponents. I managed to keep the score down to 7-0.
 
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