As I’m sure everyone has heard by now, the site Career Cast announced the top professions. Number 1 is mathematician, number 2 is actuary, and number 3 is statistician. The top of the list features other taxing careers such as accountant and historian. It sounds like the metric was the reciprocal of physical exertion.
Yeah. As a consulting actuary, I think they need to split the profession in two. ‘Cause we work way more than their metric allows for.
Because we are different, should we not demand that we be ranked as number zero, and let everyone else slug it out for number one?
Is there some reason why these “top jobs” are also the jobs where you feel most embarrassed when at a cocktail party someone asks what you do for a living?
John Baez: yes. The reason is that other embarrassing jobs have a prurient, curiosity, or coolness factor, such as Sex Worker, Bagman for Corrupt Politician, Crime Scene Clean-up Crew, Elephant-poop Sweeper at Circus.
Hence I suggest that Mathematicians and Actuaries answer the “what do you do for a living” question at cocktail parties with something that sounds like one of the above list, such as the counter-question: “Have you ever heard of Improper Integrals and Sexigesimal?”