IMA: Professional Development

Professional Development (PD) covers the whole period of an individual mathematician’s working life from the start of a career to eventual retirement. Initial Professional Development (IPD) covers the employment period following graduation when a mathematician develops the range of skills and competences requisite for professional status. IPD will include development that follows on directly from a university degree, probably with greater emphasis on some aspects of mathematics, on applications, and on the solution of problems with immediate relevance in a predetermined timescale. Other IPD will relate to skills and competences specific to an employer’s business, involve the development of personal and management skills, and reflect the aspirations of the mathematician concerned.

In terms of professional standing, the IPD stage covers the period between qualifying for Associate Membership and obtaining chartered status. For those seeking Chartered Mathematician (CMath) status, IPD must include the application of mathematical skills and for those with joint degrees and in subjects with a high mathematical content the supplementation of the mathematics content of their degrees with additional mathematical knowledge.

The IMA intends that all those who qualify for CMath status will also meet the requirements for the Chartered Scientist (CSci) designation without further assessment. This requires the IPD requirement for CMath to be sufficiently explicit to satisfy the Science Council Registration Authority.

Employers have an interest in professional development. They need to attract and retain well-trained, committed, and enthusiastic staff. Some employers provide IPD schemes and welcome the opportunity to align these with the requirements of professional and learned societies.

PD continues throughout the active professional working life. Technology and methodologies change and evolve. Careers develop to encompass different, and often wider and more senior responsibilities. Mathematicians must take responsibility for their own PD. Employers will provide training and career development, although the amount provided will vary to some extent dependent on their size and area of activity. Mathematicians will want to work with their employers on their PD, but they may wish to consider alternative employment in either the short or the long term. They must take into account that their employer may not always require their services or even remain in business.

PD requires planning and recording like any other important and demanding activity. Planning is required to ensure that the PD is directed towards the objectives identified and that time is set aside taking into account work and personal commitments. Recording is necessary to assess the extent to which you have achieved your objectives and to formulate plans for the future. A full record of IPD provides a sound base when applying for chartered and professional membership. Records are also valuable when constructing a CV or preparing for employment interviews.

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