BEGIN Bootcamp Jumpstarts Jobseekers at the JMM

The American Mathematical Society’s first BEGIN Bootcamp began with two directives:

“Raise your hand if you want a job.”

“Raise your hand if you’re a little introverted.”

Both statements elicited a prompt show of hands from the 47 participants, mostly graduate students, who gathered in a Seattle conference room the day before the 2025 Joint Mathematics Meetings. They convened to learn about nonacademic areas of employment for mathematicians; BEGIN is an acronym for Business, Entrepreneurial, Government, Industry, and Nonprofit.

A Day of Expert Guidance

“We’re hired ubiquitously to be problem-solvers,” said facilitator Sonjala Williams, a graduate professional development career advisor in Johns Hopkins University’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics.

How to get hired? Rule number one is to present your experience effectively. “This is a marketing campaign,” said facilitator Paul Krawietz, director of the Career Success Center, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Texas at Dallas.

Writing a resume for an industry job application is a different process than crafting your CV, the group was counseled. Unlike the indefinite length of a CV, every line of a one-page resume is valuable real estate.

Krawietz informed the group that 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies use electronic applicant tracking systems. He and facilitator James Ritchie, senior career consultant at the University of Texas at San Antonio career center, strongly recommended that applicants customize their resumes to include keywords from the job description.

Figure 1.

(L–R) JinCheng Wang, Jenita Jahangir, and Morgan Jackson at AMS BEGIN Bootcamp in Seattle.

Participants also learned how to craft a one-minute “elevator pitch” to showcase their talents and experience, and delivered their pitches to one another for practice. “I feel an energy, an excitement,” Krawietz observed. “It’s a highly motivated group of individuals.”

In her session, Williams provided resources for locating jobs and internships as well as practical advice. Allocate time for a job search as if it were a class, she said. “Schedule time, make appointments with yourself.”

After a morning of active learning and a collegial boxed lunch together, the participants met with employer representatives who volunteered their time in a roundtable format.

“Most of our discussions were about possible do’s and don’t’s in the application process,” said roundtable professional Dmytro Savchuk, associate professor and chair, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of South Florida. “I asked about the approaches the candidates take in their search and shared my experience from the hiring authority perspective.”

Figure 2.

Anna Kinzel of the AMS welcomes the BEGIN bootcampers.

The final challenge was the networking groups. In a timed scenario, the employer representatives posed real-world interview questions to tables of five, then offered constructive criticism of the responses.

Listen carefully to the question, Krawietz coached the participants. Be concise. “And remember that these are potential employers,” he said.

“What processes do you follow to catch mistakes?” a representative from the National Security Agency asked her table. She received five very different responses.

In the five minutes of feedback, the NSA rep advised that beneath every interview question is a subtext. “Think about not just the literal question,” she said. In this case, acknowledging that you made a mistake and sought the help of colleagues were important components of a successful response.

“There’s a big cultural shift between academia and government work,” she explained. In her workplace, personal accomplishments are less important than the team’s product.

Rui Fang, a PhD candidate in mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh, said that this was her first time facing on-the-spot questions from industry professionals. “The immediate feedback I received was invaluable—it helped me reflect on my answers, sharpen my thinking, and adjust my communication style in real time,” she said. “Engaging in this dynamic environment pushed me to think quickly and strategically, and it strengthened my confidence for future interviews.”

The Takeaway: Skills for Resumes, Elevator Pitches, and Networking

Afterwards, 35 participants answered a survey about the Bootcamp, rating it an average 4.52 stars of five. “The BEGIN Bootcamp was an inspiring kickoff event for JMM, bringing mathematicians together with seasoned professionals to explore exciting careers in BEGIN sectors,” said event organizer Anna Kinzel, AMS Programs.

Figure 3.

Rui Fang, University of Pittsburgh PhD candidate, in discussion at AMS BEGIN Bootcamp.

Ninety-one percent of the bootcampers expressed interest in future AMS BEGIN initiatives, thanks to the valuable lessons they learned.

“Each application must be unique,” said Morgan Jackson, a fifth-year PhD candidate at Virginia Commonwealth University. “Although it takes a lot of time to customize application materials, it is necessary in the age of AI screening.”

“As an international student, I learned where to search for opportunities related to mathematics outside of academia,” said Jenita Jahangir, a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “Also, I learned the differences in the application procedure in industry and academia.”

“Having been trained as a researcher, I knew very little about the applications of my mathematics skills beyond the academic setting,” said JinCheng Wang, a sixth-year math graduate student at Tufts University. At the Bootcamp, he said he learned to “spend time understanding my strengths and interests, and then smartly advertise my knowledge and character. The journey of developing a career is and should be a great opportunity for reflection and progression.”

“My biggest takeaway from the Bootcamp was learning how to answer the questions behind the questions during interviews, which helps convey my strengths effectively,” Fang said. “Additionally, I gained valuable tips on connecting with people on LinkedIn meaningfully without needing to pay for premium features.”

Meaningful connections can lead to jobs. Williams urged the bootcampers to share contact information and stay in touch: “This is one of your cohorts now.”