INFORMS Open Forum

Back to discussions
Expand all | Collapse all

Advice for those interested in getting involved in Operations Research

  • 1.  Advice for those interested in getting involved in Operations Research

    Posted 08-17-2021 12:32
    Hello:

    Matthew Gorka, a Senior Associate at EY and a member of the INFORMS group on LinkedIn, made the following post:

    I'd like to start a thread of "how-to" advice for those interested in getting involved in the field of Operations Research (OR).

    1. Are there jobs available to those with a bachelors degree in IE, or does it require advanced degrees?
    2. What skills are required to work in this field?
    3. How do jobs in #OR differ from data science or #dataanalytics roles?
    4. What are some common job titles/roles in the field of OR?

    These are some very interesting questions, so please share your comments here and to the LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/82644/

    We look forward to everyone's responses!

    Jill

    ------------------------------
    Jill Capello
    Membership Associate
    INFORMS
    Catonsville MD
    jcapello@informs.org
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Advice for those interested in getting involved in Operations Research

    Posted 08-18-2021 13:41

    I am reposting here a slightly longer version of my response that I just posted  on LinkedIn:

    Matthew, 

      These are great questions and exactly the ones in front of any student entering college or trying to choose a major in their early years. Instead of providing pointwise responses to each of your questions, I will share a few links and thoughts that collectively provide insights to many aspects related to them.

      First and foremost, as a person who is passionate about OR and Analytics, I will say that there are many opportunities for anyone with an OR degree (at whatever level) to succeed in a variety of fields. I found this very nice page on the GA Tech website which has tons of information for prospective students about jobs after graduation, average expected salaries, industries which have related jobs, roles for the OR graduates, etc.: https://www.isye.gatech.edu/academics/bachelors/prospective-students/placement. I am sure there are other Operations Research or Industrial and Systems Engineering departments which provide similar information. If you are a junior or senior in one of these programs, there are career fairs offered at many universities which will also provide ample information to help you plan your career. For instance, Cornell University has a job fair at the beginning of the fall semester and another one at the end of the year. 

      I also recommend perusing the INFORMS website (informs.org) which has many resources for OR professionals, both in academia and industry. I have been a member of INFORMS throughout my career and find value in the many networking opportunities to learn more about OR and Analytics. Early career professionals: check the INFORMS mentoring program: (https://www.informs.org/Professional-Development/Mentoring)

    For an overview of what it takes to succeed in an OR and Analytics career, you can download the following book: https://www.informs.org/Explore/Building-Successful-O.R.-and-Analytics-Teamsand for post-graduation credentials, one option is the CAP (Certified Analytics Professional: https://www.certifiedanalytics.org/index.php)

    I hope this information spurs further discussion on this important topic. I look forward to seeing other response with resources and answers to help students as they seek undergraduate majors or decide on further graduate studies.

    Radhika 

     



    ------------------------------
    Radhika Kulkarni
    Vice President, Advanced Analytics R&D (retd.)
    SAS Institute Inc.
    Durham NC
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content