# A Mathematics Job for an ISFJ?



## JDiNicola (Dec 1, 2011)

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the website and this is only my 2nd post but I was hoping to get some feedback from fellow ISFJs out there.

I recently discovered my personality type and have been struggling for a long time (well my whole life) to figure out what I want to do for a living. I finished my Bachelors of Arts last year in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration and currently hold a Data Entry position with the bank I've been working at for the past four years.

I don't feel like the company is for me and want to do something more related to helping people and getting fulfillment out of work. I had been thinking for a while about Graduate school and getting into Counseling, Social Work, etc. but realized the time, effort, money (or lack thereof) and everything else is just not worth it to me.

Recently, I started thinking about going back to school for Mathematics as it was a field I always enjoyed and loved the step-by-step process in solving a problem and procedural nature behind it.

I'm curious, does anyone here know of a position that ISFJs get into that revolves around Mathematics? Obviously, ISFJs want a job where their helping people and I've thought about teaching, but am just not sure right now.

Any feedback would be great.

Thanks.


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## blit (Dec 17, 2010)

JDiNicola said:


> *Recently, I started thinking about going back to school for Mathematics as it was a field I always enjoyed and loved the step-by-step process in solving a problem and procedural nature behind it.*
> 
> I'm curious, does anyone here know of a position that ISFJs get into that revolves around Mathematics? Obviously, ISFJs want a job where their helping people and I've thought about teaching, but am just not sure right now.
> 
> ...


Don't let a label stop you from doing what you know you want.


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## JohnGalt (Nov 5, 2011)

If you like it, do it. I know a guy who works as a statistician and is an ISFJ. Stats in particular is very procedural (as opposed to something like algebraic topology, which just involves a lot of aimless abstract thinking). If you work in a team, you can still get out your need for helping people and creating harmony while pursuing a subject matter you are interested in.


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## JDiNicola (Dec 1, 2011)

What about teaching? I remember I had a teacher in high school who taught math and always thought this guy had the greatest job in the world. He was so clear and smooth in explaining mathematics to students and made every type of problem seem so simple. I loved watching this guy explain things and it made me want to be just like him.


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## teddy564339 (Jun 23, 2010)

JDiNicola said:


> What about teaching? I remember I had a teacher in high school who taught math and always thought this guy had the greatest job in the world. He was so clear and smooth in explaining mathematics to students and made every type of problem seem so simple. I loved watching this guy explain things and it made me want to be just like him.



I teach high school math (and I'm an ISFJ). It has its ups and downs. 


I think teaching community college level math is probably better for an ISFJ, though. Eventually I'm probably going to go into that. There are probably a lot less behavior and discipline issues.


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## JDiNicola (Dec 1, 2011)

teddy564339 said:


> I teach high school math (and I'm an ISFJ). It has its ups and downs.
> 
> 
> I think teaching community college level math is probably better for an ISFJ, though. Eventually I'm probably going to go into that. There are probably a lot less behavior and discipline issues.


I always thought about that too as I can only imagine how hard it must be dealing with adolescent teens everyday.

How much more schooling or what type of schooling is needed to teach math at the college/junior college level?


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## teddy564339 (Jun 23, 2010)

JDiNicola said:


> I always thought about that too as I can only imagine how hard it must be dealing with adolescent teens everyday.
> 
> How much more schooling or what type of schooling is needed to teach math at the college/junior college level?



In general, you have to have a Master's Degree to teach community college, and a Ph.D to teach at a university.


I actually have a Master's Degree, but it's in Teaching (it's an MAT, Masters of Arts in Teaching). I've heard people tell me that this would be enough to teach community college, but it seems like most positions want a Master's in Math. I'd probably only be qualified to teach remedial courses or maybe College Algebra.


The nice thing is that in my state (NC), under the current retirement system, I'll start getting a pension after I've been teaching for 30 years (that's when I'll be 52). So my plan has been to retire from public school teaching at 52, and that way I'll be getting paid, and then I'll start exploring other options. That way I'll be more relaxed and won't have to feel as pressured to keep up with bills and stuff.


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## JDiNicola (Dec 1, 2011)

teddy564339 said:


> In general, you have to have a Master's Degree to teach community college, and a Ph.D to teach at a university.
> 
> 
> I actually have a Master's Degree, but it's in Teaching (it's an MAT, Masters of Arts in Teaching). I've heard people tell me that this would be enough to teach community college, but it seems like most positions want a Master's in Math. I'd probably only be qualified to teach remedial courses or maybe College Algebra.
> ...


If you don't mind me asking, how did you get into teaching math? Did you always know it was what you wanted to do or was it something that took a while to figure out? Is the job suitable to make a living with a family or does it have its share of setbacks? I only ask that last question because I always hear about how teachers are extremely underpaid.


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## teddy564339 (Jun 23, 2010)

JDiNicola said:


> If you don't mind me asking, how did you get into teaching math? Did you always know it was what you wanted to do or was it something that took a while to figure out? Is the job suitable to make a living with a family or does it have its share of setbacks? I only ask that last question because I always hear about how teachers are extremely underpaid.



Well, I was a computer science major my first two years of college, but then I realized I wasn't that good at it and didn't want to be a programmer. 

However, in the back of my mind I kind of always felt the way that you do....I liked the idea of explaining things to be people. I pictured myself teaching people how to write programs, just like I did in a class I took in high school.

But, I found out the only way to teach programming was to teach math, and to try to find a way to teach AP Comp Sci if the school offered it.


But it's easier just to stick to math, so that's what I've ended up doing.



I make about $36,000 a year before taxes. So not very much compared to most people with a Bachelor's. I'm not married nor do I have kids, so it's plenty for me. Plenty of teachers do get married and have kids, though...though their spouses probably make more than they do.

But there are perks to the job as well. It has better job security than most jobs, good benefits (health insurance and retirement), and we get summers off. (And Christmas and spring breaks)


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## JohnGalt (Nov 5, 2011)

Yikes, why do American teachers make < 1/2 of what Canadian teachers do?


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## teddy564339 (Jun 23, 2010)

JohnGalt said:


> Yikes, why do American teachers make < 1/2 of what Canadian teachers do?


Well, there are a couple of things here.


First off, my state, North Carolina, is something like the 48th or 49th lowest salary out of all 50 states in the US. Up until recently, this is one reason why it was so much easier to get a teaching job in NC than most states....a lot of people who teach around here come from the midwestern states because they couldn't get a job in their own state.

Secondly, I'm only in my sixth year of teaching. At least in NC, the pay for a first year teacher is something like $31,000 or $32,000....but it goes up by $1000 a year for the first few years, and then after that it goes up by $2000 or $2500 a year. So someone who's been teaching about 15 years will probably be somewhere closer to $50,000. I don't remember what the average salary is.

Thirdly, due to the recent economic situation, NC has frozen teachers' pay for the last three years. So I'm still being paid like a third year teacher instead of a sixth year one.


So it probably has a lot more to do with my state than it does the whole US. But I have heard that the US does pay teachers less than many other countries do.


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## JohnGalt (Nov 5, 2011)

teddy564339 said:


> Well, there are a couple of things here.
> 
> 
> First off, my state, North Carolina, is something like the 48th or 49th lowest salary out of all 50 states in the US. Up until recently, this is one reason why it was so much easier to get a teaching job in NC than most states....a lot of people who teach around here come from the midwestern states because they couldn't get a job in their own state.
> ...


To put things in perspective, up here, entry-level teachers in their FIRST year of work make $90k in igloo territory... 

$70-80 in remote rural communities with shortages. More like $60 in most cities, but that's still double your starting rate. 

Pay grade here also depends on incoming education, not just experience. It increases with a 4-year degree vs a 3-year degree, even more with a master's, and even more if you have extra teachables, are qualified to teach people with learning disabilities, or specialize in some other way. 

With 15-20 years in, assuming you take steps to advance your career, you're making 6 figures.


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## JDiNicola (Dec 1, 2011)

It seems like teaching Math is the way to go for ISFJs who enjoy the subject...


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