Demographers

A part-time or summer job at a company with a statistical research department is a good way to gain insight into the career of demographer. Discussions with professional demographers are another way of learning about the rewards and responsibilities in this field. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What do you like most and least about your job? How did you train for this field? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How are artificial intelligence and other types of emerging technology changing the field?

While in high school, ask your mathematics teachers to give you some simple statistical problems related to population changes in order to practice the kinds of statistical techniques that demographers use. Exploring statistical surveys and information from Gallup on the Internet (https://www.gallup.com) is another way to learn about this career. Additionally, undertaking your own demographic survey of an organization or group, such as your school or after-school club, is a project worth considering.

Participate in summer exploration programs in mathematics, business, statistics, AI, and other fields that are offered by colleges and universities to expand your skills and knowledge and obtain experience in a college learning environment.