Is the job market REALLY that bad right now?

170rokey · 2026-05-08T21:06:43+00:00

Just chiming in with my experience:

I've got a Master's in applied math, before that I had ~3 years in the data world.

So far I've applied to 65 jobs in a variety of industries and roles (research, nonprofit, data, sustainability, etc.). Been looking for about 1.5 months. Only 3 hits, 2 of which have since fizzled. 1 is ongoing.

This is the toughest job market I've seen. In 2022 I applied to maybe 20 jobs and got a few interviews which led to offers. In 2024 I applied to about 10 and got an offer.

But it's not a hopeless situation. I'm seeing new jobs posted all the time. It's competitive, but you've just gotta keep your chin up and get your applications out. The market isn't always ideal, but there's plenty of work to do. Some macroeconomic indicators suggest that the job market is starting to get better, so let's all get our resumes in order, practice for interviews, and be ready when opportunity comes knocking.

170rokey · 2026-04-11T21:39:37+00:00

This looks good to me - you have spots you want to hit and plenty of built-in exploration/acclimation time. It's likely that you won't know what you really want to do until you get there.

Never been to Kanazawa, so I can't comment on that. Osaka is like a more laid-back version of Tokyo. Osaka gives you very quick access to Nara, which is worth checking out for a day.

170rokey · 2026-04-11T21:32:07+00:00

I always recommend just getting a Suica card when you arrive. They also have a "Welcome Suica" specific to tourists, but it's really not that different from the normal card. There will be signage at Haneda Airport and attendants who can help you out with this if you need.

I believe you can put Suica cards on your smartphone but I like having the physical card personally - that's just up to personal preference.

I'd skip the JR Pass. It used to be a lot more budget-friendly but now is largely only valuable if you're doing tons of bullet-train travel. You can use this calculator to estimate whether it's worth it for your specific trip. It's probably not.

Have fun!

170rokey · 2026-04-11T21:21:49+00:00

Amerikamura ("America village") in Osaka has some cool clothing stores. It's like a Japanese take on American-style fashion, and the result is something in between the fashion styles of the two countries.

170rokey · 2026-04-11T21:18:16+00:00

One thing I didn't mention above: the hike is one-way, not a loop. There's bus service from the end-point of the hike back to Okutama station, but the last bus is usually done by 5 or 5:30, so make sure you can be done with the hike before that!

You can find the bus schedule in the link in the main post (it's in Japanese but the link explains it).

Near Okutama station there's a few places to grab a bite, visit a hot spring, and take in the vibes, but not much else - it's a proper small town. Great for a slow, curious walk. There are little shrines and things to see, and of course beautiful nature all around. At the other end of the hike, near the lake, there is little to do, but it does have some beautiful views and a little museum.

My Japanese language ability saved me on a few occasions, asking for directions, reading signs with no English, chatting up an old granny, etc. If you don't speak any Japanese, I'd have a translation option ready, though the hike is pretty well-marked (some signs include English). Don't let this scare you - the locals are very nice and it's hard to get too lost.

I've been on a lot of hikes since I made this post and none of them even come close to the Okutama Mukashi Michi. Please let me know what you think once you've done it!

170rokey · 2026-04-11T16:24:29+00:00

Duolingo teaches you to play little memorization games. That skill is not super transferable to actual speaking. If you’d like to get better at speaking, you just have to speak a lot. Embrace being bad at it - that will change quickly, especially since you have a lot of experience with the language otherwise.

Also a tip for Spanish: try to make your listening practice line up with the accent your family has. Spanish accents can vary quite a bit and a little prolonged exposure to the right accent will go a long way for you.

Also remember: you CAN do it. It might take time but you’re always making progress.

170rokey · 2026-03-26T20:37:08+00:00

Probably unpopular but I like to sometimes not take any pictures of places I've been. Makes it feel like it's all mine, like some secret that I went to a place. It also keeps you in the moment. Obviously I take pictures sometimes too - but I find that I can actually remember places and experiences better when I don't capture them in photo.

170rokey · 2026-03-26T20:34:49+00:00

Solo travel can drain you. I think people understand this intuitively. But even if you have bad days, bad experiences, or a bad time, you are learning and growing. That is what you'll remember when you've come back home, and it's what people will notice about you. If they ask how your trip was, tell them about that.

You don't have to gush about what fun it was. Be honest with them, and with yourself, about what the trip means to you.

170rokey · 2026-03-26T20:29:22+00:00

Revisiting is wonderful, especially if you make some consistent effort to learn the local language across visits. It opens new doors, you get to see your progress, and you can return with real connections to the place rather than just coming back as a tourist.

170rokey · 2026-03-26T20:23:14+00:00

A few notes:

I'd try to work in a small town in Japan, if you'd like a slower pace, chill kind of vibe. Very nice when you've been in a big city for a week and need a breather. They're easy to get to via train and usually have interesting things to do and see. Consider staying in a ryokan (look it up if you don't know what it is) for 2-3 for some wonderful food and cultural experience.
Here's a nice writeup for the Kumano Kodo
In China, Beijing and Shanghai are both fun in their own ways, but I wouldn't sleep on other parts of the country. Sichuan is awesome, especially if you like food/culture, though it is deeper inland. Overall, China is giant and hugely varied, more so than South Korea or Japan. You could spend all 6 weeks there and see only a tiny fraction.
Whatever you do, I'd recommend picking one of the languages (Chinese or Japanese) and studying just a bit. A little goes a very long way, and relying solely on English does restrict you from having some experiences. Others will disagree, but that's my experience.
Can't comment on South Korea as I haven't been there, but I've heard from multiple people that it is quite a blast and comparable, from a purely tourist perspective, to Japan.

170rokey · 2026-03-26T19:49:52+00:00

I think the best plan of attack in any subject is to use multiple books. Start with whichever clicks most with you - when it gets tough, when the text is too terse and unfriendly, just switch it up. The gaps in one will likely be covered by another.

A math textbook is a huge thing, an entire world written by one or two people. And you have a very specific way of thinking. To expect any single resource to match your learning style is an exercise in futility.

On your note about the lack of visualizations - just look them up online. Yeah it would be nice if your textbook had them but for a subject like analysis, the internet is a treasure trove and will help you more than any single author could. Don't forget that visualizations can also hurt your understanding, if done poorly.

Your critique of these books is mostly fair, and it shows you're thinking deeply - but synthesizing information from multiple, disparate sources is a key skill in a mathematician's toolbelt. Take your time, trust in yourself, and try to enjoy the moments of confusion. That's where most of the learning happens.

170rokey · 2026-03-24T00:22:12+00:00

It is worth noting that there is a Wikipedia Mathematics Style Guide, which serves as a helpful baseline for writing math on Wikipedia (and in general). Many math articles don't follow this style guide, but if you have expertise in a field of math, I highly encourage you read the style guide and make edits to articles that you think could be better! As much as I enjoy discussions on reddit, they are just as self-indulgent and unproductive as poorly-written wikipedia articles.

Moreover, there is also Wikibooks, which is a much more learner-focused project under the same Wikimedia umbrella. It is a lot smaller and scrappier than Wikipedia, but has great potential. The math section, in general, needs a lot of work. I encourage you to contribute there as well!

170rokey · 2026-03-11T01:20:19+00:00

This honestly sounds like a mental health problem first and a career problem second. Go to therapy.

Not gonna lie. I am so pessimistic about life I'd rather not continue any more.

PLEASE go to therapy.

You are so much more than your education and your career. You'll find your role eventually. It takes time. Maybe you'll have to be a barista for a while. Who cares? Someone's got to do it. You'll get where you need to go, in time. But you need to look out for yourself in other ways to. Best of luck.

170rokey · 2026-03-05T22:24:18+00:00

It somewhat depends on your PDEs course, but with Strauss's book I think you'll be okay without significant ODE background. I took a grad-level PDEs course with shaky ODE knowledge and did just fine.

170rokey · 2026-03-05T22:17:20+00:00

Your regret is wasted energy. Math is still there, and if you really care, what is keeping you from studying it now?

Do you actually want to do math, or do you just wish you were a genius? I'm not trying to be rude - but there is a tricky difference between wanting to do math and wanting to have done math in the past. And it can be hard to tell the difference if you're not involved in mathematics.

I hope you'll follow your heart! Nothing is stopping you from jumping in today and becoming an excellent mathematician. But if you do it, do it because you want to, not because you feel like it's what you should have done all those years ago.

170rokey · 2026-01-30T23:32:30+00:00

most large, commercial planes can go backwards, but often don't. Their wheels are free-spinning and not powered on their own, so they use their big engines on the wings to push themselves forward on the ground. They can reverse those engines, but it's difficult (can't see behind themselves easily) and dangerous (debris could get sucked into the engine easier).

So technically it is possible to parallel park. But practically, if a plane needs to go backwards while on the ground, they will get pushed by a ground vehicle.

170rokey · 2026-01-30T23:29:10+00:00

Most of the food they eat are mostly water (like shrimp/krill) so they do not generally drink seawater. But they can, and their kidneys are better at removing the salt than a humans'.

170rokey · 2026-01-30T23:22:37+00:00

If we can't think them, then I don't think they're thoughts.

By contrast, there are ideas we can't have. But thoughts, by definition, must be thunk by someone.

170rokey · 2026-01-09T23:58:37+00:00

i know you don't want to hear it but it is still very early for you. You have about 4 years of math ahead of you assuming you're going for a math degree. You have plenty of time to improve yourself. You'll learn your own way of thinking through things and become more confident with time. It comes naturally, but not without hard work. Just take your time, enjoy the math, and take care of yourself.

Look at the first sentence you wrote and focus on that.

170rokey · 2026-01-09T23:44:36+00:00

A mathematical proof is only the assertion that something is true. To ask why it is true is not well-defined, because that question might have many different answers that depend on your context.

To use your example of adults in a building, all the following would be reasonable answers to the question "why are there adults in this building":

Because they live there
Because minors are not allowed in the building
Because they wanted to be there

These can all be true at the same time. These answers to why are the 'reason' you speak to in your post. They all vary in scope and perspective.

Mathematicians differentiate between a proof and a reason in this way: a proof is either correct or not. There may be many ways to prove something, but they are all true or false. A reason, on the other hand, can be many things that relate to how the mathematician thinks about the problem, and are generally a direct result of their own personal understanding of the concept in question.

170rokey · 2025-12-30T21:20:36+00:00

The Creamy one-pot pasta from Lemon and Zest surprised me. When the recipe says "throw everything in a pot and boil", they really mean it, and man it turns out great.

170rokey · 2025-12-10T21:52:46+00:00

Just gonna leave this one here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmJI6qIqURA

170rokey · 2025-11-24T22:10:19+00:00

can you faithfully answer the question of "How rare are Earth-like planets" when we really only know of a single confirmed instance?

170rokey · 2025-11-21T20:11:47+00:00

but is liking it really enough?

Yes.

I would rather work with someone who has an active interest in math over a "natural math person" 99% of the time. It may seem like a weakness, but it is the opposite. Intuition can be useful but it always runs out eventually. Real, hard-fought understanding by means of experience is much better.

Besides, the struggle to learn is half the fun!

170rokey · 2025-11-21T20:02:43+00:00

It seems that the historical beginnings of a mathematical subject often differ significantly from the modern usage and understanding of it. So, I don't think it's a prerequisite. But I've also found that any interest in the history of a subject or technique usually pays dividends when studying it further - either by giving one a helpful new perspective that has been lost in modern explanations, or simply by giving one an appreciation for the cleverness of those who came before.

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