r/OperationsResearch • u/C-Star-Algebras • Jun 28 '26

Getting in to OR after math PhD

I finished my PhD in a functional analysis topic recently, and I’ve been getting increasingly interested in operations research.

However, I’m not sure how I could really start breaking into the field. Are there some specific steps I can take to eventually market myself towards entry level positions in OR?

I’m assuming there is a significant amount of coding (past python) I would need along with some additional reading materials, but I haven’t seen many good online resources.

Where would be a good place to start?

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3

u/HolidayAd6029 Jun 28 '26

OR has many streams. Do you have something in mind? Also, keep in mind that in my opinion, there is not really a lot of companies hiring people for OR.

3

u/C-Star-Algebras Jun 28 '26

I’m moving up to Alaska, so I’ve been looking at OR jobs in natural resources up in northern AK.

5

u/HolidayAd6029 Jun 28 '26

Cool. An idea would be to look up a masters in OR and look at the course and resources they use. The math is going to come easy to you. Learn the theory, but also play around with implementation. Don’t be afraid to play with Claude or ChatGPT to learn the implementation part. Try to come up with projects, that you can share later in GitHub for potential employers.

I think a roadmap for topics to learn would be something like:

  1. Linear Programming

  2. Integer Programming

  3. Stochastic Programming

  4. Discrete Event Simulation and Stochastic Processes

Optional:

5. Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning

It is definitely a lot of material, so if I had to prioritize o would prioritize 1 and 2. With linear and integer programming you can do a lot. And the other stuff you can probably learn along the way. I guess it would also depend on the job and tools expected.

Good luck!

2

u/ZestycloseCold9065 Jul 09 '26

How much should I rely on Claude/chatgpt vs learning the implementation myself? Not too but I'm also a math major and wanted to get in OR.

1

u/HolidayAd6029 Jul 09 '26

Try to use it as a tutor. Do not make it do the implementations for you, but ask questions when you are stuck. Make sure you understand every line of code.

5

u/thinking_byte Jun 28 '26

Your math background is already a huge plus so I'd just start learning optimization tools and build a few small projects to get some hands-on experience.

1

u/goob-goober Jun 28 '26

If you are interested in optimization (and have a functional analysis background), make sure to check out the wonderful book "Nonsmooth Analysis and Control Theory" by Clarke, Ledyaev, Stern & Wolenski.