|
Many people try to maintain a balanced
diet. But few pay as much attention to food and nutrition
as dietetic technicians do.
Dietetic technicians assist dietitians in
planning and preparing healthy meals. This may involve
studying and following recipes, for example, or assisting
with the supervision of food production and service. These
workers also help with other tasks, such as educating
people and collecting data to monitor nutritional
progress.
Job growth in the occupation is projected
through 2014, so now is the time to learn sustenance
savvy. Preparation for the career often starts with
on-the-job training or an associate degree from a dietetic
technician program accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation for Dietetics Education. According to the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), median annual
earnings were $23,470 in May 2005.
For more information, write to the American Dietetic
Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606; call toll-free, 1 (800) 877-1600,
ext. 5400; or visit the career section of its Web site at
www.eatright.org.
 Top
|
|
Having a job in high school has many
benefits. It can teach responsibility, time-management
skills, and the value of earning money. But being
employed does reduce teens’ leisure time, according to
data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2005
American Time Use Survey.
On weekdays during the school year,
employed high school students aged 15-19 worked about 2
hours on average and had 3 hours of leisure time.
Students who did not work enjoyed an extra hour of
leisure time. Both groups of students spent over half of
their leisure time watching TV or movies.
Whether employed or not, however, high
school students reported spending roughly the same
amount of time on most other daily pursuits. These
included classes, homework, school clubs, and other
educational activities (about 6 hours); playing sports
or exercising (less than 1 hour); and participating in
religious, spiritual, and volunteer activities (less
than 30 minutes). And, on average, teens reported getting more than
8 hours of sleep. Students who were not employed
reported slightly more time engaged in these activities,
with one exception: employed students allocated more
time for religious, spiritual, and volunteer activities.
But the differences are too small to be statistically
significant and could be the result of error.
The data are averages for respondents
who reported being enrolled in high school and who were
surveyed on nonholiday weekdays during the months of
January through May 2005 and September through December
2005. Only the respondent’s primary activity is
recorded, not activities done simultaneously. The data
were collected by interviewing respondents about how
they had spent their previous day.
For more information about the American
Time Use Survey, write to BLS, Suite 4675, 2
Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, D.C. 20212; visit
www.bls.gov/tus; or call (202) 691-6339.
—Contributed by Jill N. Lacey, a BLS economist
working on the American Time Use Survey program
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jobseekers should think twice before posting
something controversial or risqué online. Cyberspace is public
space, and potential employers are watching.
According to respondents to the Job Outlook 2007
Fall Preview survey, more than 10 percent of employers planned
to review job applicants’ profiles on popular social
networking sites. An additional 40 percent were considering such
tactics. Moreover, a July 2006 poll showed that more than a
quarter of employers used the Internet to search for candidate
information—and what they found sometimes influenced their
hiring decisions.
Job Outlook 2007 and the poll were both published by the
National Association of Colleges and Employers. To learn more,
write to the association at 62 Highland Avenue, Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania 18017; call toll-free, 1 (800) 544-5272; or visit www.naceweb.org.
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When spring is in the air, plant lovers delight
in seeing things grow. For some student gardeners, it can also
be a time to help their careers take root.
Every March 1, garden clubs nationwide accept
applications for more than 30 scholarships of about $3,500 each.
This money, offered by the National Garden Clubs, Inc., goes to
college juniors, seniors, or master’s degree candidates who
major in floriculture, horticulture, botany, or other approved
areas of study. Applicants must have a grade point average of
3.25 on a 4.0 scale. The application requirements include a
personal essay, a list of extracurricular activities and honors,
a recent transcript, a financial aid form, and three letters of
recommendation. All materials must be sent to the applicant’s
State garden club prior to the deadline.
More details about the application process are available by
writing to Linda Nelson, NGC Scholarship Chairman, 543 Lakefair
Place North, Keizer, Oregon 97303; calling (503) 393-4439; or visiting www.gardenclub.org.
|
|
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
