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Advanced Manufacturing |
Aerospace |
Automotive Services |
Biotechnology |
Business |
Construction |
Education |
Energy |
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Financial Services |
Health Care |
Homeland Security |
Hospitality |
Information Technology |
Retail |
Transportation |
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Geospatial Technology |
Nanotechnology |
By Pat Toensmeier
(see InDemand Magazine for this and other articles)
Advanced Manufacturing invents and creates the products people need and want.
Whether it is clothing, cell phones, computers or automobiles, CDs and DVDs, food and drink, athletic gear, medicine or cosmetics, virtually everything we use on a daily basis is manufactured. These and many other products are part of everyday life because advanced manufacturing techniques make them reliable, affordable and available.
Advanced manufacturing also plays a major role in creating solutions for a variety of problems. Hybrid cars that reduce pollution and conserve energy; implantable medical devices that improve health care; and special airtight packages to keep perishable foods fresh, are only a few examples of the challenges advanced manufacturers tackle.
What makes manufacturing so versatile is technology. Advanced manufacturing applies cutting edge concepts in electronics, computers, software and automation to improve production. In the past 10 years, the use of computer systems and software to monitor and control processes in large and small plants has led to increased product quality and productivity. Communications technology has increased the ability of engineers and plant managers to check on operations-even if it's halfway around the world. Systems can be set up to transmit data on how much material is being used, how machines are running and if problems are occurring. The ultimate example of what can be achieved is "lights-out manufacturing," which allows a highly automated plant to be run by computers and robots, with minimal involvement by skilled human operators.
These high-tech capabilities let engineers create more exciting products than were possible just a few years ago. One example of this can be seen in electronic devices like cell phones and digital recorders, which are getting smaller and less expensive, yet have more and more features built into them. This is possible because of the miniaturization of circuitry, and the use of "clean" assembly techniques that prevent contamination of sensitive components... .
Manufacturing encourages creativity and analytical thinking. It is an area where ideas can be tested almost immediately, and where one person's inspiration may lead to a major product breakthrough. For these reasons, students who want a career that is meaningful, exciting and rewarding, should consider advanced manufacturing. Whether a student's interest lies in production, engineering or designing, experts say there will be plenty of demand in coming years for qualified candidates-girls as well as boys.
A recent study released by the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute, reports that 81% of American manufacturers say their biggest problem is finding qualified workers. If this problem isn't fixed, the report states it will impact our nation's economic well-being.
The Manufacturing Institute recommends that students take math and science courses starting in middle school as manufacturing is technologically driven. Computer programming skills should be studied as well, notes Ron Ross, vice president of employee relations at Battenfeld Gloucester, Gloucester, Mass., due to the importance of computer-aided design, engineering and manufacturing programs (known as CAD/CAE/CAM) in product development and machine tool operation.
For students with a firm grounding in the sciences, the opportunities are vast. When it comes to manufacturing, says Stefan Skibicki, Jr. of Lockheed Martin, Orlando, "we are only limited by our imaginations."
Examples of manufacturing sectors in the United States with significant numbers of advanced manufacturing companies and jobs include:
Within each of these industry sectors, workers perform work tasks that require knowledge and skill in one or several of the following advanced manufacturing skill concentration areas:
Click here to start learning more about each of these skill areas.
Together, these five concentration areas represent a "work flow" continuum that starts with ideas and models and ends with post-production installation and service. And all along this continuum, individuals like you are making essential contributions.
Do you want to know more about what it takes to become an advanced manufacturing team member?
The National Association of Manufacturers' Dream It, Do It web site (www.dreamit-doit.com) introduces young people to exciting career opportunities in advanced manufacturing and the education and training needed for these careers. Click here to learn more about what they offer on their site.
With a growing shortage of the skilled employees needed by today's and tomorrow's advanced manufacturing companies - why not investigate further? This could be the opportunity you've always dreamed about!
The aerospace industry reflects the spirit and courage of America.
Born in the early years of the last century, the U.S. aerospace industry is today the world's leader.
From origins with the Wright brothers' 1903 flights at Kitty Hawk to the contemporary world of sophisticated jet, rocket, and missile technology - U.S. aerospace continues to be diverse, fast-paced, and cutting-edge.
Today, hundreds of high technology American companies along with NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and other federal agencies work collaboratively in the major sectors of aerospace including commercial air, space exploration, national defense, and research and development.
U.S. aerospace employment currently totals over a million professionals working in good-paying jobs. With about a quarter of all current aerospace workers reaching retirement age in the next few years, there will be many new high wage career opportunities. What kind of opportunities? To name a few:
In addition to these aerospace specific occupations, there will be demand for business managers, administrative support specialists, accountants, technical writers, and others!
Continue reading some reasons to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The automotive industry is one of the largest industries in the United States. It creates 6.6 million direct and spin-off jobs and produces $243 billion in payroll compensation, or 5.6% of private sector compensation. For every worker directly employed by an automaker, nearly seven spin-off jobs are created.
A wide variety of unique and challenging auto dealerships jobs are available that fit the skill level and interests of most everyone. In an automotive dealership career, you can find competitive salaries, great benefits and opportunity for advancement. Auto dealerships are modern, clean, air-conditioned and safe. Many jobs are high-tech and challenging as well as rewarding. Demand for employees is high, meaning potential job security and mobility.
Some automotive manufacturers and their associated dealers sponsor two-year Associate degree programs at postsecondary schools. Students enrolled in these programs typically spend alternate 10- to 12-week periods attending classes full-time and working full-time in the service departments of participating dealers.
Most new sales workers receive extensive on-the-job training, beginning with mentoring by sales managers and experienced sales workers. In large dealerships, beginners receive classroom training to learn the models for sale, methods for approaching prospective customers, negotiation techniques, and ways to close sales.
For trainee positions, dealerships increasingly prefer to hire automotive service technician graduates of postsecondary automotive training programs. Good reading and basic math skills are required to study technical manuals, keep abreast of new technology, and learn new service and repair techniques as vehicle components and systems become increasingly sophisticated.
From automobile service technicians to sales, there are excellent opportunities for anyone interested in making a career out of the American love affair with the automobile.
(Sources: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook)
Life sciences, technology, manufacturing - it's all a part of biotechnology. With new discoveries being made every day, there are lots of opportunities to be a part of the action.
To succeed and grow in the 21st century economy, biotechnology employers need to fill each position in their companies, from entry-level to the most advanced, with qualified, skilled individuals. Because the industry is experiencing such rapid growth, biotechnology firms often demand more skilled workers than are available and are projected to need more workers than are currently enrolled in training programs.
There are two ways to learn more about the emerging biotechnology industry. There are the different stages of the biotechnology process:
Alternatively, you might want to learn about specific sub sectors of biotechnology such as:
Biotechnology is truly an opportunity to turn science fiction into science fact!
Continue reading some reasons to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The Business Management and Administration cluster of occupations offers some of the most interesting, challenging, and highest paying jobs.
No matter what particular products or services a business enterprise provides to its customers; or how small or large the enterprise may be, it has business management and administration needs and requirements that must be met to be successful. The international energy corporation; the large domestic aerospace manufacturer; the regional commercial construction company; the local hospital and medical complex; the small independent retail clothing store; and the neighborhood automotive mechanic - all depend on their business management and administration skills and personnel.
Business management and administration involves activities that bring people together to advance and accomplish particular business goals and objectives. Such management activities include planning, organizing, staffing, leading, coordinating, controlling, and motivating.
In many larger companies and corporations, business management and administration activities are organized by skill and function needs into departments or units, such as the following:
In smaller to mid-sized companies, some of these functions may be contracted out to specialty firms that supply the needed expertise. Yet even in the case of a sole proprietor who has no employees or contract help for his or her business, such management activities still need to be addressed.
Many Business Management and Administration jobs are in managerial and professional occupations, with the remainder providing administrative support. In the next decade, many good paying jobs will be added while openings for new employees will also occur in order to replace managers and workers who retire or leave jobs. It is universally agreed though that a good academic education and a high-level of specialized work skills can pay-off well in interesting career choices and higher than average compensation.
By Pam Hunter
(see InDemand Magazine for this and other articles)
Next time you are outside, take a look around. All of the buildings that we work, live and play in were built by construction industry professionals.
They also built the factories that make our cars, the refineries that produce the gas to fuel them and the roads and bridges we drive on. Ditto for airports, train stations, cell-phone towers, power plants, and schools. There is very little in our world that is not affected in some way by construction.
Construction is the second-largest industry in the nation, employing about 7 million workers. It contributes about 5% of all domestic U.S. economic activity and accounts for nearly 10% of all businesses-mostly small, privately owned firms.
Construction has been a part of people's lives since they first crawled out of caves many thousands of years ago. They needed shelters and structures to shield themselves from the elements and slowly developed the tools and the techniques to build what was needed.
The industry has grown and changed tremendously over time. Today, construction is not just about bricks and mortar and hammers and nails. Contractors use high-tech tools and machinery to build highly sophisticated facilities such as hospitals, industrial plants or research laboratories.
The construction industry can build big, like the Empire State Building or Hoover Dam. It also can build small, like a house in your neighborhood. But large or small, construction projects make a difference in the lives of people around them.
New Ball Game
Take, for example, the new sports arena for the Charlotte Bobcats in Charlotte, N.C. The 780,000-sq-ft arena, completed this fall, is home to the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats and the WNBA's Charlotte Sting. But buildings like this offer more. People can see basketball games in the arena-it seats more than 20,000-but it also offers a stage large enough for acts such as Cold Play, Tim McGraw, local high school basketball games and ice-skating performances.
Such projects can transform entire neighborhoods. San Diegos' PETCO Park, home to the Padres, has generated a construction boom in a neighborhood that previously had deteriorating buildings, warehouses, empty parking lots and little else. It now is full of life, with new restaurants, nightclubs, theaters and condominiums. Similar activity is taking place in other neighborhoods across the nation.
Even works of art are constructed. The new World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., is visited each year by thousands of veterans and tourists from around the world to learn about the war, remember the sacrifices and reflect on the consequences.
And where there are such projects, there is a need for bright, talented people to fill the jobs at architecture and engineering firms and construction companies. The future is bright. Government statistics show that construction is the only goods-producing industry that can expect to see employment growth in coming years.
To be able to walk through your town, city or state and be able to say, "I built that," is a rewarding and even awe-inspiring experience. So the next time you take a walk, look around. Without much effort, you will see the results of a lot of hard work, dedication and inspiration from the construction industry.
The educational instruction provided by U.S. schools is the foundation on which the success of America is built.
With about 1 in 4 Americans enrolled in schools at all levels each year, the delivery of education services ranks among the nation's most important activities and responsibilities.
Preschool children, elementary and secondary students, postsecondary students, workforce adults, and retirees benefit from the broad-range of learning opportunities available from the various levels of educational institutions that makeup the U.S. education system.
The type and extent of education that individuals receive - from preschool to postsecondary - significantly influences the kind of jobs they will be able to obtain; the types of careers they will be able to establish; their annual and lifetime earnings, and their overall sense of personal and social well-being.
Governed primarily by state and local laws and regulations, the U.S. education system employs more than 13 million workers, with teachers accounting for the largest percentage of this total. The majority of teaching opportunities are found at local elementary, middle, and secondary schools, with public schools accounting for around 9 out of every 10 jobs and private schools the remainder.
About two-thirds of workers in U.S. education are directly involved with instruction - as teachers or aides - with the remaining one-third providing managerial, administrative, facilities maintenance, and other support services.
Some other professional opportunities available in the U.S. education industry include
In terms of the number of job and career opportunities, the U.S. education system is among the largest within the American economy. And with large numbers of retirements expected throughout the education workforce in the years ahead, many good entry, mid, and senior-level employment options will be opening across the country.
By Housley Carr
(see InDemand Magazine for this and other articles)
The power is out at your house, so you can't watch TV... and the fuel gauge on the car reads empty. Life without energy would not be cool.
Electricity, gasoline and other energy sources are a major part of our lives. But, for the most part, the energy that fuels our lives is out of view. We take it for granted-until we don't have it.
Luckily, a large and growing part of the work force in the United States-and across the world, for that matter-is involved in keeping energy available day in and day out.
These jobs involve things like finding oil and natural gas, extracting and delivering them to their end uses, whether it is heating a home with gas or refining crude oil into gasoline. They also involve finding and mining coal, operating the power plants and maintaining and repairing the power lines that deliver electricity to homes, schools and offices.
Best of all, the demand for energy around the world is growing. And the number of jobs to keep the energy industry humming isn't just growing, it's booming.... Within a few years, engineers with four-year degrees may earn six-figures salaries. According to a recent survey by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, petroleum engineers with a Bachelor's degree and 11 to 15 years of experience can earn nearly $90,000 a year. Those with 16 to 20 years of experience can earn more than $109,000. Petroleum engineers with Master's degrees can earn about $109,000 a year with 11 to 15 years of experience, and nearly $116,000 with 16 to 20 years of work experience in their profession.
The energy industry also needs civil, chemical, environmental, geological, mining, nuclear and seismic engineers. With big-name companies looking to hire the best graduates in these specialties, the pay-and job security can be very good.
In fact, energy industry career prospects haven't been this good for 30 years. Because of a lull in interest in energy-related careers in the 1980s and '90s, the industry "is missing an entire generation of people," says Bill Young, director of enrollment management at the Colorado School of Mines.
With large numbers of energy-industry professionals in their forties and fifties thinking about retirement, young people graduating with energy-related engineering degrees over the next few years "will have huge opportunities," Smith says.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, a "roustabout"- that is, a laborer on an oil or natural gas rig- earns $12.75 an hour, on average. A derrick operator can earn $16.75 an hour and a rotary drill operator can earn almost $18.70 an hour.
Good-paying jobs also exist at electric utilities. "It's not uncommon for someone with our two-year Associate's degree in energy technology to earn up to $15 an hour in their first job and $25 an hour within three or four years," says Barbara Hins-Turner, executive director of the Center of Excellence for Energy Technology at Centralia College, a community college in Centralia,Wash....
You can get your foot in the door at oil and natural gas companies without a college degree. "Workers can enter the oil and [natural] gas extraction industry with a variety of educational backgrounds," the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. The most common entry-level field jobs usually require little or no previous training or experience. Other entry-level positions, such as engineering technician, usually require at least a two-year Associate's degree in engineering technology....
And the range of jobs is almost unlimited. Some electric utilities now are building their first new power plants in years. Coal-mining companies like Massey Energy say that one of their biggest problems is finding enough coal-mining equipment operators to keep up with the demand for coal. Oil and natural gas companies face a similar need for workers to keep up with demand and create the next generation of energy professionals.
Emerging renewable energy technologies, like wind turbines, also need more workers. In West Texas where the wind blows consistently, hundreds of turbines are being installed to generate power that is "clean," meaning power that is generated without releasing very many pollutants into the environment.
"There is tremendous potential for young people in renewable energy," says Herman Schellstede, president of Wind Energy Systems Technology of New Iberia, La. He is planning one of the first offshore wind "farms"-with 50 turbines each 300 feet tall-in the Gulf of Mexico near Texas.
"Energy is the powerhouse of the United States," he says. "And we will always need young people" to keep that powerhouse running.
Are you drawn to numbers? Do you enjoy considering and taking risks? If so, a career in financial services might be a perfect fit!
Did you know that financial services jobs are available in diverse corporations and government agencies as well as in banks and other financial institutions? These types of positions provide opportunities to apply your skills with numbers in strategic financial planning, quantitative analysis, investment management and sales. Each of the various positions requires different skills and provides different rewards.
Some of the job skills needed for a career in financial services include:
So, if you've always dreamed of trading stocks on Wall Street, consider becoming an analyst in investment management sales. Or, perhaps a career in banking or corporate finance is more your style.
Did you know that the banking profession is one that encourages both personal and professional development and that many banks offer their own training programs to help employees grow? Banking associations also sponsor finance courses and training programs, some of which are held in conjunction with local universities.
All corporations depend on accountants, auditors, and tax professionals to facilitate the flow of money, monitor the bottom line and protect the organization's assets and integrity. There are plenty of opportunities in non-financial services companies.
It's important to remember that financial services is a large and diverse industry. With so many choices to explore, it will help if you determine what aspects of the industry are a match for your skills and interests.
By Colleen M. Sauber
(see InDemand Magazine for this and other articles)
Career choices in health care are incredibly varied, and anyone considering this field has a wonderful array of positions to select from. But so many jobs can make it tough to decide which position best matches your interests and aptitude. What to do?
Consider your goals and interests. Think about what you want to do, what you're good at and, importantly, what you want to learn about.
Many health care positions serve patients directly, working with individuals, their illness or problem and their family. Yet, taking a job in health care does not automatically mean that you will work one on one with sick people or that you must be able to stand the sight of blood.
Take, for example, the position of clinical laboratory technician or medical records specialist. Much of their work occurs away from the patient. Once a blood sample is taken, it travels to the lab where the technician analyzes it and reports the results. Once a patient or health care worker supplies information for a medical record, the rest is processed in an office setting.
But if you enjoy talking with people and feel energized by helping someone directly-say, applying a cast, giving medication or teaching how to best manage diabetes and diet-a lab position might not be to your liking. Person-to-person contact may top your list for what's important in your career, and health care jobs present many fulfilling possibilities.
Education
Because health care is so diverse, colleges and universities often divide their programs into individual schools. These include schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health, veterinary medicine, and science and engineering. Expertise in biomedicine and health sciences might be combined with computer science and electrical engineering.
There may also be programs specifically geared to the business side of health care, such as hospital administration and human resources. Others may focus on what is called allied health care, which refers to positions that assist doctors and other health specialists and require far fewer years of education.
Titles in allied health careers often contain the terms technician, technologist, assistant, hygienist, and aide. Although these positions are part of one career group, the schooling, responsibilities and salary among them can be very different.
For example, a high school diploma is needed to become a dental assistant; completion of a technical program is required to become a medical laboratory technician; a two-year associate degree is needed to become a forensic science technician; and a bachelor's degree is a must for a medical technologist.
Whatever schooling you need, financial assistance is a very real possibility. Individual schools and programs can help determine what funds are available....
Training
No skill becomes stale or stays the same in health care! New research findings, technologies and understanding all adds fresh and ever-changing dimensions.
Whichever career catches your attention-one that requires a minimum of a high school diploma, a two-year certification, or a college or advanced degree-your training and your potential for advancement will never stop. Even after you're hired, many positions require a renewable license, certificate or registration. It may mean taking a regular technical or college class, attending seminars, or learning to operate the latest equipment.
But if you're looking for challenge and variety, if you want to feel good about what you do each day and to know that your work makes a difference, you can accomplish all that and more in health care.
Many of the activities and occupations that make-up the Homeland Security industry are not new, but until recently these sectors were decentralized and not considered part of one industry. The demands of the 21st century require more unified preparation and rapid, targeted responses.
Homeland Security encompasses a broad range of activities and occupations including:
Many homeland security jobs and career opportunities are with federal, state, and local government agencies, but there are also plenty of additional opportunities with private companies and nonprofit organizations.
(Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS); ASIS International)
The ASIS International 2005 report, Career Opportunities in Security, describes selected entry-level and mid-level security positions for a number of security fields, including several that are represented the Homeland Security industry.
Information on careers and employment with the various agencies under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is available at the DHS Web site.
Careers in Homeland Security Report
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The Hospitality industry consists of the hotels/lodgings and restaurant/food service sectors. If enjoy meeting lots of different people or working in an environment that is as different every day as the people coming through your establishment, you should consider these two sectors.
People in the hotel and lodging sector make sure that guest accommodations are pleasant, comfortable, and that everything in the hotel runs smoothly. The range of opportunities and the locations of workplaces are enormous. In the U.S. alone, there are over 60,000 establishments from the small boutique hotels to the internationally famous resorts.
In the restaurant and food service sector you can go from an entry-level position like prep chef to running your own kitchen as an executive chef at a five star establishment! This sector is one of the nation's largest employers. Many young adults start their work lives in this sector but with a little hard work and/or additional education, a rewarding career path is also available.
The diverse range of activities offered by this industry provides excellent job opportunities for people with varied skills and educational backgrounds. Jobs will be plentiful for first-time job seekers, senior citizens, and those seeking part-time or alternative work schedules.
Training for food service managers is available through industry-sponsored seminars; short-term, subject-specific certificate programs; or Associate and Bachelor's degree programs in management.
A certification in hospitality management can be obtained through an 18-month training course or a 4-year specialized Bachelor's degree.
The Hospitality industry is growing rapidly, which means there are many great career opportunities in the years ahead!
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
If you are considering a career in Information Technology (IT), you'll soon realize that there are many occupations available and that IT careers give you the flexibility to work in many different industries.
Just look around and you can see how much we rely on technology everyday. Imagine being part of this exciting, growing, and changing industry. IT remains a critical aspect of work in all industries and sectors, as well as an industry in its own right. However, America continues to suffer from a shortage of qualified IT workers with flexible and portable skills who can readily adapt and respond to ever-changing IT demands and processes.
If you do decide to specialize in technology, you should know that the industry can be viewed either by the types of jobs available or by the industries which are technology driven.
Technology skills and computer proficiency are essential assets for workers in all industries. Even if the career you choose does not focus solely on IT, the job will most likely require the use of computers and technology to accomplish tasks and process information. 92% of all IT workers are in non-IT companies, 80% of which are in small companies (Information Technology Association of America).
For all IT-related occupations, technical and professional certifications are growing more popular and increasingly important. IT workers must continually update and acquire new skills to remain qualified in this dynamic field. Completion of vocational training also is an asset. According to a May 2000 report by the Urban Institute, community colleges play a critical role in training new workers and in retraining both veteran workers and workers from other fields.
People interested in becoming computer support specialists generally need only an Associate degree in a computer-related field, as well as significant hands-on experience with computers. They also must possess strong problem-solving and analytical skills as well as excellent communication skills because troubleshooting and helping others are such vital aspects of the job. And because there is constant interaction on the job with other computer personnel, customers, and employees, computer support specialists must be able to communicate effectively on paper, using e-mail, and in person. They also must possess strong writing skills when preparing manuals for employees and customers.
From the basic entry level positions to Chief Information Officers, there are almost limitless possibilities in Information Technology.
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Continue reading some reasons to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Many young adults have their first work experience in retail. It is an industry always looking for new talent and is a great place to start building a career.
The retail industry offers substantial employment opportunities because part-time and temporary work is plentiful in a wide variety of formats ranging from small, independent retailers to national and multinational retail chains. Solid store experience can lead to an array of retail management and store support career ladders. A college degree can afford direct entry into management training programs and regional/corporate level career paths.
Retail trade employers struggle to attract and retain the best and brightest employees because of the misperception that jobs are low-wage and lack growth potential. In reality, today's retail trade careers are more than just cashier and sales associate positions; they encompass information technology, marketing, communications, loss prevention, finance, and merchandise sourcing.
According to the National Retail Federation Foundation, the specific paths one can try in retail are:
The retail trade industry is a dynamic field with diverse career ladders, a wide range of employee benefits, and on-the-job training that is increasingly driven by high-end technology that requires advanced skills. Education leading to a high school diploma or equivalent is important for employment entry in retail. Employers increasingly seek graduates from junior and community colleges, technical colleges, and universities. College graduates will fill most new management positions.
While structured training at smaller stores is generally brief, on-the-job training is continuous for committed employees who demonstrate initiative and often takes a mentoring form. At larger companies, initial training tends to be very structured, often lasting several days, and may be instructor-led and computer/video-based. Supplemental training in the form of on-the-job, instructor-led, computer/video-based, self-paced, and coaching is offered at various stages of employee tenure, supporting career advancement.
The range of options and the potential advancement in retail is wide open for anyone interested in this enormous industry.
(Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Retail Federation Foundation)
Air, rail, road, and water transportation move the American people, their business goods and their personal items - every day of the year - 24/7.
All require drivers and operators, dispatchers and attendants, mechanics and engineers to keep them moving safely from one destination to the next. Loading and unloading, warehouse and dock crews are working too - keeping things moving. Each sector has its own unique and rewarding career options.
As you can see, there is no limit to where you can find a transportation career. Get started discovering what is most appealing to you since America needs transportation workers to keep us moving!
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Want a truly 21st century career that combines interests in the Earth, space, and high technology? How about an emerging field where new "offshoot" opportunities are occurring all the time?
The geospatial industry acquires, integrates, manages, analyzes, maps, distributes, and uses geographic, temporal and spatial information and knowledge. The industry includes basic and applied research, technology development, education, and applications to address the planning, decision-making, and operational needs of people and organizations of all types.
Within Geospatial Technology, Photogrammetrists and Remote Sensing Specialists use pictures and other information from satellites, planes, and ground sensors to plot and gather data about where things are on Earth. Geographic Information Systems Analysts then review and turn this data into maps and decision-making tools.
And where might Geospatial Technology professionals, technologists, and technicians actually work? In addition to local, state, and federal government agencies, these skilled individuals can be found employed in the private and non-profit sectors in a wide-range of related scientific and technical fields, such as agriculture and soils; archeology; biology; cartography; ecology; environmental sciences; forestry and range; geodesy; geography; geology; hydrology and water resources; land appraisal and real estate; medicine; transportation; urban planning and development, and more.
(Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS)).
* The term "geospatial industry" is not all-inclusive. It may refer to mapmakers, academics, and others engaged in such activities.
Enter the world of the really, really small and the very, very precise. Nanotechnology is the group of emerging technologies in which matter is measured on the nanometer scale - down to individual atoms in size - and manipulated to produce unique materials and products.
How small is 1 nanometer?
In the nano world, the width of a human hair is huge - about 80,000 nanometers! Now imagine working with parts just a few nanometers in size, visible only with the most powerful of electron, atomic, or scanning tunneling microscopes.
Today, much of the work in nanotechnology involves basic research and development (R&D) sponsored and supported by corporate, university, and federal collaborations. Nanotechnology is just beginning to also have practical, commercial applications in such diverse fields as health care, information technology, manufacturing, and national defense.
Although nanotechnology deals with the very small, its anticipated impact on job growth and career opportunities in the United States is expected to be very large. Within the next 10 years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) estimates that the worldwide need for nanotechnology workers will rise from the current 20,000 to two million!
Work in the field of nanotechnology requires specialized education and training, but the job and career rewards for those who prepare themselves should be significant.
(Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI); U.S. National Science Foundation; Foresight Nanotech Institute.)
Continue reading some reasons to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
