5 STEM Careers You Didn't Know Were STEM Careers
When you hear ‘STEM’, you probably think of jobs like scientist, machinery operators, engineers, and mathematicians. And that’s fair, those are very STEM-y jobs.
However, there are lots more STEM jobs out there that people don’t think of when they hear ‘STEM’. Lots of innovative and cool careers actually include elements of STEM fields! From writers to jewelers, here are five careers that you didn’t even know were STEM careers
1. Fashion Designer
Do you dream of going on Project Runway and showing off your best creations? Then you, my friend, dream of a career in STEM! Fashion designers make use of technology every day in the form of complex sewing machines and blogging or social media to promote their brand. Math is also a huge part of fashion design, with algebra and the ability to measure being absolutely crucial to creating a piece.
Some designers take it a step further and inject science into their creations! Fiber optics, LEDs and recyclables are just a few of the unusual, scientific materials designers might incorporate into their clothes.
2. Illustrator
Another career people don’t link to STEM is Illustrator. Modern illustrators rely heavily on technology to create their art. Programs like Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and SketchUp are all used by illustrators to design. Computer skills are definitely needed for this job!
In addition, many illustrators are freelancers or self-employed. As such, the subject of their art is always changing. Illustrators may sometimes draw up STEM-related images for businesses, companies and schools. The Career In STEM team has introduced a few illustrators to the world of STEM.
3. Writer
As a writer myself, I can without a doubt tell you that this is a STEM job! Writers, especially writers in specialized fields, can write about STEM fields ranging from engineering to physics to nursing. Depending on where the writer works, there’s really no limit to what a writer can write about!
What’s more, writers use technology to write up their pieces. Programs like Microsoft Word, Google Docs and WordPress are all used by writers. We writers know our way around a computer
4. Bioacoustic Researcher
This one doesn’t even sound like a real job, but I promise you it is! Bioacoustic Researchers record the sounds of wildlife to analyze and research. They play a role in wildlife research and make use of technology such as recording programs, microphones and headsets.
The sounds that bioacoustic researchers recorded are then studied to observe how animals communicate, interact with the sounds around them, as well as how human sounds affect wildlife and the animal kingdom.
5. Jeweler
Similar to fashion designers, jewelers work with precious metals and gems. Their job usually consists of designing, fabricating, repairing and evaluating pieces of jewelry. They’re basically the fashion designers of the jewelry world!
Jewelers use math to design and work with pieces of jewelry. They must know how to cut gemstones to certain measurements and sizes, and how to recognize measurements and cuts in jewels that they didn’t handle themselves. Jewelers must also be knowledgeable in chemistry and geology to fully understand the stones that they are working with. You have to pretty smart to work with such pretty stuff!
So there you have it! Lots of STEM jobs that you didn’t even know belonged to a STEM field. We have loads more careers listed on our site; careers that range from creative to the absolutely scientific. Do you know someone who works in a STEM field? Let us know in the comments!
How STEM Helps You Gain the Skills of the Future
Technology is changing. Fast. And with so many advancements being made each year, the idea of keeping up with all the changes can seem daunting – especially to the average American worker!
Guthrie-Jensen Global Training Consultants knows what skills that Americans are going to need in the next decade, and they’ve put together a great infographic breaking down what the workforce needs. We at Career In STEM want to show you how various STEM careers can help you sharpen the skills you’ll soon be needing!
1. Complex Problem Solving
With many STEM careers, problem solving is an absolute need. Careers that involve intensive research, such as toxicology or aerospace engineering, certainly require and help workers perfect their problem-solving skills. On the other side of the spectrum, other more public service-oriented careers such as crime scene investigation and cyber security analysis also require the employees to find the best solution possible in whatever problem they face.
2. Critical Thinking
The skill of critical thinking is a necessity is countless fields – this is especially so with STEM fields! The ability to interpret data and make complex information easier to understand is a much sought-after skill. STEM jobs like job analysis and operations resource analysis are just two examples of the many positions that need critical thinking.
3. Creativity
When many people think of STEM, they don’t typically think of creativity as being a major component. To many, the arts and the sciences are two vastly different fields with nothing in common. Not the case! Being creative is a necessary skill that can be learned while pursuing many design-influenced STEM careers such as video game design and fashion designing.
4. People Management
A skill that will always be needed in the workforce, people management is something in demand across the board in STEM and non-STEM jobs alike! Managing people contributes to a healthy work environment and high employee morale. Jobs that really help people learn to lead and manage others include Civil Engineer and Urban Planner.
5. Coordinating with Others
Another skill that will forever be needed, working with others is an absolute must for many STEM careers. Though coordinating with others is something we learn while in public school, it’s a skill that can and should be sharpened while working toward or working in medical fields that demand teamwork, like nursing and veterinary medicine. Other jobs such as Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist can also help you become more of a team player.
6. Emotional Intelligence
Going hand-in-hand with people management and coordination, emotional intelligence is the skill of empathizing with others. Jobs that call for high emotional intelligence can be stressful, but well-paying or even emotionally rewarding. This ability can be mastered by pursuing careers that require you to sympathize and understand others like demography and obstetric medicine.
7. Judgment and Decision-Making
Being able to assess situations and make decisive choices is something that is needed in just about every career path. Positions that especially need this ability are positions such as Quality Control Analysts, Construction Managers and Civil Engineers – jobs that need a detail-oriented person to make sure everything runs smoothly. Any one of these careers will help you cultivate this skill!
8. Service Orientation
With many STEM fields, it is necessary to be able to offer services and quality customer service and assistance to ensure a business services or a person gets the help they need. This is particularly important in medical jobs such as MRI Technician and X-Ray Technician. This is also the case in non-medical STEM jobs such as yoga instruction; jobs like these are bound to help perfect anyone’s service orientation skills!
9. Negotiation
Similar to emotional intelligence, the skill of negotiation is a trait that a lot of workplaces need. The ability to mediate conflicts and reach compromises between two parties is a total necessity in many industries. Jobs that will help you develop this skill are mainly jobs that mix STEM and sales/services, such as Technical Services Representative.
10. Cognitive Flexibility
Perhaps a lesser-known skill, cognitive flexibility is the ability to easily assume different personas to take care of a task or tackle a challenge. Basically, you have the skill to effortlessly wear many hats within the same project! Some positions that help build this ability are positions that require lots of multitasking, such as Fish and Game Warden or Naval Surface Warfare Officer.
You can find career exploration courses for these jobs and more at Career In STEM! Our online summer camps introduce students to the countless STEM careers that are open to them. A full list of our courses can be found on our site!
4 Ways Yoga Instruction is a STEM Job
Thought yoga was a fun career that just anyone could do? Think again! Yoga instructors are a brainy bunch who need to learn about many different kinds of sciences to do their job well. Besides that, technology and math are also used by yogis each and every day to maintain their brand and keep track of earnings. Here are four ways yoga teachers use STEM on a regular basis
1. They need to study biology and anatomy…
The human body is one of the many tools yoga instructors use every single day. They need to keep their body healthy and prevent injury while attempting complex poses. They also need to make sure you’re safe and not hurting yourself when doing poses, either! To do this, they need to have a strong understanding of the human body and how it works.
2. …and other life sciences
Yoga instruction isn’t just physical exercise; it’s mental and spiritual exercise as well. To make sure their customers have a healing, enjoyable experiences, instructors need to understand all the effects of yoga on the body and mind. Other life sciences in addition to biology and anatomy are often essential for a teacher to make sure that their students are having the best possible experience during a yoga session
3. They also need to know how to do math
According to The Yoga Nomads, yoga instructors often teach workshops or private training sessions in addition to their regular classes at a studio. This means that they need to crunch some numbers and figure out what they’re going to charge for these bonus courses. They also need to keep track of the money they’re making. When you’re your own boss, there’s no accounting department to handle the figures
Another instance when math comes into play? When it comes to calculating salary! It’s important for any aspiring instructor to crunch the numbers and see how realistic a career field that yoga instruction is in their area. It’s also an absolute must that instructors figure out an hourly rate that lets them keep up with the cost of living.
The average yoga instructor in the United States makes a little over $19 a dollar and $40,000 annually. They also make the most money at recreational/sports centers and education houses. This awesome article by Retreat Kula goes into more detail on calculating salary and the wages of a yoga instructor!
4. They also need to know how have an online presence
Going back to The Yoga Nomads, yogis can make extra money by getting sponsorships from brands. To make themselves attractive to brands, they need to gain a huge social media following. That means being familiar with social media apps such as Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Boomerang, YouTube and SnapChat as well as the technology that runs these apps. Yoga instructors need to be able to build a brand to foster partnerships. Some good examples of popular yoga channels are Brett Larkin Yoga and Tone It Up.
Yoga can be a very high-income career and is only getting more popular. Studio chains like CorePower show how in-demand yoga classes and studios are. And with different systems of yoga like bikram and iyengar, there’s something out there for everyone!
Not what you were expecting, right? Turns out you need to know quite a few STEM subjects to have a good career as a yoga instructor! Want to learn more about these teachers and what they do? Check out Career In STEM’s career page on yoga instructors here!
Press Release - CAREER IN STEM NAMED AS FINALIST FOR THE EDTECH AWARDS 2018
Top leaders, innovators, and trendsetters announced to millions interested in creating a better future for learning with the help of technology.
April 10, 2018. North Windham, CT. – Online education organization Career In STEM is proud to announce that they have been named as a finalist for the 2018 EdTech Awards. Career In STEM was recognized in the Career Planning Solution category, which falls under EdTech’s umbrella of “Cool Tool” awards.
Beginning in 2010, EdTech’s awards have always aimed to recognize any and all organizations that contribute to technological education. The EdTech awards strive to be on the cusp of what’s coming and what the next big innovation in education technology will be; “We celebrate who’s who and what’s next in EdTech,” said Victor Rivero, who as Editor-in-Chief of EdTech Digest, oversees the awards program.
The annual awards program organizes their many award categories into three main honors: Cool Tools, Inspiring Leaders and Innovative Trendsetters. These categories are applied to the sectors of K-12 education, higher education, and skills and the workforce.
The “cool tools” that helped Career In STEM earn its spot as a finalist include online career exploration courses and classroom resources for teachers and educators. These career exploration courses, typically not seen on STEM sites, allow students to see all possible careers they can pursue if they enter a certain field of study. This allows them to make the most educated career choice possible, and therefore help them select a college major with ease.
Career In STEM also runs a STEM-focused blog and has games, posters and family-friendly activities available on their website for parents to inspire their children. In addition, the company offers a semi-annual scholarship for middle and high school students to use for education or entrepreneurial pursuits. Moreover, Career In STEM has several eBooks available for sale or download on their site and on Kobo, and has two additional courses on the online education platform Udemy.
Now more than ever, Career In STEM is dedicated to helping K-12 students decide what STEM career they want to pursue once they are done with their education. Launched in April of 2017 as a subsidiary of grant writing company Greater Good Consultants, Career In STEM has now reached people in over 20 different countries across the globe.
Most of the site’s 45,000 monthly visitors are middle and high schools students interested in STEM. The company’s courses have also had nearly 2,000 unique students, and classroom resources have an average 4/4 star rating on TeachersPayTeachers.
The Career In STEM family also continues to grow, with the addition of two interns in the spring of 2018. The company has also had the pleasure of partnering with multiple STEM-based nonprofits.
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Hi, there!
As a valued Career In STEM subscriber, we really want to know what you think of us. The easiest way for you to tell us your opinions is to leave a brief review of the summer camp you participated in. A list of our summer camps can be found here on our STEM Summer Camp Calendar.
All you have to do is click on the name of the summer camp you enrolled in, scroll to the bottom of the page and let loose your thoughts!
If you didn't take part in a summer camp and instead used one of our free resources, then go here to select the free resource you used and leave a review.
This is Career In STEM's second summer offering online summer camps. As an online educational platform, we're always looking for ways to improve our products and services. The best way we can to that is for you, the customer, to tell us what's working and what isn't.
Thank you again for being a subscriber to Career In STEM!
These are just a few samples of recent work. If you'd like to see more samples, feel free to send an email to briana@brianahernandezcopywriting or fill out the contact form!
5 Career-Planning Activities to Tackle over Summer Break!
Okay, before you freak out at the title, I know – summer’s supposed to be fun! It’s when you get to hang out with friends during the day, sharpen your Fortnite skills or just have a chance to relax after another crazy year.
But…
It’s getting closer to graduation. Another year under your belt means another year closer to finishing high school. And whether you plan on going to college or diving right into the workforce after you get that diploma, you’re going to need to polish that personal brand of yours.
So what are some constructive ways you can fine-tune your professional image? Well here are five things you can do:
1. Set up a LinkedIn
I can’t stress this enough. Set up a LinkedIn! Do it as soon as you can. A LinkedIn is like a perma-resume that works for you even when you’re not at your computer. It acts as a record for all the places you’ve worked and gone to school.
Not only that, but LinkedIn is an easy, fast way to apply for jobs online! Since your profile is pretty much your resume, you won’t have to worry about that part of the application process. LinkedIn also gives tons of work advice and tips on how to get hired. Their webinars and online courses are great for those taking their first steps into real, full-time work. Go sign up now!
2. Update your resume
This should be easy if you set up your LinkedIn first. Use your profile as a guide, having a summary, skill set, work experience and education all organized onto a single page.
My Perfect Resume is a great site to use to update your resume. The online templates will help you keep the info organized and professional looking. Not to mention their website has an online job search engine and cover letter templates, too!
3. Make your wardrobe ‘Shark Tank-ready’
Your business wardrobe should be nice enough that you could pitch to Mr. Wonderful on Shark Tank! Trousers, jackets, blouses, dress shirts, simple dresses, pencil skirts, flats, dress shoes, ties, cufflinks – these should be on your shopping list the next time you visit the mall. Some great stores to hit would be TJ Maxx, Forever 21, JC Penney, and Kohl’s.
Black, dark blue, beige, and dark brown are all great, neutral colors that you can find business clothes in. Try not to get fancy with the colors, because that will just make you look unprofessional. You don’t want to have an interview scheduled, only to have to run to the store the day before because all you have is that sparkly suit or dress you wore to junior prom.
4. Figure out your goals
Two months gives you a lot of time to think! As you’re on a coaster at Six Flags with your buds, think about whether or not engineering interests you. While you’re fishing with your dad, ask yourself if a game warden sounds cool to you. Try to figure out what you like and what you might want to do for the rest of your life!
Once you have a good idea of the career paths you might like, you can check out our online summer camps to give you a better idea of what specific jobs you should go for after graduating. If college is on your radar, knowing what jobs you want will help you pick a major quicker, too!
When the school year starts, you can also use this knowledge of your career goals to decide where you can intern or job shadow for your senior year – because chances are you’ll need to do one or the other to graduate.
5. Work!
Sorry, but it’s something to think about! Not only are summer jobs a great way to earn some money, but gaining work experience as a teen will put you ahead of the pack! A solid amount of people start working after their teen years are over, so having a job or two under your belt by the time you start college is an awesome advantage to have.
Having work experience will also keep you from having to do more entry-level work after graduating. Nothing is worse than having a diploma in your hand (whether it’s from high school or college) and having to start at the bottom at your first serious job! Get some experience help you climb ladders faster.
So as you can see, you have plenty of opportunities this summer to really build your future career! You’re at the point in your life where you need to think about your future, and these are a few good places to start. And if you need some college prep resources, Career In STEM has a wide selection to help you out!
6 Women Who’ve Made Major STEM Contributions
(Guest post for Everfi)
In the past decade, we’ve seen a huge uptick in women and girls of all backgrounds and ethnicities showing an interest in STEM careers. With more and more women focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, we have more minds than ever striving to make our world a better and more advanced place.
However, women have been working in STEM fields for a long time! From Yvonne Brill’s contributions to rocket science in the 1920’s to Gertrude Elion’s work in medicine and drug development in the 1980’s, women have been making leaps and bounds in all sorts of fields of study! Career In STEM has put together a list of just a few of the amazing women who, in recent history, have made major discoveries or advancements in a STEM field:
1. Katherine Freese
Once the Director of Nordita, Stockholm’s theoretical physics institute, Freese now works at the University of Michigan. She works in the fields of theoretical cosmology and astroparticle physics, and studies dark matter and dark energy. An alumni of Princeton University, Columbia University and the University of Chicago, Freese has also worked at several universities and centers, including MIT and the Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
2. Chien-Shiung Wu
A physicist who focused especially on nuclear physics, Wu conducted several experiments and made many discoveries. One breakthrough includes creating the method of dividing uranium metal into Uranium-235 and Uranium-238 via gaseous diffusion. She received the inaugural Wolf Prize in Physics in 1978 and has been dubbed as the “Queen of Nuclear Research”.
3. Yvonne Brill
A scientist and engineer whose career spanned over six decades, Brill began her work in the early 1900s. In the 1940s she was the only woman rocket scientist, and was on the team that designed the first American satellite. In addition to this, Brill also created a propulsion system that keeps satellites in orbit. Her extensive work eventually led to her receiving the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama in 2011.
4. Tierra Guinn
A young rocket scientist who began her work before even graduating from college, Guinn was helping NASA build a revolutionary new rocket while wrapping up her education at MIT. Guinn began her employment with Boeing – the company hired to build the rocket for NASA – as a Rocket Structural Design and Analysis Engineer in the summer of 2016, just after completing her junior year.
5. Gertrude B. Elion
Gertrude B. Elion made advancements in the field of medicine during the 20th century. In addition to developing the immunosuppressive drug Azathioprine, Elion also supervised the development of the revolutionary HIV/AIDS drug, AZT. For her work and contributions, Elion received the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1988, sharing the award with George Hitchings and Sir James Black.
6. Barbara McClintock
Similar to Yvonne Brill, McClintock’s scientific career spanned many decades. She graduated from Cornell in the 1920s, and dedicated her work to cytogenetics. Her research led to the discovery of gene movement amongst and within chromosomes, and she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1983. McClintock’s recognition in her field came years before receiving that award however, as she became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in the mid-1940s, and was considered to be the finest cytogeneticist alive.
5 Fun STEM Summer Activities for the Whole Family!
(Guest post for Seed2STEM)
5 Fun STEM Summer Activities for the Whole Family!
We’re well into May now, which means that summer is just around the corner! Summer is a great time for the whole family; the kids are out of school, parents don’t have to shovel any more, and plenty of relaxing vacations and staycations! But what if you want to turn your trips into learning experiences? Or what if you’re home and you’ve run out of board games to play? Or when it’s after dark and the last s’more has been eaten? How do make learning fun, on vacation no less? How do you fill that time between now and bedtime with something cool AND educational? Well, we searched high and low here at Career In STEM, and we rounded up five fun, STEM-themed activities that are fun for the entire family!
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Go Geocaching
One of the best way to get kids up and moving during the lazy days of summer vacation is through geocaching! Geocaching is the process of searching for geocaches – containers hidden by fellow Geocache explorers that are pre-approved by the Geocaching company. There are over three million caches across the globe, with the purpose of each cache being to bring you on an adventure, big or small. According to VeryWellFamily, these caches usually have logs to keep track of who’s found the cache, as well as artifacts from the surrounding area such as feathers or shells, and/or small Dollar Tree-esque store-bought toys for any kiddos that tagged along for the adventure to play with. Going geocaching is the perfect way to safely explore and treasure hunt, and is great for family road trips, too!
Career connection! Some STEM careers that require the exploratory skills that geocaching fosters are paleontology and wildlife conservation!
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Citizen Science Projects
Citizen Science Projects is a way for kids to partner with scientists to simultaneously help them with their research and help the kids learn about various subjects first-hand. CSPs, in National Geographic’s words, consist of the volunteer and the scientists gathering data and doing hands-on research. National Geographic hosts a couple of CSPs, though a more exhaustive list can be found on Wikipedia. CSPs are great for kids of all ages, and your family will be helping to advance science!
Career connection! Citizen Science Projects also helps develop research and analytical skills, which are skills needed in STEM careers such as crime scene investigation and cyber security analysis!
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Library events
If you’re staying local for your vacations, a trip to the library can be more fun than your kids expect it to be! Besides checking out books on your favorite STEM subject, you can also keep an eye out for any STEM-themed library events going on. Events such as book readings, learning to use social media and computer crash courses are all activities that your local library may be hosting.
Career connection! Career In STEM also offers an online career exploration course on Computer Science-related careers, starting in June!
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Beach-themed Activities
A fun idea for a daycation, a trip to the beach gives moms and dads plenty of opportunities to teach kids about different eco systems; some scientific arts-and-craft projects can also come from a trip to the beach. Little Bins for Little Hands has directions for a few different beachy projects, such as creating a beach-in-a-bottle or crystal seashells. As for when you’re actually laying on sand, soaking up sun, you can take the time to show your little ones the different sea creatures that inhabit beaches, or explain to them how the moon affects the tides and waves.
Career connection! Careers such as fashion design and video game design incorporate plenty of the artistic skills that arts-and-crafts activities nurture!
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State and National Parks
There are fifty-eight national parks in the United States, in addition to dozens of heritage areas and historic sites. If you’re taking a trip to a park, there will be tons of opportunities to teach your kids about geology, history and wildlife. The famous Yosemite National Park in California, for example, has camping spots, hosts an immersive Environmental Living Program and offers a Parks as Classrooms Ranger Program, where park rangers teach kids about an array of subjects ranging from flora and fauna to geology to watersheds! Also, if you’re going to multiple parks this summer, make sure to enroll in the National Park Travelers Club. The Club is for people who frequent national parks; you’ll be able to collect stamp cancellations to track what parks you’ve visited as well as gain full access to the NPTC Master Database. You can even earn certificates and awards if you visit enough parks!
Career connection! If your kiddos end developing an interest in geology or the environment, there are plenty of STEM career fields for them to choose from, such as animal science or game warden!
The possibilities are endless when it comes to finding STEM activities for your family. With so many different events being hosted by different organizations, you’re sure to find something for every member of your family!
Career In STEM Needs Interns!
We’re hiring! Yes, that’s right, we need six interns to join our family and take Career In STEM to the next level! All of our internships are 100% remote, meaning that all work will be online and all correspondence will be done through email or phone. These internships are perfect for anyone looking to gain some experience, sharpen skills or earn college credit. Take a look at what we’re offering and see what seems right for you! Career In STEM is the right place for you!
Have you always had a knack for writing tweets? Do you know just the right hashtags to include on your Instagram posts to make them shine? Then put those skills to work with a Social Media internship! Write posts to boost business, monitor website analytics and gain valuable social media strategy skills.
Communications Intern Description:
Has writing always been your forte? Does writing for a blog come naturally to you? See if our Communications internship is right for you! Practice copywriting in a real business setting by writing blog posts, newsletters, marketing materials and more. Great for Comm. majors and those wanting to work in marketing!
Are you familiar with video editing? Perhaps you run a YouTube channel that hosts your work? Our Digital Media internship is a great setting to sharpen your content creation skills. Work on infographics, create videos and help build the company brand!
If teaching is something that has always drawn you, or if you are naturally gifted in one or more STEM fields, then consider our STEM Education internship! You’ll act as a mentor for teens interested in STEM, designing educational programs and introducing more people – both STEM professionals and students – to our ever-growing community. This internship is ideal for Education majors, STEM majors, or those double-majoring in Education and a STEM field!
The perfect preparation for any office job, our Business Development internship may be right for you! Gain invaluable business and office experience by working on tasks such as action plan preparation, conducting market research and developing business relationships. Awesome for Business majors or a would-be entrepreneur!
This Game Design intern will be crucial in implementing games and activities into the company website. You’ll be responsible for designing games, including developing a storyline, building levels, working out game mechanics and more. Perfect for Computer Science majors and those who want a career in game design!
Hopefully one of these internships sounds good to you! Think you’re ready to join the Career In STEM team? You can prep for your internship by downloading our free eBook, taking our free Career Close-up Mini-Course, or checking out our course on Udemy
