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pegkerrTomorrow, as part of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work, Fiona is going to be visiting Rob's store and spending the day with him, learning about his job. The last two years, she has spent this day with me at my office, learning about my job.
I'd like her to give her the chance to learn about a lot of jobs. Specifically, your job.
Won't you tell Fiona about your job, so she can get an idea of the vast possibilities in the World of Work out there?
If you can, please leave Fiona a comment by tomorrow night, telling her about your career. Something like:
What your job title is, and what that means
A description of a typical day
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job
Why you like it and (if you dare)
Why you dislike it
What sorts of things can go wrong at your job?
What kind of person thrives in your job
Anything else you can think of that would give her an idea of what it might be like to choose your career?
I'd like her to get as many replies as possible. Thanks ever so much!
Cheers,
Peg (and Fiona)
I'd like her to give her the chance to learn about a lot of jobs. Specifically, your job.
Won't you tell Fiona about your job, so she can get an idea of the vast possibilities in the World of Work out there?
If you can, please leave Fiona a comment by tomorrow night, telling her about your career. Something like:
What your job title is, and what that means
A description of a typical day
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job
Why you like it and (if you dare)
Why you dislike it
What sorts of things can go wrong at your job?
What kind of person thrives in your job
Anything else you can think of that would give her an idea of what it might be like to choose your career?
I'd like her to get as many replies as possible. Thanks ever so much!
Cheers,
Peg (and Fiona)
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-24 04:12 pm (UTC)What your job title is, and what that means
My official title is "Non-Teaching Faculty: Communications Specialist - Digital Media." Which is a long way of saying I make Web sites for the <http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu">Oregon Sea Grant program at Oregon State University. We fund research about the oceans, and then teach people what our scientists have learned. Our small communications office (there are four of us) publishes books and brochures, produces videos, builds Web sites and does everything else we can to get the information out.
A description of a typical day
My days vary a lot, though most of them are spent sitting at a computer. I might be designing new Web sites, checking to make sure the links on the old ones still work, updating things, or taking on-line classes to keep my skills current (there's always something new to learn.) Some days I meet with Sea Grant researchers or Extension specialists to help them put together special projects such as this one (http://www.watershedweeks.org) or this one (http://www.heads-up.net/) or this one (http://oregonstate.edu/groups/marinemammal/). And three or four times a month I get to drive over to the Oregon Coast for meetings, which is always fun.
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job
When I started building Web pages, I was working as our program's science writer, and I taught myself everything I knew from books and by looking at other people's sites. Since then I've taken lots of classes, some of them on line (http://www.hwg.org/) and some here at the university, because the technology changes so fast that you have to keep learning to keep up.
I have a lot of writing and art and design in my background, and all of those things helped.
Why you like it and (if you dare)
I like being part of an organization that's working to teach people about our fragile oceans and the creatures that live there. I like designing Web pages and figuring out what works and what doesn't, and why. I like having a third career that isn't anything like my first two (newspaper reporter and science writer). I like learning new things because it keeps my brain sharp.
Why you dislike it
Some days I have to be here even though I don't have anything to do. That's kind of boring. But mostly I love what I do.
What sorts of things can go wrong at your job?
Computers can crash, deadlines can get missed, and things can stop working for no obvious reason. But it's all pretty easy to fix, and nobody's life depends on it.
What kind of person thrives in your job
Someone who can work alone without a lot of supervision, who can meet deadlines, who likes figuring things out, and who has a good enough eye to recognize good design.
Anything else you can think of that would give her an idea of what it might be like to choose your career?
The neat thing about this career is that you can get some practice at it without taking a lot of classes or spending a lot of money. Building a Web page isn't hard - kids do it all the time. If you don't mind sitting at the computer for hours at a time, it can be a lot of fun.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-24 07:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-24 08:37 pm (UTC)The wonderful world of work
Date: 2003-04-24 04:56 pm (UTC)And now that I've put you to sleep with my preaching...
What your job title is, and what that means
My real job title is Bohemian Free Spirit, and I chiefly consider myself a writer, and all the jobs I've held over the years serve to support those identities. ;-)
Currently, I am working as a cashier at the local supermarket while I look for part-time employment editing and maintaining web sites for small organizations that can't afford a full-time "webmaster." But I would no more say I "am" a cashier than I would say I "am" a web site editor (my former job) or that I "am" a computer operator (my jobs before that). I believe in doing a fair day's work for a fair day's pay, but most of the jobs I've done for pay have simply been a means to an end, not an end in themselves. I sell my labor, not my soul; my soul is my own, and finds expression in my writing and in community life.
A description of a typical day
I work the late evening shift at the grocery store, so when I first arrive, it's usually busy. I stand at the cash register and scan groceries and other merchandise, pretty much nonstop for the first couple of hours. I process the customers' payments -- cash, credit card, checks, WIC, EBT/food stamps, gift certificates, and so on. I try to maintain a friendly demeanor, which is usually pretty easy, but some customers will be nasty no matter what one does; in that case, I either call the manager or just ride it out. It's easy to focus on the few rude people and lose sight of the many who are good to deal with.
Later at night things often get fairly quiet. Sometimes I clean off the conveyor belts by the registers. Other times I will take a shopping cart full of merchandise to be returned to the shelves -- these are called "shopbacks" -- and put it back. If I am needed on the register, someone will page me over the store's intercom, and then I put the cart away and go back to ringing up groceries.
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job
A functioning brain, a sense of humor, and a fairly thick skin. ;-) It's not a difficult job, though it can get boring sometimes.
Why you like it
It's a simple, straightforward way to earn a paycheck. Instead of playing "office politics," I just show up, do the work, and go home. Most people are enjoyable to deal with, too. Also, it's a union job, which offers some security (e.g., against vulnerability to personality conflicts/dislikes -- if you do something dishonest or wrong, the union's not going to protect you!) and, good for a part-time retail job, health insurance for the employee.
Why you dislike it
The occasional crabby customer; sometimes someone will totally lose his or her temper to the point that security has to escort that person off the premises, though I haven't gotten one that bad myself (yet). Also, the pay is pretty low compared to other jobs.
Anything else you can think of that would give her an idea of what it might be like to choose your career?
To be a Bohemian Free Spirit, you really need to accept that you will never completely "fit in" to a traditional corporate culture. This just logically follows from the fact that you will always be governed more by your Inner Muse than by external expectations or culture. If you take a corporate job, try to get one in an area that accommodates unusual hours (e.g., my overnight solo computer operator job) or is known for somewhat maverick personalities (e.g., technical fields/IT). And, as with my willingness to go from a corporate web editing job to grocery store cashiering, it helps to be flexible and be willing to leave a bad situation, even if it means making less money for a while, in order to preserve your mental and physical health. ;-)
Re: The wonderful world of work
Date: 2003-04-24 05:09 pm (UTC)Truer words have rarely been spoken.
Re: The wonderful world of work
Date: 2003-04-24 06:50 pm (UTC)Truer words have rarely been spoken.
Well, my previous job was in a PR department, so when it comes to what gets paid well vs. what's truly of worth, I guess you can say I have the voice of experience. ;-) At least as a grocery store cashier I feel I'm doing something of true social benefit.
Re: The wonderful world of work
Date: 2003-04-25 04:25 am (UTC)*friends*
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-24 05:25 pm (UTC)Your mom asked for these explanations of jobs, so here's mine:
Job title: Astronomical Satellite Mission Planner/Analyst
What that means: It means that I'm one of two astronomers on the Flight Operations Team for the FUSE (Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer) mission (http://fuse.pha.jhu.edu). There are other astronomers on the FUSE science team, but my colleague Julia and I are the only two who are allowed to command the spacecraft and the science instruments aboard it.
A typical day:
If there haven't been any spacecraft contingencies overnight, I'll arrive at work sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning. I check with the on-duty flight operations engineer to find out what the spacecraft status is, and then I sit down at my desk to read the overnight e-mail. This might include anomaly reports (describing some problem which occured with the spacecraft or with one of the ground stations), new mission planning schedules, comments from various people about current mission planning schedules, questions about the onboard scripts and rules which I've written and which determine how observations are carried out, notifications of new orbital data from NORAD, requests for reports of the spacecraft's position and velocity at some specific time, or a bunch of other mission related things.
My workload consists of two broad categories: First, there's stuff that has to be done on a regular basis, such as generation of a new spacecraft orbit model each time NORAD updates our orbital elements, or the scripting of observations into programs which are then compiled and executed onboard. Second, there are contingency operations, where I'm having to respond to some kind of unplanned (and usually unexpected) problem.
In addition to those regular duties, I also represent the FUSE team as a member of the Office of Public Outreach. In that capacity I work with students and teachers to develop teaching material, and I sometimes make public appearances to talk about FUSE operations and the teaching materials we've developed.
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job:
The minimum requirement for my job would be a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, or engineering. People with masters degrees are prefered. A strong background in astronomy is desired for the astronomical missions. Also, you'd need some prior experience as a member of a spacecraft operations team, with a concentration in science instrument operation and data analysis. I've been working with spacecraft for the past 12 years, and I have almost 20 years experience working in astronomy. I hold a Master of Science degree in physics.
Why I like it: It's a challenging job in a field I love. I really like astronomy (I also teach physics and astronomy classes, as an additional job), and I like the challenge of being a member of a small team of really excellent people who work closely together to accomplish a big goal.
Why I dislike it: There are several things to dislike. Often I'm so busy with operations that I have no time for the science of astronomy, and I have to leave that to my colleagues who are not involved in operations. The mission also places huge demands on my time, and I sometimes get called in the middle of the night to deal with a spacecraft emergency. Even when I go on vacation I have to take a laptop computer along in case something comes up requiring my attention. The satellite was built as a "Better, Faster, Cheaper" mission, which means that a lot of corners were cut. That has required all of us to have to make up for annoying little problems by being very carefully attentive. The spacecraft will have been in orbit for 4 years in June, and the constant vigilence is taking a toll in burnout among some of our team members.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-24 05:26 pm (UTC)What sorts of things can go wrong at your job?
Oh, gosh, where to start? The spacecraft itself can develop a problem, like failure of some component. A major example of this would be December of 2001 when two of the four reaction wheels used to point the spacecraft failed within ten days of each other. We spent the next three months developing a way to fly the mission with only the remaining two reaction wheels and the magnetic torquer bars which were originally intended to unload torque into the Earth's magnetic field. We can also have problems with our ground stations. These are big radio transmitters/receivers which we use to communicate with the satellite. We can also have problems with our own Spacecraft Control Center, if a computer fails or we lose one of the ISDN lines that connect us to our ground stations.
What kind of person thrives in your job: Someone who can handle stress well, and who is very comfortable with science, mathematics, and computer programming. Being a member of a flight operations team also requires good human relations skills. You have to be able to get along well with other people.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-24 05:37 pm (UTC)I'm a graphic designer, hot glass artist and a waitress. And a mom!
What your job title is, and what that means:
Graphic designers create things like posters, brochures, business cards, magazine ads, websites and billboards.
Hot glass artists make cool designs out of glass. Right now, all I make are beads. I Used to make bowls and barettes and pins and other fun things, but no longer do those things.
Waitresses bring you your food in the restaurant.
And you know what moms do.
A description of a typical day: If I have to work as a waitress that day, I'll go to the restaurant and help get the place ready for customers. Make sure we have enough silverware, that the salt and pepper shakers are full, and that everything is clean and ready by the time we open for lunch. I'll work until lunchtime is over, then I go home.
I usually have stuff to do on my computer for my graphic design customers, so I'll work on those projects until Will comes home from school. My office is in our house. If I don't have any websites or other stuff to do, I'll make some beads or get beads ready to be sold. I sell the beads I make to bead stores and on the internet.
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job:
To be a mom is a lot of hard work, but there is no training.
I taught myself to make beads by reading books about it and watching other people do it.
I learned graphic design by taking some classes here and there, reading a lot about what makes good design. It helps to like art and color and to be able to think of new creative ideas. I took a lot of computer classes to be able to use the 2 computers I have. Graphic designers have to know a lot about computers and we use a lot of different software.
Being a waitress is hard work, but it's not hard to learn.
Why you like it: Because I can work when I feel like it, even at 3 o'clock in the morning! I have a very short shift as a waitress, so I can get many things done in a day, even when I have to work at the restaurant. I love being a mom, because--as you know--kids are cool!
Why you dislike it: I work alone a lot. Sometimes I get bored or lonely. There are some hazards to working with hot glass, and sometimes I wonder if my health is at risk because of some of those hazards.
There are a lot of reasons to dislike being a waitress! People can be crabby and rude. Sometimes people are just dumb, and it's frustrating, because you have to be nice to them, no matter how they treat you. But I like the restaurant I work at.
What sorts of things can go wrong at your job? There are often mistakes in getting things printed in graphic design. I can make beads that I think are cute, but no one else likes. I can drop things or forget things as a waitress.
What kind of person thrives in your job: You have to be well originized and like people. You need to be able to make yourself work on things even when you don't feel like it. You should be able to work under pressure and deadlines, and not get hurt feelings when you design something and your customer doesn't like it. And liking computers helps very much.
Anything else you can think of that would give her an idea of what it might be like to choose your career? I don't have a traditional career. I used to, but I was laid off from a regular job a year ago, and have worked from my home since then. It has been hard work but very fun working for myself. It's like a game, but I have to be careful and responsible, too, in making sure that I find new design customers, that I keep selling beads and that I am a good waitress.
Thanks for letting me share--this was fun!
-Mary
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-24 06:17 pm (UTC)I have three jobs, so I'm sending your mom an email.
- hossgal
High School
Date: 2003-04-25 12:23 am (UTC)I go to high school in Australia. We have a slightly different system to the US. We have primary school (kindergarten - year 6) and then high school (year 7 - year 12). You can drop out at 16 in my state or after you complete year 10. Over years 7 and 10 you study for the SC (School Certificate) and in years 11 and 12 you study for the HSC (Higher School Certificate). I am currently in year 10. In year 9 (usually) you get some electives (I do French, History and Drama) and in year 11 you get to choose all of your subjects, but you must do English. This changes slightly from state to state here. I plan to carry on until year 12 as I want to go into medicine.
A description of a typical day
I live a fair way away from my school. I get up at about 6:30am to get ready and catch a bus at 7:45am. I spend an hour travelling and then get to school. I talk to friends and, if I have to, talk to teachers or hand in assignments and notes and stuff. Then I go to my first two classes. My school then gives us a 20 minute period for a class with the people in our grade that are also in our house (this is a pastoral care thing and is supposed to help catch students that have problems and such - it's basically a bludge period). I only have this period Tuesday to Friday. One day a fortnight during this period I have chapel (I go to an Anglican school) and one day a fortnight I have house meeting. I then have recess, which I mainly spend with friends and then I go to 3 more classes. After that there is lunch, which can be used for school work but I don't usually do that then. Then I have 2 more classes and go home at about 3:15pm.
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job
None really, it's school. We get it as we go ^_^
Why you like it and (if you dare)
I like being with people my age and I've always liked school over all. Some subjects are really interesting. My friends are great and some of the teachers are pretty cool.
Why you dislike it
Getting up early, the long bus ride, some people are awful, some subjects are boring... Ignore me.
What sorts of things can go wrong at your job?
All sorts of things can go wrong with a bunch of teens in a science lab! Bullying can happen, but it's rare. My school is pretty lucky like that.
What kind of person thrives in your job
Interested, happy, well adjusted people. Not necessarily intelligent people.
Anything else you can think of that would give her an idea of what it might be like to choose your career?
My career is kind of forced on most people. Choosing to stay on past what is compulsory will be hard but worth it.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-25 12:29 am (UTC)What your job title is, and what that means
I don't think I have a title, as such, beyond "Graduate Student". As that says, I'm a student in the Mechanical Engineering department, working towards a doctorate (Ph.D.) degree. I've been doing this for about four years, and am a little less than a year from finishing. At this point, it means that I've finished all of the classes that I am going to take, and am working full-time on doing research that I will write up as my final dissertation (a book-length writeup that's sort of the equivalent of a final paper for a class).
Also, I could claim the title of "Research Assistant", which means that I get paid for doing the research that I'm doing.
A description of a typical day
I'm not sure that there's a typical day; instead, I'll describe some of the things that I do. The research that I am doing is in "Computational Fluid Dynamics", which means that I work on ways to use computers to calculate how liquids and gasses flow. Sometimes this means sitting in front of a computer and writing programs (or, more often, debugging them), and sometimes it means using a pen and paper to do mathematical calculations to figure out what to put into the program. I also do a lot of reading scientific papers, to see how other people have done similar things and to get ideas for how to solve the problems I'm facing, and I do a lot of writing scientific papers of my own. Most of this is sitting at a desk in my office....
Occasionally, I go to conferences to "present" my papers, which means that I talk about my work for 30 minutes to an audience of usually about 40 people, and listen to them talk about their work. These are fun, because they're often in interesting far-off places, and I get to talk to people who are excited about the same sort of work that I'm excited about.
One of the great benefits of being a graduate student is that I have almost infinite flexibility. I meet with my advisor (the teacher who oversees my work) every couple of weeks or so, and tell him what progress I've made. Other than that, I can work when I want to, and to a large extent on what I want to as long as it's making progress towards the end goals we've set. The downside is that sometimes I need to work long hours to get to those goals, particularly if there's a deadline for a paper coming up. Usually I work pretty normal hours, though, although something like 10am to 7pm instead of 8-5.
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job
A doctorate degree is what comes after an undergraduate (bachelors) degree, and a masters degree, so you need both of those. Often, the process of getting a masters degree is considered the first step of getting the doctorate, though, so those are sort of the same job. Most people get their undergraduate degree in the same subject that they're getting their doctorate degree in, but you don't have to do that.
Why you like it
Mostly because I like figuring things out. The particular problem that I am working on is one that's been challenging people for a hundred years, and while I certainly can't solve the whole thing (it's far too complex for that), I hope to make a small dent in it. And, as a result of my work, people will be able to calculate things that they couldn't calculate before. And, on a personal level, it's a challenge of puzzles to figure out.
I also like having the flexibility of a free schedule, and being able to decide what I think is important and follow that path without needing to ask someone else if I can do it.
(continued)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-25 12:30 am (UTC)and (if you dare) Why you dislike it
Sometimes, the freedom can be a problem. I'm slowly learning to be better about scheduling my time, but I do have weeks where I don't get much done, and weeks where I have to work long hours to make up for it.
Also, even though these results will eventually change the world (a very little bit), right now they're just interesting to me. That means that, until I get finished and get things written up and tell people about them, there's nobody to say, "Here, I need this! Please finish it!" So I have to be completely self-motivated.
What sorts of things can go wrong at your job?
Lots of little things, mostly. Writing large computer programs is a deceptive task, like climbing a large mountain. It doesn't look that big when you start, but when you get to where you think you ought to be finished, there's still more to go. Most of that's debugging; sometimes there's a typo, sometimes the idea you had about how to write the program just didn't work out and you have to change the ideas and start over.
Actually, that's a sort of large picture of what can go wrong. People doing research often remind themselves that research means that you ask questions, and look for the answer, without knowing what the answer is. Sometimes the answer is that it wasn't a very interesting question; sometimes the answer is that it's not an answerable question. So it's possible to spend a lot of effort and find out something not worth the time.
A lot of the time, though, the answer is a combination of an answer and a half-dozen more unanswered questions. This means things have gone very well indeed.
On a different level, one of the things that can go wrong is that a doctoral degree isn't something that takes a set number of years; instead, you work until you've finished a piece of research and answered a good-sized question, and sometimes the question that you start out working on turns out to be bigger than you thought. And so it can take longer than you expected before you get done. (Sometimes you have to make the question smaller or change it.)
What kind of person thrives in your job
Someone who is very curious, and can be self-motivated about pursuing that curiousity. Also, someone who is reasonably good at mathematics and (in my case) computer programming. And someone who enjoys putting together things and making them work just for the challenge of it.
Anything else you can think of that would give her an idea of what it might be like to choose your career?
Well, this isn't quite a career yet -- graduate school lasts for five years or so, and then you have to go out into the real world and find a new job. I haven't quite started doing that, so I don't know what it's like yet!
I think I've put most of what I know to say about it in the other answers, so I guess I'll close here.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-25 12:34 am (UTC)Title: Don't really have one - I'm freelance and so I'm a one-person company!
Typical day: I start with proofreading what I did the previous day (my mind is fresher early in the day). Then I translate into English from a foreign language or edit English texts (subjects: anything from criminology to sport to tourism, economics, etc.). I have LONG days as local (Swiss) clients start calling as of 7.30 a.m. and others (France, UK, Germany often send urgent things up to 7.00 p.m. No two days are alike.
If I'm taking minutes of a meeting, I divide my time sitting in the meeting listening to the speakers and taking notes(only listening to the interpreters for any languages I don't understand) and in an office writing up a summary of it all in English.
Training, etc.: Degree in languages, training in translation (not easy to translate without knowing some of the 'tricks of the trade'). A *very* sound grip of your mother tongue is essential, as professional translators always work from a foreign source text into their own language - NEVER the other way round, with very few exceptions. For minute-taking, you need to have an analytical mind and be able to summarise a lot of subjects in a very concise way.
Why I like it: Extremely varied. Plenty of travel to international meetings. Lots of interesting things to learn - particularly because I work on a very wide range of subjects even within my own specialised fields. I love doing the research when I start on a new topic. Also, a translator opens up a text to people who wouldn't otherwise understand it, so Translation is about communicating. I also like working with different styles of writing, as there's a huge difference between a punchy publicity text and an academic paper.
What I don't like: You can never know what will turn up, meaning things get tricky when several regular clients all want something for the same deadline. Refusing means you may never hear from that company or person again. I also hate texts on finance and pension funds (but they pay well!)
Who thrives in this sort of job: You need to be very, very flexible about business hours, and diplomatic with clients (your mom will know about working with editors!). You need to spend a *lot* of time on researching. You also need to be creative with using words, yet have the technical knowledge of language too.Above all, an enquiring mind helps a lot.
Anything else: Ask me any other questions if you're interested, Fiona
Me again ^_^
Date: 2003-04-25 12:46 am (UTC)This is an excellent thing - I might browse through too. I soon have to choose year 11 and 12 electives which will contribute to my career - scary!
What your job title is, and what that means
I was working with Enrolled Nurses (ENs) mainly. They are only qualified to do some nursing things - they can administer drugs but cannot prescribe/distribute them, they do more of the cleaning/housekeeping side and do more of the "dirty work", so to speak. The next step up is the RN (Registered Nurse) which has more to do with the medical side of things.
A description of a typical day
Nurses work shifts on a roster and don't have a specific work time. There are 3 different shifts - morning (from around 6am-3pm), afternoon (from about 2pm-11pm) and the night shift (I'm not sure about those hours - sorry). I did morning shifts for a week. I had to get up very early, eat breakfast (VERY IMPORTANT) and head to the hospital. Once there I did a changeover thing, where the previous shift told the oncoming shift about what had happened and each patients conditions. The morning was spent getting patients up, showered, dressed and fed (in the rehabilitation unit I also had to get patients to physiotherapy). We also had to change all the beds and take "Obs" (Observations) on the patients, which included taking blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and temperature. At lunch was had to help the patients with lunch and in the afternoon we mainly took notes about each patient. Then there was changeover again. During the whole day we had to do things like change dressings, help patients with various things and change IV needles.
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job
To actually do the job you have to complete school and then do a course, which includes practical. It also helps if you do a First Aid course.
Why you like it and (if you dare)
Medicine is very interesting to me and the people were all wonderful. The patients, the staff, the visitors. Everyone was very friendly and informative.
Why you dislike it
There were some icky bits and the hours are quite awful. It was also sad to see the sick kids.
What sorts of things can go wrong at your job?
Emergencies with the patients. We had to transfer one to ICU (Intensive Care) and one had to have emergency tests done.
What kind of person thrives in your job
"People people".
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-25 09:48 am (UTC)A description of a typical day: There is no typical day here. Generally, I come in, see what I need to do, do it, go to class in between doing whatever I need to do, then go home. Some days I don't do much actual science, and other days I'm run off my feet.
What you need in the way of training/education/experience to do this job: Well, you need to be fairly high up on the undergraduate degree rung to get a job like this. To get a good job, you need a bachelor's degree (which I will have in 22 days, which means I get a promotion). To get a REALLY good job, you need a Masters. It's a very education intensive field. Plus, you have to be checking the journals for new procedures on a regular basis. Continuing education is very important.
Why you like it and (if you dare): I love science. I love working with DNA. Sometimes I really feel like I should be paying them to let me play with these little molecules that define so much of us (but not all of us by any means...we are more than the sum of our base pairs). :)
Why you dislike it: It can be pretty frustrating if you just cannot figure out why precisely a procedure isn't working. And of course, there are the usual interpersonal conflicts that come with every job.
What sorts of things can go wrong at your job?: I think I would run out of comment space if I listed it all. :) We work with very delicate little molecules, and we have lots of chemicals that help us do that, but which also can hurt us very much. We have to be careful when we handle almost everything here. But just for an example, we have mutagens, carcinogens, reproductive mutagens, things that break down any protein they come across (your skin being one of those things), things that will literally eat through your skin, a few respiratory toxins, radiation, and high voltage electric stuff.
What kind of person thrives in your job: Someone willing to think outside the box as to how they can make this reaction happen as it should. Someone able to deal with the general frustration that is scientific research. Someone thick-skinned enough to work with anyone who's in the lab, focusing on the science rather than the people.
Anything else you can think of that would give her an idea of what it might be like to choose your career?: Science is not for everyone. I'll never say it is. And it's not normally a Nobel Prize winning career. There are millions of scientists that you will never know about working around the world, and most of em like it that way. This career is an opportunity to make the world better, though. I'm working with cataloging species of South American Bats. We have discovered that we have whole new species in an area we thought was populated by one. We're learning about the biodiversity of the earth, and we're making sure these species are known in case they go extinct. Nothing is sadder than to know how many species are extinct that we never had the opportunity to study.
My boss works with radiation in terms of the Chernobyl accident in 1986. We're watching how the animals in that area react to radiation as a long term model of radiation's effects. We need to know this about radiation. We need to know as much as we can. I guess that's what my job is about: Knowing as much as we can about everything we can.
It's a paradise for a perpetually insanely curious person like me. :)
Parents at work
Date: 2007-02-07 04:15 am (UTC)JOB-HUNTING can pose a really difficult challenge for any prospective college graduate and is the question hanging over every high school graduate as he or she ponders on the career path they will take for a good portion of their lives.
It’s kind of helpful to have parents invite their kids over to see for themselves whether they would want to choose the jobs their parents are employed in. Then again, parents who are employed in blue-collar jobs may want to dream of something bigger for their children.
Still, it doesn’t hurt for the children to actually see their parents busy at work and see for themselves if this is the kind of professional life, however menial or small it may be to some people, that they would want to lead eventually.
Samael09
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