Some Workers

Plant-nursery worker. One person who helps people grow plants for the outside of buildings is the plant-nursery worker. They raise these plants in a plant nursery. They keep them until they are big enough to grow without much special care.  Plant-nursery workers must know what kind of soil is best for each kind of plant. Sometimes they add minerals to the soil to make the plants grow better. They must know how much light and water the plants need. Plant-nursery workers make sure that each plant has enough room to grow. Plant-nursery workers have to know which diseases plants can get. They should also know how these diseases can be prevented or cured.

Fish and Wildlife Specialist. Many people are interested in protecting animals. One such person is the fish and wildlife specialist. A fish and wildlife specialist does many things to help animals stay alive. One thing this person does is study an area where animals live. By doing this, the fish and wildlife specialist can tell if there is enough food and water for these animals. If there is not enough food, the fish and wildlife specialist might have food brought in. Or this person might have some of the animals moved to places where they can find food and water. Another thing a fish and wildlife specialist does is help make sure that people do not overfish and overhunt. This person might do this by helping to set up hunting and fishing laws.

Computer programmers and Computer operators. Machines can help people do many kinds of work. There is even a machine which can run other machines. This machine is called a computer. Computers can run the machines that make things.  Though computers can run other machines, many people are needed to help run computers. Computer programmers are people who set up computers to do a certain kind of work. These people may "teach" a computer how to run other machines. Computer operators are people who run computers. They make sure a computer is working the way it should.

Chemists. Many of the things around you are made by changing matter. Some of the people who study and make these changes are called chemists. Some chemists make things for the food you eat. Fertilizers are put on crops to help them grow. Other things are put in cans and packages of food to help keep the food fresh. Other chemists work to make many kinds of fuel. Fuels from oil are needed to heat homes and to run cars and other machines. Special fuels are made for rockets used in space travel.  Many other things used by people are also made by chemists. Matter is changed or mixed to make soap, floor wax, shampoo, hair spray, and plastic toys. Another way in which chemists help people is by making new medicines. These medicines can help sick people become well. They can also keep people from getting certain illnesses.

Weather observers. Besides meteorologists, there are other people who study weather. Some of these people are called weather observers. Weather observers often work in small towns or small cities. They find out about the weather in these places. After weather observers find out about the weather near them, they send this information to meteorologists in larger cities. They send this information about every six hours. The meteorologists use this information in putting together their weather forecasts.

Astronomers. Astronomers study information from spacecraft. They also study the planets with telescopes. Along with studying the stars, planets, and moon, many astronomers do something else. They teach other people, such as astronauts, what is known about the stars, planets, and moon. Many people who work in a planetarium are astronomers. They plan demonstrations and exhibits to help people understand many things about the universe. They may also teach college classes in astronomy.

Environmental Careers. Many life scientists, especially ecologists, study how the living and nonliving things in the environment affect one another. Many teachers educate people about the environment and how to help preserve it. Many people in government work to pass or enforce laws designed to help protect the environment. Knowledge of the environment is important in a wide variety of jobs. A biologist can study the quality of water from a city's wastewater-treatment plant. An environmental-control worker can check the air-pollution level in an area.

Cartographers (or mapmakers). Making a map involves many steps and many people. First, information is gathered by observing, plotting, photographing, or studying other maps. This may be done by an expert such as an explorer, a geologist, a sociologist, a geographer, or a historian. A surveyor may take measurements of distances, directions, and elevation. Next, professional cartographers plan, design, and draw the map. A cartographic editor analyzes and organizes the information that best shows the theme of the map. A cartographic designer decides things such as size of type, width of lines, and use of color. A cartographic artist or draftsperson puts information into symbols and draws in features so they are attractive and easily understood. The use of mathematics and special drafting tools and machines are important in mapmaking. The finished map is then sent to a printing company, where copies of the map are made. Career opportunities related to mapmaking can be found in many organizations. These include the armed forces, the United States Geological Survey, the National Ocean Survey, other government agencies, and many commercial and private organizations such as publishers. Cartography is a branch of geography. A bachelor's degree with a major in geography is generally considered the basic education required for cartography or cartography-related careers. Such careers might be found in the areas of climatology, meteorology, real-estate development, teaching, urban planning, or various areas of business and industry.

Working with Resources. A wide variety of jobs have to do with resources. In order to provide enough food for people, biologists and farmers work to produce and raise the best possible crops and livestock. Soil conservationists and soil scientists study the makeup and distribution of soil. Wildlife specialists work to protect and maintain areas that provide people with food and recreation. Architects, city planners, and real-estate developers work to provide adequate living space for people. Environmental scientists and industrial engineers work to help keep the air and water safe and pleasant for people. Part of the work of many geologists and mineralogists involves finding the best ways of locating and mining mineral and energy resources. The work of certain chemists and engineers includes finding the most economical and the safest ways of using these resources. The list of jobs that are either directly or indirectly involved with resources is quite long. The following job areas are possibilities: environmental education and other teaching areas, government and political science, economics, consumer economics and education, and forestry.

Geophysics, or the study of the makeup of the earth from the core to the outer limits of the atmosphere, is a branch of science that combines knowledge from geology and physics. Geophysicists must also be knowledgeable in chemistry and mathematics. The work of most geophysicists includes a combination of field work, laboratory work, writing, and reporting. A geophysicist who is studying the makeup of the inside of the earth might collect rocks from volcanoes or from the bottom of the ocean. He or she might use instruments to collect information about the earth's rock layers, gravity, or heat flow from inside the earth. The rocks and information must then be studied and analyzed in the lab. The geophysicist must then be able to explain the results of his or her work. He or she must be particularly good at piecing things together, since much of the information comes from indirect evidence. Geophysicists who study the atmosphere collect air samples and use instruments to gather information. For example, they might use a magnetometer to study variations in the earth's magnetic field. They are concerned with conditions affecting radio signals and radiation from the sun. The information gathered from their work can be helpful in transmitting radio and television waves, in mapping and navigation, and in studying and exploring space.

People who study volcanoes are called volcanologists. Volcanologists have learned to measure certain kinds of changes that usually occur before an eruption. From the amount of change, they can often predict an eruption and warn people living nearby. Volcanologists are highly trained scientists. They need to know a great deal about the earth. They also need to know how to use many different instruments for observing changes in the earth. For this reason, volcanologists must take many college-level science courses.

Seismologists. One of the most exciting careers in the earth sciences today is that of the seismologist. Seismologists are scientists who learn about the earth by studying the seismic waves produced by an earthquake. At one time most seismologists were concerned only with the study of earthquakes. Today this is not the case. The study of earthquakes has helped seismologists locate the edges of the plates. Further studies have shown that earthquakes occur at different depths in the crust. The deepest earthquakes occur in places near the deep ocean trenches. This fact has led seismologists to believe that the trenches are places where one plate is bending and moving beneath another plate. Many seismologists are trying to find out just what happens to cause plates to move and cause earthquakes. They hope that from such studies they will learn how to predict and possibly control earthquakes in places where many people live. Perhaps you would like to be a seismologist and look for evidence of moving plates and for other interesting things about the earth. If so, you will need to take many college-level courses in the earth sciences. A seismologist needs to know a great deal about rocks and minerals and the structure of the earth. Many colleges and universities operate seismograph recording centers. The United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey also operates recording centers throughout the United States.

Paleontologists. Scientists who study living things of the past, such as dinosaurs, are called paleontologists. What became of the dinosaurs? Paleontologists do not know. They only know that the dinosaurs disappeared about 75 million years ago. Perhaps someday you might want to become a paleontologist. Perhaps you will study dinosaurs and try to find out what happened to them. If so, you will have to learn a great deal about fossils. You will also need to know something about the different kinds of animals living today. Many paleontologists are employed by universities and natural-history museums. Some are employed by oil companies.

Soil conservationist. Many people work at finding ways to help farmers take care of their soil. Some of these people are soil conservationists. A soil conservationist works with farmers to help them find ways to prevent erosion and make the best use of their land. Soil scientists are another group of people who work with farmers. Soil scientists study changes in soil and try to find ways of improving poor soil. Many soil conservationists and soil scientists work for the federal government or for state governments. Perhaps someday you may want to work at one of these jobs. If so, you will need to take many college-level courses relating to soil and to plants.

City Planner. A great many people live and work in cities. In order to be a good place in which to live, a city needs to provide many services for the people who live there. A city must also provide a healthy and pleasing environment for people. Planning ways to make a city a good place for people to live and work is the job of a city planner. In order to become a city planner, a person needs to know about a great many different things. For example, most cities have zoning laws. These laws state where factories, stores, and homes may be built within the city. They also state how tall a building may be built within the city. City planners need to be able to work with such laws in meeting the needs of people. They also need to understand how governments operate and how to work within a budget. And, city planners need to understand how changes that result from building cities might affect people and the earth. Perhaps someday you might wish to work in this field. If so, you will need to learn about architecture, engineering, economics, law, and politics. You will probably also need to take special courses in city planning.

Forest Rangers. Forest rangers help take care of forests. It is the duty of forest rangers to guard and protect public forests against insects, disease, and forest fires. In carrying out their duty, they have to observe the forests carefully – often on foot, sometimes from a jeep, sometimes from a plane, and sometimes from a lookout tower. In addition to their other tasks, forest rangers have to be constantly on the lookout for weather conditions which may affect forest fires. If you would like to be a forest ranger someday, keep in mind that a part of your training will have to do with the weather.

Controlling the weather inside a Large Building. When you think of the term "weather," you most likely think of the conditions of the air outside. But certain weather conditions also exist inside buildings. For example, air temperature and relative humidity are important weather conditions inside buildings. Many people work to help control weather inside a large building so that the people who live or work inside the building might be comfortable. People who design a large building of any kind have to know something about how to control the weather inside it.  Once the building is constructed and the equipment is installed, certain people have to keep the equipment and controls for heating, cooling, and humidity operating properly. Some of the people who design and construct the equipment for heating, cooling, and controlling humidity are mechanical engineers. Some of the people who take care of building equipment and controls are stationary engineers.

Meteorology and Meteorologists. Meteorology is the science of studying the air and the weather. Of course, a large part of meteorology deals with weather forecasting. Because of weather satellites, radar, radiosondes, and many other devices, people have learned more about forecasting the weather in the last fifty years than in all the years before that. One of the reasons why so much has been learned is the fact that computers are now used to put together thousands of pieces of information in a meaningful way to help meteorologists forecast the weather. But meteorology deals with more than just forecasting the weather. Many different devices, including computers, are used to help meteorologists study the air and what happens in the air. If you are interested in being a meteorologist, you will have to take many classes in science and mathematics. Most meteorologists are employed by the National Weather Service. Some are employed by other governmental agencies, by colleges or universities, by commercial airlines, by industry, or by weather consulting firms. Meteorologists often specialize in one branch of meteorology. The largest group of meteorologists are weather forecasters. Some meteorologists study the physical laws related to air currents. Some study the physical nature of the air, including its chemical composition and its electrical, acoustical, and optical properties.

Crops and climatologists. Certain crops grow well in certain climates and not as well or not at all in other climates. As farmers have known for many years, certain areas of the country are more suited for growing certain crops than other areas are.  Climatologists, or people who study the climate, have studied some of the reasons why this is so. Climate does have a lot to do with how plants grow in a certain area. It may be that in the future climatologists will advise farmers on what new kinds or varieties of crops could be grown. Perhaps you will be involved in this kind of work someday. If so, you will have to study the weather and climate. You will also have to know something about different kinds of crops and what kind of weather and climate is needed to help crops grow. It is the job of the climatologist to warn farmers, ranchers, and other people who may be concerned that a period of drought may be coming. Some climatologists study tree rings in an effort to determine if there is a pattern to the periods of drought. Some of them study the records of sunspot activity or inactivity to try to relate sunspot cycles to the weather. Some of them study the movement of air masses and particularly the jet-stream air currents to try to predict weather cycles. Climatologists use the records of past weather and tools such as the computer to help them in their work.

People who study air pollution. Many people study air pollution. Some of them study how air pollution harms people, animals, and plants. Some of these people study how air pollution affects the weather and climate. Some of them study how air pollution can be controlled. Most of these people have had a great deal of education and training in medicine, biology, meteorology, chemistry, physics, or a combination of these fields. The problem of air pollution is likely to get worse before it gets better. More and more people will be needed to help control it. People who work in weather stations often monitor air pollution.

Working on the water. Being the captain of a tugboat involves learning about shipping and navigation. There are many different kinds of jobs for people who want work that has something to do with water, such as a lock attendant or a  navigational cartographer. You could make maps for a company that surveys harbors, rivers, and other bodies of water. These maps are essential in planning navigation projects; in developing plans for constructing dams, piers, and bridges; and in drawing nautical charts. Another job would be a hydrographic surveyor.

Knowing about water. Most fresh water has some minerals dissolved in it. However, even small amounts of minerals can be a problem when water is used in certain ways. One way in which water is used a great deal is in cooling. Certain industrial processes use great amounts of water for cooling. During such processes much water evaporates. As the water evaporates, the minerals are left behind. These minerals can accumulate and cause problems in the equipment. Fortunately, some people know how to control this problem. One person is a product specialist for a chemical company.  If you might like a job like this one someday, you'll need training in the sciences of chemistry, physics, and biology.

Limnologist. A limnologist studies lakes, streams, ponds, and other bodies of fresh water; learns how to make a chemical analysis of water; learns which chemicals are normally found in water and which occur as pollution; and tests drinking water. If this job career interests you, you'll need a lot of training in the sciences of biology and chemistry.

Finding water. A hydrologist studies about the properties, distribution, and location of sources of water. An assistant hydrologist keeps records of where wells have been drilled, how much water each well produces, and the quality of water pumped from each well. A geologist may help figure out which aquifer might be best to use as a source of groundwater. A chemist might help decide whether or not the water from an aquifer is good enough to use. Other information about groundwater can be gathered by visiting recorder wells. These are wells that have recording instruments attached to them that tell about changes in the level of the water table at certain locations. If the work of an assistant hydrologist sounds interesting to you, you should realize that a high-school education is necessary. It is also important to be able to work with different kinds of tools and scientific instruments. In order to have the opportunity to do even more interesting kinds of jobs in hydrology, men and women need a college education. There are many different jobs for men and women in the State Department of Water Survey. Some people who work in the department are in the hydrology section, some work with equipment systems, and others work with water quality. Others work in the chemistry section, and others in the atmospheric sciences.

Wastewater-treatment plant operators must know how to control the equipment that removes sewage from wastewater. By operating and maintaining pumps, pipes, and valves inside the plant, wastewater can be directed through the different treatment processes. Meters and gauges must be read every day to make sure plant equipment is working properly. Other parts of the job include cleaning screens that remove solids from wastewater, taking samples of water for lab analysis, and adjusting the amount of chlorine added to the water. A government chemist tests samples of wastewater and treated water to see if the water is getting the correct amount of chlorine and other chemicals. This government chemist visits many wastewater-treatment plants during the year. Before you can be a wastewater-treatment plant operator in a small plant, you must graduate from high school, pass a written test, and complete a one-year period as a trainee. In order to run a large plant, you would have to complete two or more years of college in science and engineering, pass a written test, and complete five years of experience in a medium-sized plant. A part of a wastewater-treatment plant operator's job is to keep a record of the readings on various dials inside the plant. The duties of operators vary, depending on the type and size of the plant. The treatment process in an industrial plant, such as a food-processing company, may be simple since the materials in the wastewater are known.

Knowing About the Ocean – Important in Many Jobs. In order to study weather, a meteorologist must study the ocean. Weather either begins or is changed as air moves over the ocean. Cartographers who work for the National Ocean Survey prepare maps that are useful to navigators. People who fish in the ocean need to know where certain kinds of fish may be found and how their location might be changed by storms and currents. Currents in the ocean are also important to know about when hunting for icebergs. Such is the job of the International Ice Patrol. Members of the patrol locate dangerous icebergs and warn ships about them. Such warnings prevent ships from colliding with icebergs.

A marine biologist is a person that studies living things in the ocean. A marine biologist may be found offshore in the ocean collecting or studying living things in their ocean environment, or be found at the marine-science laboratory. Many things learned by marine biologists have helped scientists understand more about the process of breathing in people and the effect of pressure on the organs of the body. Marine biologists are often involved in ecological studies and for this reason may be employed by the Environmental Protection Agency. If marine biology appeals to you, you may want to find out which universities offer a degree in the field and which courses you will need to study.

A chemical oceanographer is a scientist who is interested in the chemistry of ocean water and ocean sediments. This person could work for a chemical company. Some time is spent on the water each year gathering data and making observations. Most of the time is spent in the laboratory making chemical tests and preparing reports.

Solar engineers design solar water-heaters and solar steam-cookers for homes. they create solar calculators and computers for offices. they build solar ovens for industry and solar panels for spacecraft. They even develop solar cells that can convert solar energy into electricity. The job of a solar engineer is a challenging one. Time seems to be running out for most of our present energy sources. Soon the supply may be exhausted. but solar energy will be available for billions of years. Solar energy produces no dangerous pollution or radioactivity.

People who make space travel possible. There are many space engineers working in the space program. Some of these engineers design spacecraft, while others launch them. Engineers also work in mission control, sending information to the spacecraft to help it perform difficult tasks or to make in-flight corrections. Many technicians are employed at the space center. These technicians are trained at technical institutes to install and maintain the equipment on spacecraft. Computer programmers make up sets of instructions for computers to follow in guiding spacecraft. Computer operators control the working of the computers that in turn control the activities of the spacecraft from the earth. At the John F. Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, you may see photos of several different kinds of experiments prepared by scientists for space probes. One, prepared by physicists, had to do with radiation in space. On television were the experiments designed by biologists and biochemists to determine if there is life on Mars. Many scientists who do not work at the space center serve as consultants for space projects.

Science writing. To satisfy people's desire to read about science, many people are involved in science writing as a career. Scientific laboratories employ people with a knowledge of science and a flair for writing to explain to the public the work being done by their company. Articles about scientific subjects are regularly written for newspapers and magazines. Similar reports are often prepared for radio and TV news broadcasts. Some writers use their knowledge of science as a background for works intended to entertain people. Many science-fiction writers develop fascinating plots around a future space technology. Other science writers involved in entertainment are those who prepare science documentaries for TV. If you like science and enjoy writing, why not consider a career in this field? In college study a branch of science that most interests you, but try to develop your writing skills at the same time.