Technical Careers

Outcomes:

  1. Explore career options available in technology related fields.
  2. Assess options for career development/progression and take action on choices.
  3. Describe potential career choices of interest.
  4. Describe three of the major fields of robotics (human-robot interface, mobility, manipulation, programming, sensors) and their importance to robotics development.
  5. Explore and describe youth robotics competitions.

This activity has no robot building assignment. It is time to think about your career options and the next steps you might take in robotics, such as participating in a robotics competition.

View the videos in this section and you will see quite a variety of career choices. Each one presents the education requirements and potential earnings.  There are also videos of interviews with technicians, engineers, and managers who tell you what the jobs are like.

Then we encourage you to take one or more aptitude tests to find out what you are really good at.  You can find them in school or college counseling offices and job counseling centers and also online. There are no wrong answers in an aptitude test. It simply tells you what your DNA has given you as a set of skills to begin from.  Some are great at communication with people, while others prefer to communicate with machines, hard facts and numbers.  Some are great at details while others prefer the big picture.  Some are athletic while others are not.

A career is most satisfying when you love your work, and that happens when you do work that fits your aptitude.  The good news is there are so many opportunities in technology that whatever you are good at, you can have a career related to technology. 

The videos provide information about the following careers.  Each one provides several different job categories, with more than 50 different jobs described. The education requirements and pay scales start low with the first careers and then increase as the presentation progresses:

  1. Manufacturing Operators
  2. Testers and Inspectors
  3. Technicians
  4. Support Specialists
  5. Artists and Drafters
  6. Engineers
  7. Programmers
  8. Designers
  9. Sales Engineers
  10. Managers and Business Associates
  11. Systems Integrators
  12. Technical Writers
  13. Trainers and Educators
  14. Regulatory and Safety Inspectors
  15. Inventors, Entrepreneurs, and Consultants
Videos and Simulations

Key Points or FAQs:

What is the difference between a job and a career?

A job is something you do without much concern for the long-term. You get a job to buy a car, to have extra spending money, to learn about work, or to pay the bills.  In a job, you do what you are told to do – even when it is not what you like to do.

A career is about choice. You do the work you choose to do.  Most careers start with education and increasing skills. Many people work jobs because they don’t have the education needed to enter careers, though jobs can certainly turn into careers, regardless of type of employment. Careers are about building on experience and advancing your job skills and knowledge. It is best to follow your interests, skills, and talents to find the career that will bring you success. Success includes money, but is also very much about personal happiness.  That happiness often comes from doing what comes natural to you - what you would do even if no one paid you to do it.

You can apply for a job, but you can’t apply for a career.  A job is given to you by an employer; a career is made by you. You set goals and work toward achieving them.  For example, each goal may advance you to a better job with better pay, better benefits, and better working conditions.  Or a goal may be that you have to take a job at one level in order to gain the experience needed to get to your dream job.

How Can I Get Assistance in Paying for a College Degree?

The great news about careers in technology is that employers are often willing to pay for further education.  This is especially true in engineering.  You can get an associate degree in Electronics or Mechatronics or Engineering or Programming and then get a job at a company who will encourage you to continue your education because they know you will be more valuable to them with it.  Many large companies have tuition reimbursement programs where they will pay for your schooling.  So instead of you having to take out student loans for thousands of dollars to get a 4 year degree, you may be able to further your career while being paid a very decent wage.

What Additional Resources are Available for Career Search?

  • Links to other videos about Engineering:
  • The Occupational Outlook Handbook provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics was used to create the presentations about careers.  It has additional information that was not covered.  You can find it online at:  http://www.bls.gov/OCO/

 It gives details on:

  • the training and education needed
  • earnings
  • expected job prospects
  • what workers do on the job
  • working conditions
  • Companies who hire.  There are many different types of companies who hire people with education and experience in technology, electronics and robotics. Some of these include:
  • Manufacturers. The companies who build robotics, electronics, electric vehicles, computers, and telecommunication devices need qualified employees in a wide range of categories.
  • Companies who buy robots and use them in manufacturing, assembly, or warehouse operations need people who can operate, maintain, and program the robots.
  • Systems integrators. The companies who install and program robots for manufacturers need a wide range of engineers, technicians, and operators.

Find out more at:  http://www.robotics.org/search-company.cfm
Next