Jul
25
Do you know where your career is going? As staying with the same company for life becomes rarer, more and more people aren’t sure. If you’re one of them, then maybe it’s time to take time out, sit back, and have a think.
It’s all too common to find that you’ve got into your job through a series of coincidences, each one taking you a little further away from where you were aiming to go when you started. There is simply a huge gap between the jobs that people get and the jobs they wanted. No-one aspires to work at a paper company, but someone’s got to do it. Once you’ve been there a few years, you suddenly realise that your only options are to either move sideways into a similar job somewhere else, or move upwards in the hierarchy and become a manager.
So what do you do. The answer is to finally answer to yourself that most elusive of questions: what do you want to be doing five years from now? Ten? Twenty? If the answer isn’t “what I’m doing now” or “I want to be a high-level manager”, then what you need is drastic action.
What you might not realise, though, is that forging out a career path isn’t as difficult as you might think. If you can free yourself from the day-to-day struggle to survive by living below your means for a year or so and accumulating some savings, you suddenly have some time to get where you want to be in the job market. Whatever your ambition is, the chances are that there’s an entry-level job going somewhere, or a community of enthusiastic amateurs.
If it’s really what you’ve wanted to do all your life, then it should be as simple as getting started and getting noticed. And if it doesn’t work out, then you’ve always got the other job to fall back on. Whether you succeed or fail, it’s always better to try, and it’s not as hard to do as you think. Take the plunge.
Jul
16
Career Track: Becoming An Engineer
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines engineers as those who “apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to research and develop economical solutions to technical problems.” In other words, engineers are the ones who solve complex problems for the rest of us.
There are approximately 1.5 million engineers in the U.S. today. Engineering is a challenging job with decent pay (an engineer’s pay is higher than most with just a bachelor’s degree). In fact, the average salary for an engineer was reported at just slightly over £65,000 in 2002. The top 10% of all engineers earned more than £90,000. Of course, an engineer’s salary ultimately depends on their location and specialty.
Engineers find employment virtually anywhere innovation takes place. Engineers design and manufacture machines, processes, systems and even economical structures. They commonly work in the government, research, industry, military, teaching, management or consulting sectors.
There are more than 25 recognized career tracks for the engineer. And you can rest assured that as technology advances, engineering specialties will only grow in number. A few of the major engineering specialties include; aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical industrial, materials, mechanical, and software engineering.
You will at least need a bachelor’s degree from a university engineering program to qualify for an engineering position. The degree must be from a college or university accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).
To get into most college engineering programs, a student is expected to have completed two years of high school algebra and one year of trigonometry. They should have also completed one year of both chemistry and physics.
As you’ve probably heard, engineers are typically very good at math and science. So if the thought of algebra makes you squirm, this career may not be the right one for you.
The best engineers enjoy complex problem solving, and are true inventors at heart. If you choose engineering as a career, you can expect to be right on the cutting edge of technology. You will turn ideas into reality and solve problems that better society.
Jul
10
Interested in airplanes and flight? Mechanics and electronics? Aviation and aeronautical careers are increasing in demand as the population rises, the economy strengthens and people become more comfortable resuming air travel. Find out about the types of careers available and the training and experience required to pursue them.
Careers in the aviation and aeronautical field include pilots, flight engineers, aircraft mechanics, and avionics technicians. The following is a quick description of what each of these jobs entails.
• Aircraft mechanics (airframe mechanics, power plant mechanics, and avionics technicians) Airframe mechanics work on everything except instruments, power plants, and propellers. Powerplant mechanics do some work on propellers as well as work on engines. Workers can become certified in both airframe and powerplant mechanics (A&P) and work on all parts of plane excluding instruments.
• Avionics technicians maintain radio, navigation, and radar instruments and components. They may be required to acquire additional licensing by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
• Flight engineers often are the third member of the cockpit crew. They monitor instruments, make repairs, and assist the first officer and captain in flight. Flight engineers are required to have pilot’s licenses, flying experience, and must pass an exam given by the FAA. They may even become pilots with the right training, experience and desire.
• The First officer is also known as the co-pilot. The first officer monitors instruments during take-off and landing while the captain focuses on the runway and controls. During the flight the first officer and the captain alternate flying the plane.
• The Captain is the pilot in charge of the aircraft. He or she is assisted by the first officer and flight engineer. They are responsible for filing flight plans and making adjustments as necessary. It is possible to begin as a flight engineer and progress to the position of captain after serving a certain number of years and hours in each subordinate position.
Career advancement is possible at all levels; many technicians and mechanics can advance to supervisory, executive and FAA inspector positions. Aircraft inspector’s authorization provides the best opportunities.
In order to qualify for such positions as commercial and airline pilots, you must have a specific number of flight hours in many different conditions as well as an instrument rating issued by the FAA after the fulfillment of requirements including flight time and a written exam. Military training is often valuable and common for those who become commercial and airline pilots. (I can remember being told I’d know where my pilot trained by the smoothness of the landing. A bumpy landing signified one branch of the armed forces, while a virtually bump free landing was indicative of another branch.)
Although some aircraft mechanics and avionics technicians get on the job training, most attend a technical school certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Military experience can be quite an asset; however formal school training is still required, though you may receive credit for what you’ve learned in the service. Employers highly desire those with military work experience and training.
Keen math skills and physical agility are necessary for many aeronautical careers. Aviation careers also demand you not be afraid of heights. Workers are often on aircraft wings and in fact on top of the airplane’s fuselage for maintenance, inspection and repair–and of course pilots and flight engineers are in the sky much of the time. Mechanics and technicians often lift heavy equipment and parts, stand on ladders and must deal with the noise and vibration of engines.
So if your head is in the clouds why not keep it there? Make your dreams real with training to become an aircraft mechanic, aviation technician, flight engineer or pilot.
Jul
1
Career Building for Auto Mechanics
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Auto mechanics entering the industry today face a wide range of challenges that supercede even the most technologically advanced fields, such as information technology and health care. Keeping pace with the constant myriad of changes that govern automobile mechanics lead many to consider other career options. For those who stay the course, however, there are ways to improve their skill sets and knowledge base while making themselves more marketable to employers.
The most common method for entering the auto repair field is not surprisingly also one of the best ways to stay current with new technology or concentrate on specializations within the industry.
Automotive technical schools around the country provide advanced training and employment assistance that leads to entry level positions at repair shops and dealerships. For the seasoned mechanic, however, they can also provide instruction on recent advances as well as training on specific automobile systems. Many graduates return on a semi-annual basis for shorter courses that serve as a refresher or to learn about manufacture specific advances. Even mechanics who started their careers through high school level vocational training or from working in family businesses often end up entering technical schools to increase their overall automotive understanding and employability.
Another method of career building for mechanics is to obtain National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence certification. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (known in the industry as ASE) offers certifications that can truly benefit automotive technician professionals over the course of their careers. Regarded in the automotive industry as the general standard for mechanic competency and ability, ASE certifications can help mechanics find the best employment opportunities.
ASE examinations are offered twice a year. Mechanics can take one or a variety of certification tests for general automotive knowledge or specializations such as transmissions, fuel systems, electronics systems and more. Those who pass an ASE exam and have two-years of relevant hands-on work experience or one year of hands-on work experience and are graduates of an automotive technical school will become certified. Many employers will pay for their employees to take the exams or reimburse their employees once they become certified.
Jun
26
Bobby Ventura, a lanky 6’2” blonde-haired blue-eyed high school junior, is a self described home mechanic who enjoys tinkering with his screaming yellow ’97 Mustang at every opportunity he can get. Having an uncle who runs a garage helped him to land his first car several months before he obtained his driver’s license.
“I’m not much for studying, but auto shop has kept me focused. I plan on working for my uncle when I graduate from school and I’ll take night classes at Tech to get my AAS in Automotive Systems Technology. Cars have changed a lot over the years and my uncle wants someone who can not only turn a wrench, but be able to read a computer. Today’s cars have much more diagnostic stuff to figure out and that is what I am going to learn at Tech,” Bobby quipped.
Cars have changed and the market for new mechanics has changed as well. As older mechanics retire, they will need to be replaced by professionals who not only know cars from bumper to bumper but can also understand computer software. Installing a K&N cold air intake is still a necessary skill, but many repair shops now want students who can understand and fix global positioning systems, such as OnStar, which are found on many vehicles today.
Indeed, new cars such as the BMW 7 Series come equipped with fiber optic cables which connect the navigation system, cellular service, radio, and CD player. Hybrid cars, too, have introduced a whole new area of specialty and with the hopeful introduction of hydrogen powered vehicles in a decade or two another area of expertise will also open up.
Bobby’s guidance counselor, Ted Winslow, is pleased with his career choice. “Bobby identifies with fixing things and he is quite good at what he does. I can’t see him sitting behind some desk when I know that he is much more interested in working underneath the hood of a car, installing a cold air intake, replacing a radiator, or swapping out a heater core. Besides, if he does really well someone like BMW may hire and train him and their mechanics can make over 100K per year.”
If the student in your home is contemplating his or her career choices, exploring the automotive technology field is worth a look. A general shortage of highly skilled mechanics ensures that the brightest students will find work and be paid quite well. Bobby Ventura is starting his career off right by attending technical school where an AAS degree in Automotive Systems Technology is certain to point him in the right direction.