4 HI CAREER DREAMER We love to think about our careers we know we can be anything What do YOU want to be in the future WHAT IS A CAREER A career is a series of related jobs that you work through to reach specific goals Some people have the same career for most of their lives Other people choose to try out lots of different careers WHY DO WE WORK People earn money with a job so they can buy things they want and need But many people also work because they really enjoy doing their job
5 WHY IS IT CALLED A CAREER AND NOT A JOB A career includes many jobs along a career path With any career you start out with the easiest version of the job Then as you gain experience and increase your skills you move up to more challenging jobs HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A CAREER You could choose a career based on your interests and skills something you love or something you are good at doing You can also choose a career because it will help you achieve a certain goal For example if your goal is to help cure cancer you may choose a career as a doctor
6 CAREER CHOICES STEM STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics If you love making discoveries building things or working with numbers computers or robotics a career in STEM may be perfect for you These careers allow you to use your knowledge to understand the world better and solve problems Fact to Fix Fewer than 30 of STEM jobs are held by women in the United States The world needs more women in STEM because women are affected by different issues and often see problems differently than men do DID YOU KNOW STEM is the fastest growing career field By the time you grow up there will be STEM careers open that don't even exist right now To learn more about STEM CAREERS go to page 8 Here are four categories of careers we will explore COMMUNITY Do you want to make a difference in your community People in these careers work closely with their neighbors and friends From the chef at your favorite restaurant to the firefighters that keep us safe these are jobs that every community needs and values If you want the type of career that is always in demand one of these might be perfect for you DID YOU KNOW Community careers usually require specialized education or training and lots of on the job experience Plus most of these careers require regular ongoing training to ensure people know the newest and safest skills techniques and ways to perform their jobs To learn more about COMMUNITY CAREERS go to page 44
B 7 Let's check out some career possibilities to see if you might like them too CREATIVES Do you love creating art or performing Creative careers include visual artists dancers singers actors and filmmakers people who fill the world with beauty and inspire others through their art There are lots of education options if you are interested but most creative careers only require you to dream big use your imagination and be bold enough to start making art DID YOU KNOW There's no right or wrong way to make art Everyone likes something different and not everyone will understand what you create But that's OK As long as you feel confident in your vision and keep working hard eventually you'll find people who appreciate what you are creating To learn more about CREATIVE CAREERS go to page 68 ATHLETES 59 Do you have a favorite sport that you wish you could spend all your time doing Maybe you can play sports as your career Pro athletes are known for their hard work determination competitive natures and a deep love for their sports They are the very best at what they do That means they spend a lot of time practicing training and working out as well as strategizing and planning Pro athletes also make some of their money when a company pays them to promote and wear their products such as wearing sneakers with the company's logo DID YOU KNOW If you don't want to compete there are other careers related to athletics such as sports medicine doctors reporters and marketing professionals To learn more about ATHLETIC CAREERS go to page 98
