Technology Medicine

The booming high-tech culture of the last decade gave rise to the widespread use of e-mail, cell phones, and laptops. It also ushered in the new millennium with this message: Technology rules and tech careers are here to stay.

Not only have the high--tech industries--telecommunications, computer software engineering, wireless communications--exploded, but these areas will profoundly affect other industries such as finance, health care, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, and manufacturing. And if you have a knack for math, science, and systems, technology may figure in your career choice.

You could be launching rockets into space, piloting robotic fish underwater to map the ocean floor, or designing sneakers that use the energy created by walking to power your walkman.

"The electronic economy has arrived," says Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA). "Information technology workers represent a much bigger slice of the total workforce than previously imagined, and the nation's economic future is tied to the availability of appropriately skilled workers."

As many as 1.5 million high-tech jobs will go begging for trained workers in the next couple of years, according to the ITAA. Computer and data processing services jobs are projected to more than double in the next eight years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), making it the fastest growing segment of the economy. In fact, the B LS reports that five of the top ten fastest growing occupations are tech-related--computer engineers, computer support specialists, systems analysts, database administrators, and desktop publishing specialists.

Big Salaries and Big Perks

Large companies like Cisco Systems, Inc. (a leader in Internet networking), IBM, and AT&T compete with small start-ups for workers, in some cases topping off generous offers with lucrative sign-on bonuses and stock options.

Starting salaries are soaring. Information systems graduates are seeing average offers of about $43,000, up 10 percent from last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Robotics majors from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, are starting out with salaries of $52,000.

To cope with shortages, corporations are finding faster ways to get workers trained. Many employees are able to get trained on the company's dime. Oxford Lane (www.oxfordlane.com) in Denver can help you get your first certification as a Cisco network associate in just seven weeks. There is also a push to attract talent by offering lifestyle benefits, like flexible schedules and informal work atmospheres. At Autodesk, in San Rafael, California, a software and Internet portal service, dress is casual and employees may bring their pets to work.

The Education Factor

You've probably heard stories about college-bound high school grads bypassing higher education to jump into the tech workforce. Scott Lane of Oxford Lane notes that jumping into a high-tech career might seem financially advantageous, but you might want to look before you leap.

"I wouldn't discourage anyone from getting a college degree," Lane says. "In a few years, you may be passed by for promotions."

If you're itching to go to work and never thought a four-year school was for you, you might want to consider community college. Community college has become the "provider of choice for computer training," according to a survey by

the American Association of Community Colleges and ACT Inc., the education testing and research company. "Our survey points to the effectiveness of the community college curriculum and its impact on helping people achieve their career goals," says Richard L. Ferguson, ACT president.

Not Just for Computer Geeks

There will also be strong demand in the technology services sector as well. A growing field is "information cabling"--the wiring behind information technology systems. Apprentices in a telecom installer-technician program run by the electrical construction industry earn an average of $50,000 to $75,000 over a three-year training period, accumulating 480 hours of classroom instruction and 4,800 hours of on-the-job-training.

"The prosperity of the last decade and the glamorization of overnight high-tech wealth has, unfortunately, moved many people to forget the honor of the skilled trades and their value in the workplace," says John Barry, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. "We need to emphasize the worth and rewards of trade mastery and skilled labor careers."

If your passion isn't in computers, don't assume you are excluded. A surprising number of people with degrees in music and other apparently unrelated areas are succeeding in the tech arena.

Stacy Elliott earned her bachelor's degree in journalism and worked in non-technology marketing positions at Frito-Lay and the Children's Medical Center of Dallas, before joining Microsoft as a "digital lifestyle adviser" --basically a spokesperson and consumer advocate who offers advice and support for people who may be confused by new technologies.

"When people realize how technology can make life better and easier, they race toward it," Elliott says. "Technology doesn't have to be difficult or scary. As a digital lifestyle adviser, my role is to help people understand and use the technology that's available today so they can enjoy life as fully as possible." If you want more information on tech careers, visit www.gettech.org.

Christine Willard

SPECIAL EFFECTS EXPERT

JOHN HANSEN

AGE 27

LOCATION: Manrin County, California

JOB: Assistant technical director for Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects studio operated by "Star Wars" director George Lucas. Hansen provides technical computer support to help filmmakers integrate digital special effects into live action photography.

EDUCATION*: Colleges with film programs offer courses in special effects. Hansen has a bachelor's and a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland in College Park.

SALAR: Earnings vary, but top special effects experts earn more than $100,000 annually.

ON THE JOB: Hansen helps provide special effects for movies lile "The Perfect Storm" and "Space Cowboys." The technical staff designs motion, lighting, and the look of computer-generated objects and scenes. Hansen's computer science background, programming skills, and computer troubleshooting ability prepared him for the job.

HE GOT STARTED: Hansen landed his job by pursuing his passion for film. His interest in special effects, at first a hobby as he began his master's degree studies, "became so exciting to me that decided it was going to be my new career," he says. He completed the degree and a "demo reel," a digital example of the special effects he could produce.

CHALLENGES: "People call me up when something breaks or when an effect isn't working," he says. "I may be able to fix it by rewriting a few lines of code, or walk them through to a solution."

WORDS ISDOM: "If there isn't already an organized graphics group [at your school], start one."

INFO: Siggraph (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics), wwwsiggraph.org

Christine Willard

NURSE

VIRGINIA CURRIE

AGE: 41.

LOCATION: Los Angeles

JOB: Registered nurse (RN) at three California hospitals.

EDICATION: About 65 percent of nurses graduate from two-year associate programs like Currie completed at the College of San Mateo in California. Others hold four-year degrees.

SALARY: The median annual salary for a hospital staff RN is $39,900.

ON JOB: Currie works with outpatients in pain management, administering medications and physical therapy treatments. Nurses promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness.

REWARDS: "The personal fulfillment in seeing someone in your care get better. I treated a patient who was in a car accident and was experiencing neuralgia (a form of headaches worse than migraines) and severe pain in her shoulder and back. Her case was additionally complicated because she had a fear of needles, but we were able to treat her and provide her with relief."

CHALLENGES: "Nurses are badly overworked because of a nursing shortage. Hours are long, and witnessing the conditions of some patients so frequently and up close can be depressing and emotionally draining."

MORE INFO: The American Association of Colleges of Nursing, www.aacn.nche.edu David Schaffer

* Unless otherwise stated, education and salary informacian is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST

TRACY CAVATO

AGE: 25

LOCATION: St. Louis, Missouri

JOB: Molecular biologist for Monsanto.

EDUCATION: Cavato holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. Most biological scientists have a Ph.D.

SALARY: The median annual salary is $42,340.

ON THE JOB: Every day Cavato is in the lab doing experiments on genetically enhanced crops to generate information requested by government agencies to win approval for the use of these crops. "For example, we produce corn that is genetically engineered to be resistant to herbicide," she says. "So a farmer can use the herbicide, which kills weeds, and the corn won't die because it's resistant. We also produce crops that we've protected from insects."

HOW SHE GOT STARTED: "What excited me in high school was when I saw all the work going on with DNA fingerprinting. That's what turned me onto science. At college, I wanted to learn more about that. Then, I had a professor who was a plant biologist, and I did a lot of work with him."

REWARD: "We're working with biotechnology that's at the forefront of a lot of debate," she says. (Genetic engineering of food is controversial to some who question its implications.) "It's basic science, but it does sound incredible."

CHALLENGES: "To learn more about plants and biotechnology. We've made these bio-engineered organisms. Now how can we make them even better?"

MORE INFO: The American Institute of Biological Sciences, www.aibs.org

Gary Drevitch

PHARMACIST

LAURA LEHMAN

AGE: 32

LOCATION: Baltimore, Maryland

JOB: Clinical pharmacist, Union Memorial Hospital.

EDUCATION: A state license to practice is required, as well as an internship under a licensed pharmacist and a degree from a college of pharmacy. Lehman earned her bachelor's and doctor of pharmacy from University of Georgia in Athens.

SALARY: Median annual salary is $59,500.

ON THE JOB: Lehman does not actually distribute drugs as many pharmacists do. She works directly with patients and caregivers, addressing drug therapy issues and ensuring that dosages are correct and that there is no potential for harmful drug interaction. "You have to explain to patients in normal language what a medication does," says Lehman. "It's much more than counting out pills."

HOW GOT STARTED: "I was a cashier at an Eckerd Drugs and I drove the pharmacist crazy. I was always asking, 'What's this for?' I never looked back."

REWARDS: "When I prevent a dangerous problem. It may be as simple as preventing a patient who's allergic to penicillin from getting penicillin."

CHALLANGES: "Managing the heavy workload and being able to do a thorough, good job under the pressure, because the work just keeps on coming."

MORE INFO: The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, www.aacp.org

Gary Drevitch

PHYSICIAN

SUZANNE STRANDHOY

AGE: 28

LOCATION: Seattle

JOB: Pediatric resident at Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center

EDUCATION: Becoming a doctor requires four years of undergraduate study, four years of medical school, and three to eight years of internship or residency. Strandhoy has her medical degree from the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill.

SALARY: The average salary range for medical residents is $34,100 to $42,100. The median salary for physicians is $164,000.

ON THE JOB: Many doctors spend three years after completing medical school as a "resident" in a hospital, rotating through different wards, such as the emergency room and the intensive care unit Strandhoy's next position will be in the pediatric intensive care unit. "Residency is a really wonderful and rewarding experience," says Strandhoy, "but it's really long hours. The No. 1 requirement is endurance." Strandhoy spends about 80 hours a week at the hospital, sometimes sleeping over.

As a pediatric resident, Strandhoy treats patients under 20 years old for their illnesses. Her goal is to help prevent well children from becoming ill adults.

HOW SHE GOT STARTED: "I really liked science. My dad is a laboratory researcher, and I knew that I was much more extroverted. I really preferred taking science classes, but having a very practical, personal approach to it. I really think medicine requires a calling. Most of us have sat down and thought, 'What else could I do?' and we really feel drawn to this profession as the best way to make a difference with the skills we have."

REWARDS: "In a lot of other professions, you don't get to delve into another person's life as completely and help them change something they don't like, be it illness or the way that a child is developing."

CHALLENGES: "Not all families are good families, and sending a child back to a family when you know that they're not going back into the optimal home situation, that's the most frustrating time."

MORE INFO: The Association of American Medical Colleges, www.aamc.org

Gary Drevitch

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

BRENT BAXTER

AGE: 31

LOCATION: Princeton, New Jersey

JOB: Project manager, multimedia/video technology department, Siemens Corporate Research.

EDUCATION: For programming jobs, bachelor's degrees are typically required. Baxter has a bachelor's and a master's degree in computer science from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh, respectively.

SALARY: The median annual salary is $46,670.

ON THE JOB: Baxter leads a group that researches new developments in computer technology to see how his company can adapt them. He has worked on projects such as adding multimedia (pictures and voice messages) to e-mail and creating multimedia archives.

REWARDS: "Watching folks put to use the software tools I have created. There is no greater affirmation than having customers and peers take your work, use it or sell it, and see them really feel good about the tool."

CHALLENES: "The computer industry is always changing, and this requires one to constantly work to keep up. You cannot stop learning new things."

MORE INFO: The Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals, www.iccp.org

Christine Willard

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER

AGE:25

LOCATION: Boston

JOB: Environmental engineer for Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation. She plans and directs clean-up of environmentally polluted sites.

EDUCATION: A bachelor's degree in engineering is usually the minimum requirement Sopko holds a bachelor's in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, and a master's degree in environmental engineering from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.

SALARY: The median annual salary is $53,450.

ON THE JOB: Sopko uses science and math principles to solve problems that often deal with raw materials, such as petroleum, natural gas, soil, and water.

"We are now cleaning up a wetlands site contaminated with mercury," she says. "We are scooping out the contaminated sediments and hauling them away." Contaminated water is stored in 20,000-gallon holding tanks until it can be treated, tested, and returned to the wetlands site.

Sopko spends time making daily reports and coordinating meetings to keep track of the projects and inform the Army Corps of Engineers, which is supervising the present project.

HOW SHE GOT STARTED: Because she is the daughter of an engineer, a science career seemed a natural fit for Sopko, who grew up building electric cars and model rockets.

REWARDS: "On this project we removed mercury from a wetlands environment, decreasing the amount of contamination. It's important to recognize that what we do today is going to come back 30 years from now and have some impact on how people live."

MORE INFO: The Junior Engineering Technical Society, www.jets.org

Christine Willard

AIRLINE PILOT

RHONDA HEALY

AGE: 33

LOCATION: Atlanta

JOB: Captain for Delta Connections.

EDUCATION: All airline pilots must have a commercial pilot's license, which requires at least 250 hours of flight experience. Time can be reduced by participation in a flight school. Healy attended a flight school in Florida. Most pilots traditionally come from the military or from an aeronautical engineering background.

SALARY: Regional jet pilots earn around $54,000; large commercial aircraft pilots earn about $92,000.

ON THE JOB: Pilots check their instruments and engines to make sure they are functioning properly, and communicate with air traffic controllers and aviation weather forecasters to plan the safest, fastest flight plan to their destination. "Your workload varies from day to day, but it always entails mental preparation," says Healy. "We fly with an automated flight management system, but we have to know what's going on. It's good to have computer skills for this job, and you really do apply the sciences and physics on a daily basis."

HOW SHE GOT STARTED: "I studied fashion merchandising in college, and I worked in fashion for six years, as a buyer for stores like Nordstrom's, and as a model in Japan. I took up flying as a hobby, and I found that airlines were aggressively looking for pilots--especially women and minorities. I figured I might as well get paid for what I love doing. So I saved some money, quit my job, and went to flight school."

REWARDS: "Outside my office window, the scenery changes every moment. Also, I feel I've done something good when I reunite people who haven't seen each other in a while."

CHALLENGES: "A lot of folks tried to discourage me [as a woman] from going into aviation as a career. But if you have a goal, if you have a passion in life, you can do it if you set your mind to it."

MORE INFO: The Airline Pilots Association, (202) 797-4033

Gary Drevitch

CHEMIST

MONICA

ANDRUSZKIEWICZ

AGE: 26

LOCATION: Chicago

JOB: Chief chemist, Lava World International [TM]. Andruszkiewicz develops top-secret formulas for LAVA [R] lamps. "It's a water and wax formulation. That's all I can tell you," says Andruszkiewicz, who signed a confidentiality agreement when she was hired.

EDUCATION: A bachelor's degree in chemical engineering is a minimum requirement. Andruszkiewicz has hers from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

SALARY: The median annual salary for chemists is $46,220.

ON THE JOB: "Each product has its own personality. I do a lot of quality control and make sure that the colors and formulas are doing what they're supposed to be doing." If the wax or water acts strangely in a test (e.g., the wax breaks off into bits when it's supposed to remain globular), she may have tweak the formula to get it operating correctly.

She also is in charge of chemical safety in the plant, making sure safety gloves, goggles, and respirators (if necessary) are worn and updating and adhering to safety procedures.

She dons a lab coat when she's working with the materials, especially the dyes. Still, she often goes home with "glitter all over" herself. She uses the typical equipment you might find in a high school chemistry lab, including beakers and graduated cylinders. Currently, Andruszkiewicz is working on a project on how to advise customers on the cleaning of floor stains should a lamp break.

HOW SHE GOT STARTED: In high school, Andruszkiewicz excelled in chemistry and math, and wanted to find a job that would keep her "entertained." Her current job, with its playful coworkers and fun atmosphere, suited her perfectly.

REWARDS: "I love the diversity of all the projects. It would really be a drag to go into the office and do the same thing over and over."

CHALLENGES: "I have so many responsibilities. Someone comes up to me with some cloudy water in a lamp and needs to know what happened to it. I have no data, yet I have to try to use my scientific investigation skills to solve the problem."

MORE INFO: The American Chemical Society, www.acs.org

Traci Mosser

THE DOT-COM DILEMMA A couple of years ago, college grads were swarming to dot-coms, Iuredlby skyrocketing stocks and cutting-edge careers. Now as dot-com profits have fizzled (Pets.com, Mothernature.com and other have closed their doors) opportunities at starts--ups may have lost some of their appeal . A recent survey of college graduates by the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that they are least likely to worke-for a start-up than any other company Grads are turning to more traditional companies, chossing generoous benefit and a guaranteed pension over the uncertainty of stock-operations.

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Electronic technology has changed medical and health occupations, too. Doctors, nurses and trained professionals in specialties like cardiovascular car and radiology will be in increased demand in the coming decade. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that by 2006 health care services will jump 30 percent and account for 3.1 million new jobs. What are the reasons for the growth?

* An aging population will need more services, especially as technology keeps patients alive longer. That means many will require continued care, therapy, and rehabilitation.

* To contain costs, hospitals are increasingly shifting patients to outpatient facilities, nursing homes, and home health care.

Nursing, in particular, is expected to have many openings, says Dan Mezibov, director of public affairs for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

"The shortage isn't just in nurses, but in the specific skills," he says, especially in the advanced-practice nursing areas, which include certified nurse midwife, certified registered nurse anesthetist, and nurse practitioner. Advanced-practice nurses have intensive training beyond the two to four years of basic nursing education and earn salaries ranging from $47,700 to $82,000.

THE PROGNOSIS FOR PHYSICIANS

Opportunities for doctors are expected to grow over the next decade and salaries will remain high. On average, physicians earn $164,000 a year; a specialist in radiology earns an average of $260,000 and a surgeon averages $217,000.

To become a professional oftens requires 12 years o training, and that education has a price. The average indebtendness of today's medical school graduates is close to $100,000. Physicians often work long, irregular hours, dividing their time between office and hospital work. Still, most find treating patients to be rewarding. (See "Physician" profile left.)

A SHIFT FOR PHYSICAL THERAPISTS

Five year ago, physical therapists were receiving multiple job offers and the need seemed, to be growing. But in the past two years, demand has slowed. Experts point to increased limits on insurance reimbursements, meaning patients can afford less care than in the past. Plus, so many entered the field dring th boom time, there may now be an overabundance of physical therapists. The American Physical Therapy Association reports that full-timers are on the decline and a growing number have seen their hours reduced.

BEYOND JUST DOCTORS AND NURSES

The opportunities in health care aren't limited to traditional medical and nursing jobs. Health care facilities will need thousands of computer programmers, accountants, and technicians. Health information management is expected to offer growing opportunities as medical facilities continue to upgrade their computer systems.

Nuclear medicine and radiologic technologists, who produce films of a patient's insides to help doctors diagnose disease will be in great demand, as will surgical technologists, diagnostic medical sonographers, and respiratory therapists, according to the BLS.

"It's a wide open market," says Mark Crosthwaite, director of the nuclear medicine technology program at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. "The demand far exceeds the supply."

If you think a career in health care might be for you, start preparing now, advises Crosthwaite. "As a high school student, get all the math and science you can, because then you'll be better prepared to enter into any of the allied health sciences," he says.

For more information, visit the Center for Health Careers at www.chc.hcwp.org

Christine Willard

FOCUS ON MINORITIES

To meet the competition for talented workers, corporate America is looking beyond the white males who have dominated the high-tech arena. Many programs actively encourage women and minorities to get training for technical jobs.

Minority technical organizations can help locate scholarship money and internships. They can also provide savvy advice on how to find your way in the majority culture. Check out local chapters of groups like the National Society of Black Engineers (www.nsbe.org), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (www.shpe.org), the Society of Women Engineers (www.swe.org), and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (www.nacme.org)

Find our whether your high school participates in Inroads, a national program to support students entering technology careers. Don't overlook any local companies. Even small companies with fewer resources will be eager to find an enthusiastic student on the doorstep.

Christine Willard

                               Learn & Earn
            Here are some examples of jobs available at various
              levels of education and the salaries they pay,
             according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Note:
            Salaries are either given as hourly wage for part-
                time positions or the average annual wage.
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
High school diploma
* Home health
  care aide                    $8 per hour
* Nursing aide                 $8 per hour
* Occupational therapy adie        $28,680
Certificate or associate's
degree
* Emergency medical
  technician                       $20,290
* Medical assistant                $20,680
* Licensed pratical nurse          $26,940
* Occupational therapy
  assistant                        $28,690
Bachelor's degree
* Respiratory therapist            $34,830
* Registered nurse                 $40,690
* Physician assistant              $47,090
SCIENCE
Jobs in science typically
require some training
beyond a high school diploma.
Associate's degree or
certificate
* Drafter                     $15 per hour
* Engineering technician           $35,970
Bachelor's degree
* Researcher
  (animal science)                 $27,600
* Researcher
  (food scicences)                 $42,340
* Mechanical engineer              $53,290
Advanced degree
* Biological scientist             $48,600
* Veterinaria                      $50,950
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
Bachelor's degree
* Hardware test technician         $28,500
* Entry level programmer           $37,400
* Computer systems
  analyst                          $52,180
* Design or application
  engineer                         $59,500

COPYRIGHT 2001 EM Guild, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group