Recent reports have proven that those with degrees in STEM fields have the best job prospects. STEM, of course, stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Hmm…sounds like hard work for smart people, huh? No one is saying that STEM studies are easy, or even easily accessible to people who don’t already have money.
The American job market is changing, rewarding specialists and often eliminating simpler positions in the name of savings and efficiency. Still, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t jobs to be had in these fields which are accessible to people who don’t already have an expensive degree. In fact, there tend to be jobs of all types in any industry that is blowing up.
Let’s look at a few examples of STEM sectors that have jobs available for non-specialists.
Nurses. Since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, the American health care industry has been put under great strain. There are more people with health coverage today than at any other point in American history. These people are also accessing a better standard of care than was previously available to them.
That means hospitals and specialty medical providers are in extremely high demand. You may not be a doctor, but you can probably become a nurse. In less than two years, most people can become licensed nurses to work in many areas of the health care sector. Because these positions are in such high demand, educational resources and certification programs are affordable and available all around the country.
Technologists. In the field of Radiology, there is an ongoing employment crisis. There are simply more jobs to be filled than there are radiology professionals to fill them. Today’s radiologists sometimes work between multiple hospitals, diagnosing diseases and ailments through images that come from many different sources. The people actually on the ground creating these images are radiographic technologists. Like nurses, these individuals are trained much more quickly and affordably than doctors, but their compensation and skill set is still quite high.
Finance. If you have a strong grasp of personal finance, maybe it’s time to improve your skills and start to help other people manage their money. CPAs and other accountants are well-paid, and certification is affordable, compensation good. There are other avenues for you to pursue in finance. Maybe you know a lot about investing. That industry is being revolutionized from within, especially among first-time investor marketplaces. Not only can you take advantage of your insight within your own investments, you can help other people achieve new levels of wealth and financial assurance themselves.
STEM jobs, it turns out, are not as rare as we tend to think. We know that specialized industries require specialized workers, and these people are paid good money to do the work they do. But there are plenty of other ways to enter these career paths. Look to any industry that is expanding rapidly, and you are likely to find many opportunities for work, regardless of the skill set you currently have. If you’re willing to learn some new things, you’ll be able to find employment in STEM.
