Career Area O: Engineering & Technologies
ARCHITECT 

• About 1 in 5 architects are self-employed—more than 2 times the proportion for all occupations.
• Licensing requirements include a professional degree in architecture, at least 3 years of practical work training, and passing all divisions of the Architect Registration Examination.
• Architecture graduates may face competition, especially for jobs in the most prestigious firms.

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER 

• design (new products and revision of existing ones);
• research and development (finding solutions to engineering problems);
• production (planning and designing new production processes).

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER

• develop devices and procedures that solve medical and health-related problems

CHEMICAL ENGINEER

• design equipment and processes for large-scale chemical manufacturing
• must be aware of all aspects of chemicals manufacturing and how the manufacturing process affects the environment and the safety of workers and consumers

CIVIL ENGINEER   

• design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and water supply and sewage systems 
• structural, water resources, construction, environmental, transportation, and geotechnical engineering

COMPUTER ENGINEER

• research, design, develop, test, and oversee the manufacture and installation of computer hardware   
•  includes computer chips, circuit boards, computer systems, and related equipment such as keyboards, modems, and printers
  

MECHANICAL ENGINEER

• research, design, develop, manufacture, and test tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices
• work in manufacturing or agriculture production, maintenance, or technical sales
  

Career Area Q: Medical Technologies

OPTICIAN 

• Most dispensing opticians receive training on the job or through apprenticeships lasting 2 or more years, but some employers seek graduates of postsecondary training programs in opticianry.
• A license to practice is required by 22 States.
• Employment growth is projected to be average and reflect the steady demand for corrective lenses and fashionable eyeglass frames.

PHARMACY TECHNICIAN

• Job opportunities are expected to be good, especially for those with certification or previous work experience.
• Many technicians work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• About 71 percent of jobs were in retail pharmacies, grocery stores, department stores, or mass retailers

   EEG TECHNOLOGIST 

• record the electrical activity of the human brain, using an electroencephalograph that is used in the diagnosis of abnormal conditions affecting the brain.
• help diagnose conditions such as epilepsy and damage to the brain

MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN 

• Monitoring tests and procedures
• Preparing blood, urine and tissue specimens for analysis
• Using sophisticated laboratory equipment to look for bacteria, parasites and other microorganisms
• Analyzing the chemical content of fluids
• Matching blood for transfusions
• Testing for drug levels in the blood to show how a patient is responding to treatment

SONOGRAPHER 

• More than half of all sonographers were employed by hospitals, and most of the rest were employed by offices of physicians, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and mobile imaging services.
• Sonographers may train in hospitals, vocational-technical institutions, colleges and universities, and the Armed Forces; employers prefer those who trained in accredited programs and who are registered

SURGICAL TECHNOLOGIST 

• Training programs last 9 to 24 months and lead to a certificate, diploma, or associate degree.
• Hospitals will continue to be the primary employer, although much faster employment growth is expected in other health care industries.

PHARMACIST 

• Pharmacists are becoming more involved in counseling patients and planning drug therapy programs.
• A license is required; the prospective pharmacist must graduate from an accredited college of pharmacy and pass a series of examinations

PROSTHETIST/ORTHOTIST 

• healthcare professional who makes and fits braces and splints
• work under a physician's orders to adapt purchased braces or create custom-designed braces

Career Area S: Social Science
  POLITICAL SCIENTIST  

• study the structure and theory of government
• Most current studies and research concentrate on tangible topics such as welfare reform, political campaigns and elections, foreign relations, and immigration

   PSYCHOLOGIST, EXPERIMENTAL    

• study the human mind and human behavior
• investigate the physical, cognitive, emotional, or social aspects of human behavior

SOCIOLOGIST  

• study human society and social behavior through the prism of group formations and social, political, religious, and economic institutions
• specialize in one or more of a number of areas

URBAN PLANNER  

• prepare plans for the development and revitalization of urban and rural areas
• conduct studies to determine the potential environmental effects of each project and may also prepare or review detailed environmental impact reports for projects that are likely to have significant harmful effects