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If you work and pay taxes, carry insurance on your home or car, belong to an HMO, or are putting money away for your retirement, you depend on the work of actuaries. Actuaries make up a rare breed of problem solver for the business world -- so unique there are only 19 thousand of them at work in North America. But they are in demand in the insurance and financial securities industries because of their ability to put a price tag on probabilities view more

Aircraft pilots fly airplanes and helicopters to do everything from crop dusting to intercontinental travel to traffic reports for radio stations. Flight engineers assist the cockpit crew in some larger airplanes by monitoring and operating many of the instruments and systems, but computers are rapidly eliminating this position. Generally, jet pilots earn more than pilots of propeller-driven planes do view more

Every doorway, wall, and window in every building is where it is because someone decided to put it there. Someone also decided what building materials would be use, what traffic patterns people would follow, and even how they would feel when entering or leaving the building. That “someone,” of course was an architect. The same person may also have been responsible for designing the plumbing, heating, and electrical systems, and even overseeing the building’s construction view more

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks have different assignments, but they all have the same job -— to help keep track of the money a business makes and spends. Bookkeeping clerks help by preparing balance sheets and other documents that summarize an organization’s financial position. Accounting clerks enter sales and purchasing transaction data. And auditing clerks verify that the figures are accurate and that the calculations are correct view more

The world of cameras and photography is becoming increasingly complex. What once was a simple mechanical matter of allowing light to enter a box and engrave an image… now can involve complex electronics and computer chips. So camera and photographic equipment repairers need very specific knowledge and training. Career schools offer classes in subjects like computer or film technology. Manufacturers and retailers offer on-the-job training view more

Clergy are the spiritual and religious leaders of their faith. They lead their congregations in prayer and teach and interpret religious traditions. Clergy organize religious services and officiate at special ceremonies such as weddings, baptisms, bar mitzvahs and funerals. They also visit the sick and dying and counsel and comfort people with family problems. As leaders of their faith, clergy should inspire confidence while being sensitive to the needs of others view more

Computers are everywhere -- they’re in your car, in your VCR, and in your microwave oven. And, of course, they’re on your desktop at home, school, and work. But no computer anywhere can do anything without precise, detailed instructions. Those instructions are called “programs,” and they’re created by computer programmers using computer “languages” like Java, C++ (Narrator: “see-plus-plus”), Visual BASIC, and others view more

In large and small businesses alike, clerks are the backbone of the back office. They are responsible for processing and maintaining large streams of financial information for customers and other workers. Billing clerks review sales data for products sold or services rendered, and prepare itemized bills to send to customers for payment. Cost clerks create production or sales cost reports for departments and prepare reports showing total cost and selling prices view more

At the nation’s borders, and within, Customs Inspectors enforce laws about who and what can come into, and leave the United States. Customs inspectors work for the federal government as part of the U.S. Customs Service. Their job is to inspect cargo, baggage, and articles worn or carried by people, boats, trains, and planes entering or leaving the country. They search for illegal substances, such as drugs, and make sure laws governing imports and exports are observed view more

Centuries ago, the world was powered by streams and waterwheels. The water flowed, the wheels rotated, and the belts attached to them turned lathes, saws, and other machines. Today, the world is powered by electricity, and electrical and electronic engineers or “E-E’s” are in the thick of it. These professionals design the systems that control the flow of electrons instead of the flow of water. But many of the concepts are the same view more

If you enjoy working with your hands, you know how rewarding it can be to create something as beautiful as it is functional. And that's just what furniture finishers do. They are skilled workers who apply chemical coatings to enhance and highlight the beauty of wood furniture. They use hand or power tools to painstakingly prepare the surface. Using brushes or spray guns, they stain, paint or seal the surfaces view more

Technology has created a new kind of analyst: the geographic information specialist. GIS stands for geographic information systems. It uses computers to store, interpret and display a vast variety of data identified by location. But it goes well beyond maps and pictures. A GIS database contains layers of information. The layers can be combined into different models , so that we can instantly see the effects new information might have on an area view more

People have always wanted to look their best, and hairdressers and hairstylists—or “cosmetologists,” as they may be called—have helped them achieve that goal. These professionals shampoo, cut, and style hair. But they may also color, straighten, or curl hair and give manicures, pedicures, and scalp and facial treatments. All states require hairdressers and hairstylists to be licensed, but training and apprenticeship requirements vary widely, so be sure to check before entering a program view more

Masons, or "stonemasons" as they are sometimes called, work with marble, granite, limestone, and other materials to build walls, walkways, and arches, and to lay stone floors. Using special tools such as hammers and chisels and water-cooled saws with diamond-toothed blades, masons cut and shape their materials. They must also be able to use irregularly shaped rocks and turn it into a uniform structure--like a wall or floor view more

Does your house stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter? If so, thank the workers who installed the insulation – they did their job properly. An insulation worker installs insulating material by cementing, stapling, wiring, taping or spraying it into buildings, around pipes, boilers and tanks. The insulation can take the form of foam, loose-fill, fiberglass, cellulose, or rock wool and in cases where there is old insulation, workers must first remove it and then secure the new materials view more

): When a production line stops, a company stops making money. Maintenance machinists are crucial to keeping production running. Machinery maintenance workers, also called industrial mechanics, or maintenance machinists, not only repair broken machines but must also be able to spot minor problems and fix them. For this reason preventive maintenance, inspection and checking performance is a big part of the job view more

Most of us depend on others to make the things we use, and the food we buy at the store. We look to manufacturers to produce the material goods we need to live. At every step of the production process, there are jobs in manufacturing. There are machines for making machines, and someone has to design them. Then those machines have to be operated, fed materials, and their products have to be finished—sometimes by hand-- packaged, marketed and delivered view more

Automation is making manufacturing more efficient while increasing productivity. Some of the credit for this goes to numerical tool and process control programmers. These professionals write the programs for computer-controlled machine tools, or robots, that cut and shape parts made of metal or plastic. The programmer writes the code that enables a computer to tell the machine which tools to use and how to use them view more

Operating engineers quite literally operate power-driven construction machines like shovels, cranes, tractors, bulldozers, pile drivers, concrete mixers, and industrial pumps. If something is massive and heavy, and if it requires a big, powerful machine, an operating engineer will probably be involved. Work sites include building and road construction projects, mines, steel mills, warehouses, and heavy manufacturing plants view more

Every time you order merchandise from a catalog, or fax a request for information, your contact with a company is handled by an order clerk. Orders for materials, merchandise or services can come from within an organization or from outside. However, most order clerks receive orders from other companies or individuals. The order clerk serves an important role, since he or she is often a customer’s only direct contact with the company view more

The modern industrial assembly line is a wonder to behold: bottles, boxes, jars, cans, and thousands of other products move by at a dizzying rate. But in many cases, they'd all wind up in a pile on the floor at the end of the line if it were not for hand packers and packagers. Some tasks simply cannot be automated. Therefore, many production lines still rely on human beings to visually inspect and manually pack or package their output view more

Respiratory therapists or “respiratory care practitioners” evaluate, treat, and care for patients with asthma, emphysema, and other breathing disorders. As part of the evaluation process, therapists measure the lung capacity of patients and analyze the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in the blood. Sometimes, therapists may also take electrocardiograms and administer stress tests. Treating patients may involve chest physiotherapy and other “airway clearance techniques” to remove mucus and other blockages view more

Companies, plants and stores use Stock Clerks to receive, sort, unpack, store and keep track of materials or products. Most stock clerks work in grocery and department stores. Stock clerks check deliveries against invoices for accuracy and for damages. The items are then organized, marked and placed into the inventory system. Bar code scanners and computers are often used to track the items view more

Some manufacturing workers like their jobs super-sized. Structural metal fabricators and fitters construct enormous metal objects from tanks and water towers…to frames for buildings and bridges. Though the projects can be massive, the work is quite intricate. Following blueprints, fabricators make patterns and templates as guides. Fabricators use special machinery to cut the metal into the required pieces or plates view more

Veterinary assistants work with veterinarians and veterinary technicians to treat animals for disease, administer shots or pills, and assist during surgery. As such, they are the rough equivalent of the aides who assist nurses and doctors in caring for people. The job may include doing the "dirty work" of cleaning kennels and sweeping out cages. But it also includes such gratifying tasks as grooming an animal and bringing it food and water view more