What Defines a STEM Career?
Just as the classic representation of a scientist as a man with crazy hair in a lab coat has evolved over the past 25 years, so has the landscape of STEM careers. What these careers have in common is that they require the same set of skills. Some jobs require more advanced practice of those STEM skills than others and the extent to which each skill is critical for success of the job varies. While the terminology varies, stakeholders agree that the skills acquired in a quality STEM education and that best prepare students for success in STEM careers are essentially (in no particular order):
- creativity and innovation
- collaboration
- critical thinking
- problem solving
- adaptability
- inquiry skills
- data analysis and data visualization literacy
- digital literacy
- computational thinking
- quantitative reasoning
- design thinking
- ability to apply the process of science
- social responsibility
- ethical reasoning.
While the specific application of these skills may be "learned on the job", a quality STEM education is what provides the foundations and prepares students to know how to apply those skills appropriately especially in a very dynamic field. As you will see on our recommended sources and career examples pages, STEM careers are found in the entertainment industry, agriculture industry, aerospace industry, federal government agencies including the FBI and US Forest Service, disaster relief, manufacturing industry, food industry, financial sector, multi-media communications, educational games and technology development, drug development, disease prevention, intelligence analysis, cyber security, and more.
