9781422276679

as well as those that do. Readers in high school can start prepping for careers immediately through volunteer work, internships, academic classes, technical programs, or career acade- mies. (Currently, for instance, one in four students concentrates on a vocational or technical program.) For each profile, the best ways for high school students to prepare are featured in a “Start Preparing Now” section. For readers who are called to serve in the armed forces, this decision also provides an opportunity to step into a range of careers. Every branch of the armed forces, from the army to the coast guard, offers training in areas including administrative, construction, electron- ics, health care, and protective services. One volume of Careers in Demand for High School Graduates is devoted to careers that can be reached with military training. These range from personnel specialist to aircraft mechanic. Beyond military options, other entry-level careers provide job seekers with an opportu- nity to test-drive a career without a huge commitment. Compare the ease of switching from being a bank teller to a sales representative, for instance, with that of investing three years and tens of thousands of dollars into a law school education, only to discover a dislike for the pro- fession. This series offers not only a look at related careers but also ways to advance in the field. Another section, “Finding a Job,” provides job-hunting tips specific to each career. This includes, for instance, advice for teacher assistants to develop a portfolio of their work. As it turns out, employers of entry-level workers aren’t looking for degrees and academic achievements. They want employability skills: a sense of responsibility, a willingness to learn, discipline, flexibility, and above all, enthusiasm. Luckily, with 100 jobs profiled in Careers in Demand for High School Graduates, finding the perfect one to get enthusiastic about is easier than ever. Ways to Go in Transportation and Manufacturing The transportation field includes everything from highway construction to passenger car rental, from ship building to bus driving. The transportation sector is projected to create more than 400,000 new jobs by 2022, according to a U.S. government report. Land, air, and sea vehicles need to be driven, built, and maintained, as do roads and rails. Besides offering a base of employment, the transportation field provides people with plenty of personal satisfac- tion. Some of these jobs are union jobs, with excellent benefits; others, such as revolutionary ridesharing services like Uber, offer few benefits but a lot of freedom and control over where and when you work. The manufacturing jobs also play important roles in the national economy. These job titles can be found in many categories of business, from environmental engineering to food

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