5 Reasons to Consider a STEM Career

STEM. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: where would the world be without them? It’s about time we had an acronym for this, because it indicates a certain kind of aptitude, a certain kind of brain that can be steered into a wide variety of career paths. Here are five fantastic reasons to consider a career in one of these industries.

1. You Can Change the World

A STEM career can improve people’s lives (including yours just by entering a worthwhile profession). How about the aerospace industry? After a quiet period following the moon landings several decades ago, space is back on the agenda. This time it’s gone commercial, which indicates new breakthroughs are on the horizon, like finding a new planet to live on. Yes, we need the adventurers; the brave people prepared to get in the spacecraft and go out there! Who is making it possible? The STEM-brained people, that’s who. The mathematicians, the technicians, the biologists, the chemists, the computer guys, and the engineers.

2. It’s Cool

Terms like nerd and geek are not particularly flattering, but those in STEM fields take these as compliments! Oftentimes STEM professionals work behind the scenes, and the cool work that they do is not readily apparent. Compared with the traditional ‘cool people of the world’ – actors, artists, musicians – STEM professions can seem less flashy. While STEM professionals do not always look as glamorous, their work enables pretty much everything we love in life, from music to movies and everything in between!

3. You Could Save Lives

There are tremendous opportunities in medical fields, all of which require STEM skills. You could carry out life-saving surgery, create treatments others have never thought of, invent new equipment, or formulate new remedies. Medical professionals cover all the bases of STEM; as just a few examples science of the human body, technology of new diagnostic equipment, engineering of new biomedical devices, and math for diagnoses. No matter which part of STEM you are passionate about, there is a place in the medical field for you!

4. It’s Well Paid

Here’s a worthwhile consideration: you are going to spend your adult life on your career. If you choose a STEM career, it happens to be very lucrative! Think about the potential for student loan debt when you finish college. While there are options like refinancing student loans and seeing how you can renegotiate with the lender the best plan is to simply have NO student loans and NO debt! Because STEM careers are in such high demand many employers will pay for your college education, if it is needed. A high salary AND free college – not a bad deal!

5. It’s Stable

Last but not least, STEM careers have staying power. If you have a STEM minded brain, you can adapt to new developments and keep working on worthwhile things in your own field. As one bubble bursts, another is formed, and you can move on to that! There may be no such thing as a job for life anymore, but there is a career for life, and STEM offers stability no matter what.