John
Careers where you don't spend a lot of time on the computer?
I'm looking through potential careers and I'm considering looking at a career where the amount of time spent on a computer is minimized. I prefer more outfield or hands-on type of work but is also STEM-related. I don't object to having to use a computer at least half the time, I just don't want to spend all my work time on it based on my experiences in a 1 Student:1 Laptop High school. #engineer #stem
3 answers
Jared Chung
CareerVillage.org TeamJared’s Answer, CareerVillage.org Team
I don't see any reason you would have to spend all of your time on the computer in most STEM career fields. If you're comfortable spending some time on computers, but not more than half, then I think you should be fine in most engineering fields, as long as you're selective when it comes to picking specific jobs and companies to join when you finish college. The one obvious is computer science / programming / computer engineering where you obviously will be spending the vast vast majority of your time on computers. Even in Electrical Engineering, you might find yourself spending more time over a workbench than over a keyboard. Mechanical engineering is another great option. If you have any interest in heavy industry, for example, there are a ton of jobs in manufacturing right now, where you'd be working on hard problems in manufacturing contexts like putting together Boeing 747s or Tesla Model S cars, or GE Jet Engines, and so on. You needn't work on a computer all the time for those.
Out of curiosity, what is it that you enjoy about STEM careers? Perhaps we could brainstorm some other specific careers based on your specific interests...
Thank you this is very helpful
Maeve
Andy Wang
Andy’s Answer
I studied ecology while at UC Berkeley and we did a lot of field work studying plants and animals in their natural environment. You will still need to spend time on computers to write up data, papers, grant applications, etc. There are many science careers that involve actually being outdoors in different environments. People often thing that STEM fields at just computer technology or lab work, but there are myriad science fields that involve outdoor, hands on work.
Renee Lawson
Renee’s Answer
There are lots of was to have STEM be integral to your career, but not sit in front of a screen 24/7. (Although realistically nearly every job will require some screentime.)
I am not an engineer (I'm a lawyer), but I helped to found a STEM elementary school. Some of our teachers have hard-core science and math backgrounds which they deploy in their teaching. A few of them had worked in museums or foundations previously. STEM is touching more and more careers, and in creative ways. And on the legal side, there is great demand for lawyers who have science and engineering backgrounds.