When you wake in the predawn dark, do you want to walk among growing fertile fields, and see the sun rise, throwing it’s colors across the budding land, warming your face? Will today bring too much rain, too much sun? Or will it be a perfect day for growing the green things that feed our world?

Whether you know it or not, if you recognize all yearnings, these feelings… you are a farmer.

The love of the land has shaped the lives of many families, from time immemorial. If you have inherited land, or will inherit land, or if you plan to lease land someday to farm, you must learn everything you can.

Or maybe you have a head start— you grew up on the land and learned farming from your dad, your mother, your grandparents. But you realize that you just learn more, to compete with the big corporations, and survive.

Green farming. Organic farming. Competitive farm management. So much to learn. So much to know.

You may find excellent employment with a giant agricultural corporation as a manager. If you want to be the farmer of your own land, small-scale farming is a major growth area and offers the best opportunity for entering the occupation. Horticulture and organic farming will provide better employment opportunities. Today, the small farmer, after years of suffering from giant corporation competition, are getting much-needed comradeship from the Obama Administration.

Since the 1980s, American agriculture has become increasingly concentrated. Today, less than 2 percent of farms account for half of all agricultural sales. The new antitrust division of President Obama’s Justice Department has said that scrutinizing monopolies in agriculture is a top priority. That shift is giving hope to independent farmers, who have complained for years that agriculture giants are shrinking the marketplace and paying farmers less for their products. Starting next year, the Justice and Agriculture departments will hold public workshops in farm towns throughout the United States to learn about anti-competitive conduct in agricultural markets.

This is your chance to become farmer, if the soil is in your blood, and if you are willing to earn the knowledge needed to compete.

American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers produce enough food and fiber to meet the needs of the United States and for export. Agricultural managers manage the day-to-day activities of one or more farms, ranches, nurseries, timber tracts, greenhouses, or other agricultural establishments for farmers, absentee landowners, or corporations. Their duties and responsibilities vary widely but focus on the business aspects of running a farm. On small farms, they may oversee the entire operation; on larger farms, they may oversee a single activity, such as marketing.

While most farm output is sold directly to food-processing companies, some farmers—particularly operators of smaller farms—may choose to sell their goods directly to consumers through farmers’ markets. Some use cooperatives to reduce their financial risk and to gain a larger share of the prices consumers pay. For example, in community-supported agriculture, cooperatives sell shares of a harvest to consumers prior to the planting season, thus freeing the farmer from having to bear all the financial risks and ensuring the farmer a market for the produce of the coming season. Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers also negotiate with banks and other credit lenders to get the best financing deals for their equipment, livestock, and seed.

Like other businesses, farming operations have become more complex in recent years, so many farmers use computers to keep financial and inventory records. They also use computer databases and spreadsheets to manage breeding, dairy, and other farm operations. A good agriculture degree will include these key business issues.

On crop farms—farms growing grain, cotton, other fibers, fruit, and vegetables—farmers are responsible for preparing, tilling, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, spraying, and harvesting. After the harvest, they make sure that the crops are properly packaged, stored, and marketed. Livestock, dairy, and poultry farmers and ranchers feed and care for animals and keep barns, pens, coops, and other farm buildings clean and in good condition. They also plan and oversee breeding and marketing activities. Both farmers and ranchers operate machinery and maintain equipment and facilities, and both track technological improvements in animal breeding and seeds, and choose new or existing products. Every speciality requires specific knowledge and training, for the farmer to have a good chance to succeed.

Operators of small farms usually perform all tasks, physical and administrative. They keep records for management and tax purposes, service machinery, maintain buildings, and grow vegetables and raise animals. Operators of large farms, by contrast, have employees who help with the physical work that small-farm operators do themselves. Although employment on most farms is limited to the farmer and 1 or 2 family workers or hired employees, some large farms have 100 or more full-time and seasonal workers. Some of these employees are in nonfarm occupations, working as truck drivers, sales representatives, bookkeepers, and computer specialists.

Agricultural managers usually do not plant, harvest, or perform other production activities; instead, they hire and supervise farm and livestock workers, who perform most daily production tasks. Managers may establish output goals; determine financial constraints; monitor production and marketing; hire, assign, and supervise workers; determine crop transportation and storage requirements; and oversee maintenance of the property and equipment. Agriculture and business degrees are essential.

Two types of farmers that are growing in importance are horticultural specialty farmers and aquaculture farmers.

Horticultural specialty farmers oversee the production of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants used in landscaping, including turf. They also grow nuts, berries, and grapes for wine. Aquaculture farmers raise fish and shellfish in marine, brackish, or fresh water, usually in ponds, floating net pens, raceways, or recirculating systems. They stock, feed, protect, and otherwise manage aquatic life sold for consumption or used for recreational fishing.

On livestock-producing farms and ranches, work goes on throughout the year. Animals, unless they are grazing, must be fed and watered every day, and dairy cows must be milked two or three times a day. Many livestock and dairy farmers monitor and attend to the health of their herds, which may include assisting in the birthing of animals.

Farm work can be back-breaking during the work months, and hazardous. Tractors and other farm machinery can cause serious injury, and workers must be constantly alert on the job. Education and training in the proper operation of equipment and handling of chemicals are necessary to avoid accidents, safeguard health, and protect the environment.

Experience gained from growing up on or working on a family farm is the most common way farmers learn their trade. However, modern farming requires increasingly complex scientific, business, and financial decisions, so postsecondary education in agriculture is important even for people who were raised on farms.

A 2-year associate degree or a 4-year bachelor’s degree at a college of agriculture is becoming increasingly important for farm managers and for farmers and ranchers who expect to make a living at farming. A degree in farm management or in business with a concentration in agriculture is important.

All State university systems have at least one land-grant college or university with a school of agriculture. Common programs of study include agronomy, dairy science, agricultural economics and business, horticulture, crop and fruit science, and animal science. For students interested in aquaculture, formal programs are available and include coursework in fisheries biology, fish culture, hatchery management and maintenance, and hydrology.

Agricultural colleges teach technical knowledge of crops, growing conditions, and plant diseases. They also teach prospective ranchers and dairy farmers the basics of veterinary science and animal husbandry. Students also study how the environment is affected by farm operations, for example, how the various pesticides affect local animals.

Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers need managerial skills to organize and operate a business. A basic knowledge of accounting and bookkeeping is essential in keeping financial records, and knowledge of credit sources is vital for buying seed, fertilizer, and other needed inputs. Workers must also be familiar with complex safety regulations and requirements of governmental agricultural support programs.

Computer skills are becoming increasingly important, especially on large farms, where computers are widely used for record-keeping and business analysis. In addition, skills in personnel management, communication, and conflict resolution are important in the operation of a farm or ranch business.

Agricultural managers can enhance their professional status through voluntary certification as an Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Accreditation requires several years of farm management experience, the appropriate academic background—a bachelor’s degree or, preferably, a master’s degree in a field of agricultural science—and the passing of courses and examinations related to the business, financial, and legal aspects of farm and ranch management.

An increasing number of enterprising small-scale farmers have developed successful market niches that involve personalized, direct contact with their customers. Many are finding opportunities in organic food production, which is the fastest growing segment in agriculture. Others use farmers’ markets that cater directly to urban and suburban consumers, allowing the farmers to capture a greater share of consumers’ food dollars.

Some small-scale farmers organize collectively owned marketing cooperatives that process and sell their product. Other farmers participate in community-supported agriculture cooperatives that allow consumers to directly buy a share of the farmer’s harvest.

Aquaculture may continue to provide some new employment opportunities over the 2006–16 decade. Concerns about overfishing and the depletion of the stock of some wild fish species will likely lead to more restrictions on deep-sea fishing, even as public demand for the consumption of seafood continues to grow. This has spurred the growth of aquaculture farms that raise selected aquatic species—such as shrimp, salmon, trout, and catfish—in pens or ponds. Aquaculture has increased even in landlocked States, as farmers attempt to diversify.

USGOV Projections data

Job prospects are encouraging, for farm management positions, and for the individual. With a large number of farmers expected to retire or give up their farms in the next decade, there should be many opportunities to own or lease a farm.

The market for agricultural products is projected to be good for most products over the next decade, and thus many farmers who retire will need to be replaced. Farmers who produce corn used to produce ethanol will be in particular demand as ethanol plays a greater role in energy production as fuel for automobiles. Farmers who grow crops used in landscaping, such as trees, shrubs, turf, and other ornamentals, also will have better job prospects, as people put more money into landscaping their homes and businesses.

So. You are drawn to the land, to be the keeper of the land, to bring forth the life force that creates the food that sustains Mankind. What will you do?

Feed the world, with your education and your energy. People must eat. The world must have food.

Go and get the knowledge you need, get the degree, the depth, to be what you know, what you are. If you feel the pull of the earth, in your heart and soul, you are born to be a farmer.

For general information about farming and agricultural occupations, contact either of the following organizations:

• Center for Rural Affairs, P.O. Box 406, Walthill, NE 68067. http://www.cfra.org
• National FFA Organization, The National FFA Center, Attention Career Information Requests, P.O. Box 68690, Indianapolis, IN 46268. http://www.ffa.org

For information about certification as an accredited farm manager, contact:

• American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, 950 Cherry St., Suite 508, Denver, CO 80222.  http://www.asfmra.org

For information on the USDA’s program to help small farmers get started, contact:

• Small Farm Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State, Research, Education, and Extension Service, Stop 2220, Washington, DC 20250.  http://www.csrees.usda.gov/smallfarms.cfm

For information about organic farming, horticulture, and internships, contact:

• Alternative Farming System Information Center, NAL, 10301 Baltimore Ave., Room 132, Beltsville, MD 20705. http://www.nal.usda.gov
• ATTRA, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702. http://www.attra.ncat.org

The slow motion agony of it. He was a newbie big city cop. On the street in a black-and-white, six weeks, a green rookie. His sergeant riding with him. Training Day.

They got the “Officer Down!” call and the sergeant said nothing, hit the lights and cut through the streets at pursuit speed. Riding to the scene, his mind raced through the scenarios of his training routines. The noise of his heart was hammering in his ears, louder than the cruiser’s whooper.

The car skidding to a stop. Other black-and-whites already there. (To this day, he still just cannot remember grabbing the 870 pumpgun from the cruiser’s console rack.)

Jumping out. A cool spring morning. Breath foggy in front of faces. Hoarse voices, fear, determination, anger.

He vividly remembers the bright red blood trail on the yellow grass between the houses. And the first two victims lying dead with people around them. And the other cops hunting among the houses. Then the gunfire from somewhere to his left. Rapid double-tap pistol fire and the hollow BOOMs of shotguns.

He was alone, crouched, realizing his hands held the shotgun, hearing everything magnified, the colors so vivid, coming up behind a house.

Seeing the shape of a man with a gun firing at other officers ducking behind a line of cars.

He remembers his panic attack. Lifting the shotgun, seeing the bead drop into the channel, the man shape on the bead, the terrible effort of pulling the trigger. At first it felt stuck. Finally, the liquid jolt, the recoil of the 12-gauge. The BOOM hardly heard at all.

The man shape not moving, (how could I have missed at this range?), the man shape no longer firing at the other cops.

The shape turning to aim at him now. Muzzle flash straight at him. Remembering a rock fight with some kids when he was little and the WHACK of rocks on his chest.

Nothing working right. Hands numb, like thick gloves. Trying to pump the shotgun slide but everything so slow, stupid, dreamlike, sluggish, then lining up the bead on the shape and firing the second load of buckshot, BOOM, the recoil numb and unfelt, (knowing the bead was on the perp, the man shape firing, the third pump of the shotgun slower than the second, the panic attack making everything almost impossible), and the shotgun lurching again, BOOM,

And now at last, slowly, the man shape falling, ever so slowly falling forward as if through molasses… then finally down and no longer firing.

Chest aching. He wondered if he was hit. Couldn’t feel anything. Wait. A slug in his vest, no, two, right over his heart. Trying to breathe, gasping for air. The stubborn shotgun hanging from one arm, muzzle smoking.

And the sergeant and other cops gathering around you, their eyes shining, and the sergeant saying, “He had the angle, had us cold from where he was.”

You saying, “Something’s wrong with the shotgun, couldn’t, couldn’t pump the slide…”

“What? I never saw anybody pump an 870 that fast in my life! It sounded like an automatic! You saved our collective ass!”

A story from another old friend of mine. Erudio has been fortunate in a wealth of friends.

Since that fight many years ago, that friend has served the public with honors, became a training officer himself, and distinguished himself in many ways.

Years later, he was decorated at the White House by a serving president, for valor in saving the life of a child— at the certain grave risk of his own.

His willingness to serve, and his college degree in Sociology, both prepared him for the most important work that he has done, reacting to the wide range of social issues that daily confront any good law officer.

Police work is highly dangerous and brutally stressful.

People depend on police officers and detectives to protect their lives and property. Our imperfect society requires their vigilance. On, or off-duty.

Education requirements range from a high school diploma to a college degree or higher. A degree helps prepare an officer for promotion.

Job opportunities in most local police departments will be excellent for qualified individuals, while competition is expected for jobs in State and Federal agencies. Applicants with college training in police science or military police experience will have the best opportunities.

Uniformed police officers have general law enforcement duties, including maintaining regular patrols and responding to calls for service. Much of their time is spent responding to calls and doing paperwork. They may direct traffic at the scene of an accident, investigate a burglary, or give first aid to an accident victim. In large police departments, officers usually are assigned to a specific type of duty.

Many urban police agencies are involved in community policing—a practice in which an officer builds relationships with the citizens of local neighborhoods and mobilizes the public to help fight crime.

Police agencies are usually organized into geographic districts, with uniformed officers assigned to patrol a specific area such as part of the business district or outlying residential neighborhoods. Officers may work alone, but in large agencies, they often patrol with a partner.

While on patrol, officers attempt to become thoroughly familiar with their patrol area and remain alert for anything unusual. Suspicious circumstances and hazards to public safety are investigated or noted, and officers are dispatched to individual calls for assistance within their district. During their shift, they may identify, pursue, and arrest suspected criminals; resolve problems within the community; and enforce traffic laws.

Some agencies have special geographic jurisdictions and enforcement responsibilities. Public college and university police forces, public school district police, and agencies serving transportation systems and facilities are examples. Most law enforcement workers in special agencies are uniformed officers; a smaller number are investigators.

Some police officers specialize in a particular field, such as chemical and microscopic analysis, training and firearms instruction, or handwriting and fingerprint identification. Others work with special units, such as horseback, bicycle, motorcycle, or harbor patrol; canine corps; special weapons and tactics (SWAT); or emergency response teams. A few local and special law enforcement officers primarily perform jail-related duties or work in courts.

Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs enforce the law on the county level. Sheriffs are usually elected to their posts and perform duties similar to those of a local or county police chief. Sheriffs’ departments tend to be relatively small, most having fewer than 50 sworn officers. Deputy sheriffs have law enforcement duties similar to those of officers in urban police departments. Police and sheriffs’ deputies who provide security in city and county courts are sometimes called bailiffs.

State police officers, sometimes called State troopers or highway patrol officers, arrest criminals Statewide and patrol highways to enforce motor vehicle laws and regulations. State police officers often issue traffic citations to motorists. At the scene of accidents, they may direct traffic, give first aid, and call for emergency equipment. They also write reports used to determine the cause of the accident. State police officers are frequently called upon to render assistance to other law enforcement agencies, especially those in rural areas or small towns.

State law enforcement agencies operate in every State except Hawaii. Most full-time sworn personnel are uniformed officers who regularly patrol and respond to calls for service. Others work as investigators, perform court-related duties, or carry out administrative or other assignments.

In addition to the common benefits—paid vacation, sick leave, and medical and life insurance—most police and sheriffs’ departments provide officers with special allowances for Police and detectives maintain law and order, collect evidence and information, and conduct investigations and surveillance.

Workers in related occupations include correctional officers, private detectives and investigators, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, and security guards and gaming surveillance officers.

Most police and detectives build upon their formal education and learn much of what they need to know on the job, often in their agency’s police academy. Civil service regulations govern the appointment of police and detectives in most States, large municipalities, and special police agencies, as well as in many smaller jurisdictions. (Candidates must be U.S. citizens, usually at least 20 years old, and must meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications.)

Most departments require 1 or 2 years of college coursework. In some departments, a college degree is required. Law enforcement agencies encourage applicants to take courses or training related to law enforcement subjects after high school.

There will be competition for positions in law enforcement. Many entry-level applicants for police jobs have completed some formal postsecondary education. A very significant number are college graduates. You will be competing with them.

Prepare yourself well. Many junior colleges, colleges, and universities offer programs in law enforcement or administration of justice.

And give yourself a physical edge as well. Physical education classes (and participating in sports) are also helpful in developing the competitiveness, stamina, and agility needed for many law enforcement positions.

Another boost you can obtain from higher education— knowledge of a foreign language is a great asset in many police agencies and urban departments.

Here’s a bonus tip— many agencies pay all or part of the tuition, for officers to work toward degrees in criminal justice, police science, administration of justice, or public administration.

AND they will pay higher salaries to those who earn such a degree!

Information about entrance requirements may be obtained from Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.

For general information about sheriffs and to learn more about the National Sheriffs’ Association scholarship, contact:

• National Sheriffs’ Association, 1450 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314. http://www.sheriffs.org
• Information about qualifications for employment as a FBI Special Agent is available from the nearest State FBI office. The address and phone number are listed in the local telephone directory. http://www.fbi.gov
• Information on career opportunities, qualifications, and training for U.S. Secret Service Special Agents and Uniformed Officers is available from the Secret Service Personnel Division at (202) 406-5800, (888) 813-877, or (888) 813-USSS. http://www.secretservice.gov/join
• Information about qualifications for employment as a DEA Special Agent is available from the nearest DEA office, or call (800) DEA-4288. http://www.usdoj.gov/dea

Information about career opportunities, qualifications, and training to become a deputy marshal is available from:

• U.S. Marshals Service, Human Resources Division—Law Enforcement Recruiting, Washington, DC 20530-1000. http://www.usmarshals.gov

For information on operations and career opportunities in the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, contact:

• U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Office of Governmental and Public Affairs, 650 Massachusetts Ave., NW., Room 8290, Washington D.C., 20226. http://www.atf.gov

Information about careers in U.S. Customs and Border Protection is available from:

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20229. http://www.cbp.gov

Information about law enforcement agencies within the Department of Homeland Security is available from:

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528. http://www.dhs.gov

To find Federal, State, and local law enforcement job fairs and other recruiting events across the country, contact:

• National Law Enforcement Recruiters Association, 2045 15th St. North, Suite 210, Arlington, VA 22201. http://www.nlera.org

The deck of a ship has taken you all over the planet. You have good friends in so many ports.

You never expected to learn another language, when you were younger, and now you speak half a dozen, well enough to have had plenty of adventures on your own.

Rotterdam, New York, Dover, Shanghai, Hamburg, Long Beach, Honk Kong, Busan, Ningbo, Marseilles, Dubai, Antwerp, South Louisiana… you’ve got stories for them all.

Your knowledge of the sea, and your technical mastery of the big ships that sail them, has brought you a good living and a tidy pension, too.

Any of the big shipping companies would grab you if you left the captaincy of your line. But you won’t. They prize you too highly. Your education has served you well.

When you visit home, you return to a dry-land town in the Midwest (where you grew up, far from any ocean.) Maybe that’s what made you study, get your Bachelor of Science, and your Ship Pilot’s License.

The romance of the big oceans. The space out there. The mystery of each new port, and the people of that land. The excitement of discovery, never fading.

Professional sailors and merchant mariners experience foreign travel— and the astonishingly rich variety of life in exotic lands— more than almost any other occupation.

Entry, training, and educational requirements for many water transportation occupations are established and regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Faster-than-average growth and good job opportunities are expected.

The movement of huge amounts of cargo, as well as passengers, between nations and within our Nation depends on workers in water transportation occupations, also known on commercial ships as merchant mariners. They operate and maintain deep-sea merchant ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, offshore supply vessels, excursion vessels, and other waterborne craft on the oceans, the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, and other waterways, as well as in harbors.

Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels command or supervise the operations of ships and water vessels, both within domestic waterways and on the deep sea.

Captains or masters are in overall command of the operation of a vessel, and they supervise the work of all other officers and crew. Together with their department heads, captains ensure that proper procedures and safety practices are followed, check to make sure that machinery and equipment are in good working order, and oversee the loading and discharging of cargo or passengers. They also maintain logs and other records tracking the ships’ movements, efforts at controlling pollution, and cargo and passengers carried.

Deck officers or mates direct the routine operation of the vessel for the captain during the shifts when they are on watch. On smaller vessels, there may be only one mate (called a pilot on some inland towing vessels), who alternates watches with the captain. The mate would assume command of the ship if the captain became incapacitated. When more than one mate is necessary aboard a ship, they typically are designated chief mate or first mate, second mate, third mate, etc. Mates also supervise and coordinate activities of the crew aboard the ship.

Captains and mates determine the course and speed of the vessel, maneuvering to avoid hazards and continuously monitoring the vessel’s position with charts and navigational aides. Captains and mates oversee crew members who steer the vessel, determine its location, operate engines, communicate with other vessels, perform maintenance, handle lines, and operate equipment on the vessel. They inspect the cargo holds during loading to ensure that the load is stowed according to specifications and regulations. Captains and mates also supervise crew members engaged in maintenance and the primary upkeep of the vessel.

Pilots guide ships in and out of harbors, through straits, and on rivers and other confined waterways where a familiarity with local water depths, winds, tides, currents, and hazards such as reefs and shoals are of prime importance. Pilots on river and canal vessels usually are regular crew members, like mates. Harbor pilots are generally independent contractors who accompany vessels while they enter or leave port. Harbor pilots may pilot many ships in a single day.

Ship engineers operate, maintain, and repair propulsion engines, boilers, generators, pumps, and other machinery. Merchant marine vessels usually have four engineering officers: A chief engineer and a first, second, and third assistant engineer. Assistant engineers stand periodic watches, overseeing the safe operation of engines and machinery.
Marine oilers and more experienced qualified members of the engine department, or QMEDs, assist the engineers to maintain the vessel in proper running order in the engine spaces below decks. These workers lubricate gears, shafts, bearings, and other moving parts of engines and motors; read pressure and temperature gauges; record data; and sometimes assist with repairs and adjust machinery.

A typical deep-sea merchant ship has a captain, three deck officers or mates, a chief engineer and three assistant engineers, plus six or more seamen, such as able seamen, oilers, QMEDs, and a cook. The size and service of the ship determine the number of crew members for a particular voyage. Small vessels operating in harbors, on rivers, or along the coast may have a crew comprising only a captain and one deckhand. On smaller vessels the cooking responsibilities usually fall under the deckhands’ duties.

On larger coastal ships, the crew may include a captain, a mate or pilot, an engineer, and seven or eight seamen. Some ships may have special unlicensed positions for entry level apprentice trainees. Unlicensed positions on a large ship may include a full-time cook, an electrician, and machinery mechanics.

Motorboat operators operate small, motor-driven boats that carry six or fewer passengers on fishing charters. They also take depth soundings in turning basins and serve as liaisons between ships, between ship and shore, between harbors and beaches, or on area patrol.

Water transportation workers’ schedules vary based upon the type of ship and length of voyage. While on the water, crews are normally on duty for half of the day, 7 days a week.
Merchant mariners on survey and long distance cargo vessels can spend extended periods at sea. Most deep-sea mariners are hired for one or more voyages that last for several months; there is no job security after that. The length of time between voyages varies depending on job availability and personal preference.

Workers on supply vessels transport workers, supplies (water, drilling mud, fuel, and food), and equipment to oil and gas drilling platforms mostly in the Gulf of Mexico. Their voyages can last a few hours to a couple of weeks. As oil and gas exploration pushes into deeper waters, these trips take more time.

Workers on tugs and barges operate on the rivers, lakes, inland waterways, and along the coast. Most tugs have two crews and operate constantly. The crews will alternate, each working for 2-3 weeks and then taking 2-3 weeks off.

Many of those employed on Great Lakes ships work 60 days and have 30 days off, but do not work in the winter when the lakes are frozen. Others work steadily for a week or a month and then have an extended period off. Those on smaller vessels, such as tugs, supply boats and Great Lakes ships, are normally assigned to one vessel and have steady employment.

Workers on ferries transporting commuters work on weekdays in the morning and evening. Other ferries make frequent trips lasting a few hours. Ferries servicing vacation destinations often operate on seasonal schedules. Workers in harbors generally have year-round work. Work in harbors and on ferries is sought after because workers return home every day.

People holding water transportation jobs work in all kinds of weather, except when frozen waters make travel impossible. Although merchant mariners try to avoid severe storms while at sea, working in damp and cold conditions often is inevitable. While it is uncommon for vessels to suffer disasters such as fire, explosion, or a sinking, workers face the possibility that they may have to abandon their craft on short notice if it collides with other vessels or runs aground. They also risk injury or death from falling overboard and hazards associated with working with machinery, heavy loads, and dangerous cargo. However, modern safety management procedures, advanced emergency communications, and effective international rescue systems have greatly improved mariner safety.

Many companies are working to improve the living conditions on vessels to reduce employee turnover. Most of the Nation’s newest vessels are air conditioned, soundproofed to reduce machinery noise, and equipped with comfortable living quarters. Some companies have added improved entertainment systems and hired full-time cooks. These amenities lessen the difficulty of spending long periods away from home. Advances in communications, particularly e-mail, better link mariners to their families. Nevertheless, some mariners dislike the long periods away from home and the confinement aboard ship and consequently leave the occupation.

Entry, training, and educational requirements for many water transportation occupations are established and regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Most officers and operators of commercially operated vessels must be licensed by the Coast Guard, which offers various kinds of licenses, depending on the position, body of water, and type of vessel. Individuals must be relicensed when they change the type of ship or the body of water they are on. Entry-level workers are classified as ordinary seamen or deckhands. Workers take some basic training, lasting a few days, in areas such as first aid and firefighting.

There are two paths of education and training for a deck officer or an engineer: applicants must either accumulate thousands of hours of experience while working as a deckhand, or graduate from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy or another maritime academy. In both cases, applicants must pass a written examination.

It is difficult to pass the examination without substantial formal schooling or independent study.

The academies offer a 4-year academic program leading to a bachelor-of-science degree, a license (issued only by the Coast Guard) as a third mate (deck officer) or third assistant engineer (engineering officer), and, if the person chooses, a commission as ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Merchant Marine Reserve, or Coast Guard Reserve. With experience and additional training, third officers may qualify for higher rank.

Generally officers on deep water vessels are academy graduates and those in supply boats, inland waterways, and rivers rose to their positions through years of experience.

Harbor pilot training usually consists of an extended apprenticeship with a towing company or a harbor pilots’ association. Entrants may be able seamen or licensed officers.
Licensure. Coast Guard licensing requirements vary by occupational specialty, type of vessel, and by body of water (river, inland waterway, Great Lakes, and oceans.) The requirements increase as the skill level of the occupational specialty increases and the size of the vessel increases.

Entry level seamen or deckhands on vessels operating in harbors or on rivers or other waterways do not need a license. All others working on larger, ocean-going vessels do need a license. To get the basic entry level license, workers must pass a drug screen, take a medical exam, and be U.S. citizens.

Workers on ocean-going or Great Lakes vessels need specialty licenses to work as engineering officers, or deck officers. On rivers or inland waterways, only the captain or anyone who steers the boat needs a license. For more information on licensing requirements see the Coast Guard’s Web site listed in the sources of additional information. Radio operators are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

Most positions require excellent health, good vision, and color perception. Good general physical condition is needed because many jobs require the ability to lift heavy objects, withstand heat and cold, stand or stoop for long periods of time, dexterity to maneuver through tight spaces, and good balance on uneven and wet surfaces and in rough water.

Experience and passing exams are required to advance. Deckhands who wish to advance must decide whether they want to work in the wheelhouse or the engine room. They will then assist the engineers or deck officers. With experience, assistant engineers and deck offices can advance to become chief engineers or captains. On smaller boats, such as tugs, a captain may choose to become self-employed by buying a boat and working as an owner-operator.

Water transportation workers held more than 84,000 jobs in 2006.
(The total number who worked at some point in the year was significantly larger because many merchant marine officers and seamen worked only part of the year. )

About 40 percent of all workers were employed in water transportation services. About 17 percent worked in inland water transportation—primarily the Mississippi River system—while the other 23 percent were employed in water transportation on the deep seas, along the coasts, and on the Great Lakes. Another 24 percent worked in establishments related to port and harbor operations, marine cargo handling, or navigational services to shipping. Governments employed 9 percent of all water transportation workers, many of whom worked on supply ships and are civilian mariners of the Navy Department’s Military Sealift Command.

Employment in water transportation occupations is projected to grow faster than average. Good job opportunities are expected. Employment in water transportation occupations is projected to grow 16 percent over the 2006-2016 period, faster than the average for all occupations.

Job growth will stem from increasing tourism and growth in offshore oil and gas production. Employment will also increase in and around major port cities due to rapidly increasing international trade.

Employment in deep-sea shipping for American mariners is expected to remain stable. A fleet of deep-sea U.S.-flagged ships is considered vital to the Nation’s defense, so some receive Federal support through a maritime security subsidy and other provisions in laws that limit certain Federal cargoes to ships that fly the U.S. flag.

Employment growth also is expected in passenger cruise ships within U.S. waters. Vessels that operate between U.S. ports are required by law to be U.S.-flagged vessels. The staffing needs for several new U.S. flagged cruise ships that will travel to the Hawaiian Islands will create new opportunities for employment. In addition, increasing use of ferries to handle commuter traffic around major metropolitan areas should increase employment.

Some growth in water transportation occupations is projected in vessels operating in the Great Lakes and inland waterways. Growth will be driven by increasing demand for bulk products, such as coal, iron ore, petroleum, sand and gravel, grain, and chemicals. Since current pipelines cannot transport ethanol, some growth will come from shipping ethanol. Problems with congestion in the rail transportation system will increase demand for inland water transportation.

Job prospects are good. Job opportunities will result from growth and the need to replace those leaving the occupation. Most water transportation occupations require workers to be away from home for extended periods of time, causing some to leave these jobs.

Maritime academy graduates who have not found licensed shipboard jobs in the U.S. merchant marine find jobs in related industries.

Many academy graduates are ensigns in the Naval or Coast Guard Reserve; some are selected or apply for active duty in those branches of the Service. Some find jobs as seamen on U.S.-flagged or foreign-flagged vessels, tugboats, and other watercraft or enter civilian jobs with the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard. Some take land-based jobs with shipping companies, marine insurance companies, manufacturers of boilers or related machinery, or other related jobs.

Earnings vary widely with the particular water transportation position and the worker’s experience. Earnings are higher than most other occupations with similar educational requirements for entry-level positions. While wages are lower for sailors than for mates and engineers, sailors’ on-board experience is important for advancing into those higher paying positions. Workers are normally paid by the day. Since companies provide food and housing at sea and it is difficult to spend money while working, sailors are able to save a large portion of their pay.

Median annual wage-and-salary earnings of sailors and marine oilers were $30,630 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $23,790 and $39,830. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $19,220, while the top 10 percent earned over $49,650.

Median annual wage-and-salary earnings of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels were $53,430 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $38,880 and $69,570. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $29,360, while the top 10 percent earned over $89,230.

Annual pay for captains of larger vessels, such as container ships, oil tankers, or passenger ships may exceed $100,000, but only after many years of experience. Similarly, earnings of captains of tugboats are dependent on the port and the nature of the cargo.

Median annual wage-and-salary earnings of ship engineers were $54,820 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,190 and $74,360. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $34,140, while the top 10 percent earned over $92,860.

Have you dreamed of seeing the world? Of exploring the far corners of our blue water-covered planet?

Would you love a life of roving, and being well-paid for the challenge of each day on a ship, each visit in a new port?

Then explore your options first, with the knowledge obtained from higher education.

Get the degree that will put your aboard the adventure of your lifetime.

Information on a program called “Careers Afloat”, which includes a substantial listing of training and employment information and contacts in the U.S., may be obtained through:

• Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 7th St. SW., Room 7302, Washington, DC 20590. http://www.marad.dot.gov/acareerafloat

Information on merchant marine careers, training, and licensing requirements is available from:

• U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center, 4200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 630, Arlington, VA 22203-1804. http://www.uscg.mil/stcw/index.htm

Information on careers with the Military Sealift Command can be found at:

• Military Sealift Command, CIVMAR Support Center, 6353 Center Drive, Building 8, Suite 202, Norfolk, VA 23502. http://www.sealiftcommand.com

What are the best degree programs to prepare for a life of successful entrepreneurship?

Most new businesses fail because their owners are poorly prepared. They dream, but don’t look far enough beyond their dreams.

Marketing is an essential degree for anyone who will create a business, promote it, and sell its products and/or services.

Revenue is your bottom line. If you can’t develop a revenue flow, nothing else matters. Many great business plans have failed because poor marketing failed the company.

Management is another powerful degree tool, with which to run your own business.

You can develop an amazing revenue flow, and squander it in failed management practices. Many good companies have been run into the ground by poor managers.

Before embarking on your degree of choice, ask yourself these questions, and answer them honestly:

• Will I follow through and earn a degree in marketing or management?
• Am I willing to study for my degree, and then work long hours each day to build my dream?
• Do I have skills in a profession, trade, or hobby that can be converted into a business?
• Does my idea for a business effectively exploit my skills and abilities?
• Am I a good manager, planner, and organizer; controlling my own time and tendencies?
• Can I make my own decisions, or am I more comfortable following the dictates of others?
• Am I willing to postpone my plans in order to get more education, beyond my basic degree, if necessary?
• Does my family support my goals, my dreams?
• Can I afford the financial and emotional risks if the business fails?

If you answer “No” more than once or twice, you may not be cut out for entrepreneurship. (You may simply not want to be stressed by working for others— that is not enough!)

Still, you may still be a great candidate for a marketing or management degree, if you would be more comfortable working for a larger company.

But remember, don’t imagine that you’d be more secure working for others. The risks are still there. The risk of launching your own entrepreneurship is great, but is definitely offset by the risk of job stability when employed by strangers.

Worldwide, significant opportunities for self-employment have long existed in professional specialty occupations. In the USA, the largest concentration of self-employed professionals is among writers, artists, entertainers, therapists, computer programmers and techs, and other highly-skilled operations research occupations.

Each of these professions still must manage its own venture, and each depends upon good marketing to thrive and survive.

Enlisting the aid of experts, especially those who have worked with other business owners, will help you analyze your capabilities. That knowledge should reveal gaps between your expectations and the reality of succeeding with a business idea, allowing you to rethink your plan before your livelihood depends on its success.

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, seek advice and guidance from your own government’s business-promotion offices. You’ll need a wealth of local and national information about starting a business.

In the USA, for instance, free information and resources from the U.S. Small Business Administration might help turn your entrepreneurial dream into a successful reality. To find a regional or local Small Business Association office, call toll free, 1(800)827–5722, or visit www.sba.gov/localresources/index.html.

Wherever you live on this great globe of ours, entrepreneurship— with all its personal downsides of uncertainty and stress— can liberate you from a life of dependence, layoffs, and a host of equally terrifying economic unknowns.

PLAN PLAN PLAN.

LEARN LEARN LEARN.

Get the degree that empowers you for success, and begin to create your life adventure!

Your family and your friends ask, “What in the world are you going to do for income? Do you want to end up living in a box in an alley?”

You love to talk, discuss, debate. You’re addicted to thinking. Not the accumulation of data, but thinking itself.

Your world is as eclectic as the music you love, no limits, infinite variety. Your I-pod is packed with the aural riches of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, the North Mississippi All-Stars, Nirvana, the Decembrists, anything by Jimi or Dylan with some Lou Reed thrown in. Then an Old-time concert, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, just so so damn good.

You think voraciously. Philosophy studies, especially metaphysics, feel so elegant, like chess inside your mind. You’re addicted.

For you, reading is a disease. Ancient history is a secret pleasure, especially Thucydides and Herodotus. You devour the fiction called American Naturalism you much prefer early Faulkner to any period of Hemingway. In fiction more recently, Cormac McCarthy is next to early Robert Stone. But the two Sinclairs, Sinclair Lewis and Upton Sinclair, are your current mania.

You love theater. You prefer the plays of Euripides to Tennessee Williams. But Peter Shaffer is your all-time favorite playwright, much more than Mamet. You would walk a hundred miles for a revival of Royal Hunt of the Sun, or Amadeus. You know every line of several Coen Brothers movies.

You love art museums. The Abstract Expressionists, especially the huge color fields of Rothko and the action paintings Pollack, make you feel ascendant. You avoid the Impressionists like Renoir and Monet, their fluff so sickeningly sweet you need an insulin shot.

You write a little poetry. More like E.E. Cummings than Ted Hughes.

You are a Liberal Arts major.

And you’re no fool. You know you can’t eat ideas. The world is waiting to feed on you!

AaaaaAAAAAAAAA! What will you do for MONEY?

DO NOT DESPAIR.

Thanks to (the wonderful committed brain-power and social enthusiasm of) your Liberal Arts degree, you can have an amazing future in the wonderful world of employment!

It’s true. Liberal arts majors with good grades are passionate about their studies. Employers look for passion and intelligence— a rare combination.

Your ability to articulate freely and accurately— Liberal arts is well-known for this— is a highly valued skill, sought by many top employers.

Your Liberal Arts degree brings you many more options than you realize. For you, the career choices aren’t obvious, but they are wildly varied.

Bottom line? Liberal arts majors have excellent people skills. Skills that qualify them for a vast array of high intelligence jobs.

A recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) survey reveals this strong trend. Most hiring managers value a job candidate’s personal skills much higher than any particular college major.

Employers are hungry to hire people with skills in communication and critical thinking, exactly the top qualities of Liberal Arts graduates.

This is why Liberal Arts grads employment and salaries continually increase.

Opportunities are wide and many. Liberal Arts can open a whole range of careers. Most entry-level positions require people who can learn quickly and solve problems; the specifics are taught on the job.

The same NACE survey shows that liberal arts graduates worked in a variety of industries, including retail trade and social assistance. And they worked in a range of career fields, from management to sales to graphic arts.

Salary offers for Liberal Arts majors varied tremendously, depending upon the field selected.

Liberal arts majors have so many options beyond the obvious ones. This is an enormous advantage.

An English or History major might want to write, or teach… and yet the same Liberal Arts grad can go into business, sales, or graphic design, research assistant, or paralegal, working as a reporter or technical writer.

Or Anthropology, where the grad learned to conduct ethnographic interviews and studies, skills that can translate to marketing.

Employment of market research analysts is projected to grow by 20 percent between 2006 and 2016, and to provide more than 62,900 job openings for workers new to those occupations.

Communications and media jobs are expected to grow by 11 percent and provide 245,000 openings.

And jobs in urban and regional planning are expected to grow by 15 percent and provide 14,900 openings.

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) show that the percent of graduates who had full-time jobs 1 year after graduation increased across the board for all liberal arts specialties between 1975 and 2001.

For instance, Psychology majors have seen a rise in post-graduation employment of almost 20 percent. Humanities and social science majors have experienced similar increases (16 percent and 17 percent, respectively).

According to the NCES Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Survey, a substantial portion of liberal arts graduates have reported that their jobs relate directly to their studies.
41 percent of humanities majors reported a direct link between their jobs and their majors, one year after graduation.

Deciding on a career can be difficult, especially if you have a degree that doesn’t point to a specific type of job.

Career counselors can help you find direction. Professionals in your college’s career center can offer advice on topics ranging from choosing a career to negotiating a salary. If you know which skills you want to use in a future job, you can consult a career counselor— to help you match those skills with potential jobs.

Nearly all career centers offer Internet resources that describe occupational choices by college major.

Exploit online research as a top tool of choice.

See? Liberal Arts is no dead-end. Your depth of knowledge can be a gateway to your dreams.

On the contrary, it can serve your future in a wild array of opportunities you never dreamed existed!

Bottom line, the degree and all that it confers. A general college degree is the major entry-level credential you need.

So, you’re ready to grad, to find your niche. Think away. It’s your passion, your number one asset, your intellectual strength.

Go ahead, Liberal Arts student, GRADUATE! Don’t fear the reaper, you can and you will find a rewarding job.

For the rest of your life, you will own THE CULTIVATION OF YOUR PERSONAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE!

The following articles offer general ad- vice that is useful to a broad range of jobseek- ers, including liberal arts graduates:

• Career myths and how to debunk them, www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2005/fall/art01.pdf
• Informational interviewing: Get the inside scoop on careers, www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2002/summer/art03.pdf
• Internships: Previewing a profes- sion, www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2006/summer/art02.pdf
• Résumés, applications, and cover letters, www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/1999/Summer/art01.pdf
• Helping charity work: Paid jobs in charitable nonprofits, www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2001/Summer/art02.pdf
• Interior designers: Sprucing up space, www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2005/fall/art02.pdf
• Policy analysts: Shaping society through research and problem-solving, www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2007/spring/art03.pdf

You can also visit a One-Stop Career Center, spon-sored by the U.S. Department of Labor. To find a local center, call toll free, 1 (877) 872–5627, or visit www.servicelocator.org.

To learn more about how skills and interest assessments are used in employment selection and career counseling, and to get test-taking tips and strategies, see “Tests and Other Assessments: Helping You Make Better Career Decisions,” published by O*Net and also available online at www.onetcenter.org/dl_files/testAsse.pdf.

You know the stories behind Keebler, Nabisco, Sarah lee, Panera, Great Harvest, Mrs Fields, so many famous names in baking.

Great fortunes have been made in bread. Empires have been founded upon the abundance and scarcity of bread.

You love baking— where food and creativity meet. Bread— where hunger and humanity meet. The scent of warm rising bread intoxicates you.

You don’t make the bread that fills our stores, bread made in giant factories.

Your bread is different. Very different. That’s why you’re a success.

For the last 12 years you’ve supplied hand crafted, artisan sourdoughs along with many other speciality breads, to top restaurants and hotels.

French and Italian Sourdoughs: Black Olive, Boule de Meule, Hazelnut & Raisin, Apple Sourdough, Potato & Rosemary, Russian Rye, San Francisco, Sultana and fennel sourdough.

You started with a degree in Nutrition and a minor in chemistry. But it was the summer work in a small bakery that really hooked you.

After college, you started on your own, worked hard, made amazing breads… within 2 years you outgrew your original building, hired more and more employees.

And now your managers run a plant employing several hundred workers, a dozen of them Master Bakers in their own right.

Your main line of whole grain bread is trucked all over North America. Your most exotic gourmet breads are shipped air express, all over the world.

Mastering the technology of bread has made you far more than merely financially secure. And now you want to give something back.

In your lab, the lump of sticky wet dough bubbles, breathes and multiplies. And not only does it multiply, it grows. Enzymes are released, rich in nutrition. Such a new bread could help feed an ever-expanding population, in a world of diminishing resources.

This carefully nurtured mixture of some of natures finest, yet most simple, ingredients is the essence of our sourdoughs: making the bread rise and giving it the characteristic sour taste and light chewy texture.

You have experimented, grown a new naturally fermented yeast, a startlingly prolific dough starter. You combined and nurtured it from wild yeasts, and you call it the “Father of Bread.”

Based on an old Egyptian fermenting process, you added yoghurt, stone ground rye flour, apple juice and grapes and you whisked it vigorously. Then you let nature take its course.

The bubbly elastic mixture started coming to life multiplying from the carbohydrates in the flour, juice and yoghurt moisture, along with the naturally occurring yeast spores which are in the air. You keep the sourdough starter fed daily with moisture and flour ensuring it will last forever.

In some societies a good bread starter is passed through generations. As yours is intended. But yours will be sent all over the globe.

You’re even experimenting with bread made of other grains— rice, millet, barley, bread to suit the taste of any culture.

A baker at your level participates in a broad range of complex, technical or professional work activities, performed in a wide variety of contexts with a substantial degree of personal responsibility and autonomy.

Responsibility for your bakers, and allocation of resources is the Master Baker’s world. You must have the technical and administrative skills necessary to operate and manage the production area of a full-line independent or in-store commercial bakery.

You must produce high quality bakery foods, with great command of the principles of sanitation, management, retail sales/merchandising and training.

The skills needed to be a Master Baker are little understood by the general public.

Bakers need to know about ingredients and nutrition, government health and sanitation regulations, business concepts, applied chemistry—including how ingredients combine and how they are affected by heat, and production processes, including how to operate and maintain machinery.

Bakers must have the skills necessary to utilize and program computers, for mass baking, with the high-speed automated equipment typically found in modern food plants.

Bakers mix and bake ingredients according to recipes to produce varying quantities of breads, pastries, and other baked goods. Bakers commonly are employed in grocery stores and specialty shops and produce small quantities of breads, pastries, and other baked goods for consumption on premises or for sale as specialty baked goods. While the quantities are often small, the varieties of bread usually are not.

Specialty handcrafted—or artisan—bread, comes with seeds, nuts, fruits, olives, and cheese, which can be included in a crusty loaf, round loaf, flat or even focaccia bread. Bakers can also add a variety of flavors, too, such as rosemary, pecan, fig, garlic, red pepper, sesame, and anise.

In manufacturing, bakers produce goods in large quantities, using high-volume mixing machines, ovens, and other equipment. Goods produced in large quantities usually are available for sale through distributors, grocery stores, supermarkets, or manufacturers’ outlets.

Bakers have the option of obtaining certification through the Retails Bakers of America. While not mandatory, obtaining certification assures the public and prospective employers that the baker has sufficient skills and knowledge to work at a retail baking establishment.

The Retail Bakers of America offer certification for four levels of competence with a focus on several broad areas, including baking sanitation, management, retail sales, and staff training. Those who wish to become certified must satisfy a combination of education and experience requirements prior to taking an examination.

The education and experience requirements vary by the level of certification desired. For example, a certified journey baker requires no formal education but a minimum of 1 year of work experience.

A certified Master Baker must have earned the certified baker designation, and must have completed 30 hours of sanitation coursework approved by a culinary school or government agency, 30 hours of professional development courses or workshops, and a minimum of 8 years of commercial or retail baking experience.

While high-volume production equipment limits the demand for lesser skilled bakers in manufacturing, overall employment of bakers, particularly highly skilled bakers, should increase 10 percent, about as fast as the average for all occupations, due to growing numbers of bakers in stores, specialty shops, and traditional bakeries.

In addition to the growing numbers of cookie, muffin, and cinnamon roll bakeries, the numbers of specialty bread and bagel shops have been growing, spurring demand for artisan bread and pastry bakers.

Highly skilled bakers should be especially in demand because of growing demand for specialty products and because of the time it takes to learn to make them.

Earnings vary by industry, skill, geographic region, and especially— your educational level.

Median annual earnings of bakers were $22,030 in May 2006.

The middle 50 percent earned between $17,720 and $28,190.

The highest 10 percent earned more than $35,380, and the lowest 10 percent earned less than $15,180.

Then there are the billionaire founders of great baking dynasties.

Contact your local college or university for information relating to degrees in nutrition, business, and chemistry.

Online learning can be of great benefit if you need to adjust your schedule due to home and employment responsibilities.

Bread is a staff of life and a core ingredient in the western diet.

Master Baker— where chemistry, biology, and innovation meet.

Bread is essential. The Master Baker is equally essential.

Bread will always be in demand. A life as a Master Baker, built upon solid educational knowledge, can lead all the way to the founding of a great corporate dynasty, or a boutique bakery with a loyal clientele.

For information on various levels of certification as a baker, contact:

• Retail Bakers of America, 8201 Greensboro Dr., Suite 300, McLean, VA, 22102

State employment service offices can provide information about job openings for food processing occupations.

We aren’t climbing into a jet plane or reshaping the earth, or solving a crime, tuning a race car, or saving a life in the emergency room.

Today we are just facing hard cold numbers. Numbers are facts, the same way a block of stone of steel is a fact.

A new U. S. government employment survey has been released. In black and white, it is nothing but numbers. Statistics.

Those unforgiving numbers show how people (25 years and older) are impacted, by the deep recession we are all struggling to claw our way out of.

How they earn. And how they do not earn. The measure of earnings stability, rated by level of education.

Have you ever doubted that higher education can save you from disaster?

Look hard and long at these numbers, and decide for yourself…

The higher the level of education, the higher the employment ratio. It’s a direct connection. You see the stats that prove it.

Sure, maybe you always knew it, maybe you didn’t want to really believe it, but there it is, in the hard reality of statistics.

Or maybe you thought, “I’ll take the time someday to get my degree.” Or, “That’s not for me, I can’t do it.”

Wrong. It’s time to take a new look. Time to reshape your future.

You owe it to yourself, to those who love and depend on you. You owe it to your future. The recession has no pity.

This survey proves that higher education can help protect your security. How? Improve yourself and improve your chances.

Help keep the job you already have. Help get a better job. Help yourself advance through the ranks.

Use GRAD2B. It’s free!

Check in every day to see what’s new. You are why we are here!